Passa ai contenuti principali

In defense of Madonna's performance at Eurovision.


Welcome back on Blogger!
Madonna and controversy.....a neverending relationship. 
Let's discuss what happened last night at Eurovision Song Contest in Tel Aviv. 


That's the main question actually. What happened? What Madonna did for people to have such an outraged reaction towards her performance? Did she get naked on stage? Did she simulate a masturbation? Did she perform a new age version of I'm Going Bananas
No. 
She actually went on stage, sang one of her biggest hits (Like a Prayer), a new song (Future), featuring rapper Quavo, a preview of another new track (Dark Ballet) and ended her performance. 
Nothing wrong with it, right? 
Apparently, she did something outrageous according to the world (or well....social media). She sang out of tune at times during Like a Prayer, presented a very artsy and dark performance and made a political statement. 
I mean, a vocal powerhouse like Madonna singing out of tune? 
A basic popstar like her doing performance art?
An always anonymous person like her going political?


WHAT A SHOCKER



I'm truly amazed and shocked at how people act towards others on social media....but let's get back to Madonna.
First of all, if you knew anything about Madonna, you'd know that she was never considered a great singer and she's been singing out of tune since her first concert tour in 1985. She basically introduced and made it the standard for popstar to be performance artists with her historic Blond Ambition Tour in 1990. 
Last but not least, she's always been political. May it be for freedom of expression, women rights, gay rights, world peace, poverty, diseases and so on. 
We live in a digital world, everything is accessible and it's just a few clicks away. Yet, in my opinion, ignorance is reigning supreme. To me art is the most beautiful thing humans can do and I do not tolerate ignorance about it....but that's just me being me maybe. 
With this said, I once again express my surprise at people's overreaction. 
But let's go deeper (and deeper and deeper)
What really caused this outcry?

Madonna performing at Eurovision.


1. Maybe.....the performance was too dark: The performance wasn't centered on Madonna having fun on stage and being the main attraction. She used the biggest platform in the world (200 million people were allegedly watching) to promote a message of peace. The imagery was dark, provocative, almost creepy at times. Its purpose was to make people think. That was the problem maybe....people who watch Eurovision do not want to think. They want to have fun without thinking. 

2. Maybe....her outfit wasn't that appealing: Madonna is seen as old, let's not kid ourselves. She looked good but everyone is obsessed with looking hot and young nowadays. That outfit, as relevant to the message as it was, didn't make her look young. I think that turned off a lot of people.

3. Maybe....the performance wasn't that energetic: Which is actually a lie. So much was going on during that performance. Still, people expect Madonna to make them dance and she didn't. Once again though, that wasn't the point of the performance.

4. Maybe....people did not get the message immediately: Because Eurovision actually did a horrible job with cameras and even censored the most important part of the performance (when two people, representing Israel and Palestine, were holding hands on the stairs, sending a message of peace and reconciliation, as shown in the picture below). 



Still, I have to tell you that I'm shocked at the reaction. It was hard for me to find something wrong with this performance.
To me there was really nothing scandalous or outrageously bad about it. 
Either I'm becoming an idiot or people really love to create drama out of nothing nowadays. 
Because that is what social media is all about. It's about inflating people's ego, make them feel important for a minute, getting hundreds of re-tweets or likes so they can think that they made themselves look cool after trashing someone that has achieved more than they ever will, both professionally and humanly. 
I watch that performance and see nothing wrong. I just see someone sending a beautiful message of peace paired with gorgeous imagery. 
I titled this article "In defense of Madonna's performance at Eurovision" but....does she really need me defending her? I really don't think so. I have a life (mine) to defend and think about.
However, I'm always proud to be a thinking mind in this world of superficiality, ignorance, blind hatred and inflated egos. 
As I stated on our Facebook page: "This storm will fade....as did the previous ones".
Go on, Madame X.  


Let your body move to the music. 

Commenti

Post popolari in questo blog

Music, movies, books to revisit during quarantine (Madonna Edition).

(Photo by Richard Corman, 1983) Welcome back on Blogger fans!  It's been a while since my last article and things have sadly changed since then. Covid-19 has impacted our lives deeply and I hope all of you are okay.  Since we have to stay at home, what better way to spend our time with our favorite Diva?  Here is a list of Madonna-related stuff that I think we should all revisit. Let's get into this article!  Madonna: Like an Icon  Originally published in 2007 by music critic Lucy O'Brien, this book is always a nice read as it not only chronicles the life and career of Madonna but also tells about O'Brien's experience as a fan, what she thought of Madonna initially and what made her change her mind for the best.  This book keeps on getting updated as Madonna's life and career progresses and a new edition is apparently coming this year. I highly recommend it. Bedtime Stories   One of Madonna's most underrated and over

Madonna and Old Hollywood: her finest inspiration.

(Madonna photographed by Steven Meisel, 1991) Welcome back on Blogger! Today I want to talk about one of Madonna's biggest inspirations: old Hollywood. I have always loved classic stars and movies myself so I am very happy to share this article with you. Let's get into it! (Madonna on the set of the Material Girl  music video) Madonna has often expressed admiration for legendary pop figures, not only actors and actresses but also films, with specific attention to the characters and their main trait, may it be wit, melancholia, romance, sensuality or ambiguity. Their style, beauty and overall uniqueness have been honored by Madonna through her music videos, performances and outfits. In particular, our Diva is great at giving new life to them, she is able to re-invent them in a new context, thus making them timeless. Marilyn Monroe is probably Madonna's biggest inspiration, aesthetically speaking. She has paid tribute to the blonde bombs

Like a Prayer (1989) - Album Review

Welcome back on Blogger! The day has finally arrived.  Today we are going to discuss Madonna's fourth studio album Like a Prayer, universally recognized as one of the best albums of its decade and of all time.  Let's delve into this masterpiece together!  Released on March 21, 1989, Like a Prayer sees Madonna at her most intimate and confessional, dealing with domestic violence, her mother's death, her complicated relationship with her father, the importance of family and female empowerment, all connected by an apparently shadowy but omnipresent leitmotiv: her Catholic upbringing .  " The theme of Catholicism runs rampant. It's me struggling with the mystery and magic that surrounds it. My own Catholicism is in constant upheaval  [...] Because in Catholicism you are a born sinner and you're a sinner all your life. No matter how you try to get away from it, the sin is within you all the time. It was this fear that haunted me; it taunted and pained me ever