Madonna Talks Controversies, Streams Show

Madonna shares some thoughts about the swastika imagery and fake guns featured in her MDNA world tour routine. In other Material Girl news, the singer is offering fans a live stream of tonight’s Paris show.

The pop star managed to upset people on both sides of the pond after she played Edinburgh, Scotland, July 21 without changing a certain part of her choreography. Police had told Madonna not to brandish fake pistols or an AK47 assault riffle but she did it anyway, joking about the show being “cut off” because of Scotland’s gun laws. In addition to not being sensitive to Scotland’s 1996 Dunblane school massacre, the show took place less than 48 hours after the Aurora, Colo., movie theatre massacre.

Photo: AP Photo
Madon

Although Madonna didn’t comment about the tragedy in Aurora, she did discuss the show’s use of fake firearms and violence during an interview with a Brazilian TV show that was posted online this week.

“And then we move into women having power with ‘Revolver.’ And all of my female assassins. And if anybody tries to mess with us, you know, they will be sorry.
And then we move into ‘Gang Bang,’ which is completely inspired by the films of Russ Myer in the ‘60s. They’re kind of camp, they’re a little bit extreme. They’re extremely violent. But they’re funny. It’s meant to be funny, the violence of it. Because how could one person shoot that many people? …. I think we live in a society that’s filled with violent imagery. Most action movies – it’s just usually men with guns. So what’s shocking for the audience is maybe to see me with a gun. But the idea is it’s important to see that there’s different layers of meaning in the show. You shouldn’t take any of it literally.”

A YouTube screen capture shows a montage depicting National Front leader Marine Le Pen and a swastika.

And what about the video montage that includes an image of the swastika imposed on the face of French political leader Marine Le Pen, followed by a picture of Madonna’s face with Hitler’s mustache? France’s National Front says it plans to sue over the video.

“The film that was created is about the intolerance that we human beings have for another. And how much we judge people before knowing them. That’s why it’s done to the song ‘Nobody Knows Me.’ So yes, all images in the video were chosen purposively. There seems to be that there’s a growing kind of intolerance going on around the world in Greece, in France, everywhere where people are trying to kick out all the immigrants and make people cover up or not show what their religious affiliations is.

“It’s actually kind of scary times and I’m trying to point that out. Think about what’s going on in Russia toward the gay community. So I’m calling attention to that intolerance and asking people to pay attention, to wake up, to see how we are just creating more chaos in the world with this kind of intolerance.”

Madonna will get another chance to stir up controversy in France when she performs tonight at Paris’ Olympia. You can check out the show for yourself through a global live stream on LoveLive’s YouTube channel at YouTube.com/MadonnaClubShowParis beginning at 10:15 p.m. Paris time, 4:15 p.m. EST. After the show a post-stream will also be available to see the footage in its entirety.

Click here to watch Madonna’s interview.

Click here for the YouTube stream of the Paris show.

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