First came the swastika, and then some fake guns, and then a Pussy Riot speech, and a protest against Russia’s anti-gay-pride laws, and at some point in there, she was getting booed by French fans (and also Elton John). The point is: Madonna’s MDNA tour has been a rousing success, if success is defined as “getting Madonna as much attention as possible.†And so, to keep that publicity train rolling, Madonna has released a sort of tour manifesto, to explain the controversial elements of her show (and shore up support against the Russian civil rights group that is planning to sue her). The open letter begins thusly: “My show / is a journey / the journey of a soul from darkness to light.†And it goes on.
On the subject of the fake-gun use, which earned her some criticism in the wake of the Aurora shooting:
“It’s true there is a lot of violence in the beginning of the show and sometimes the use of fake guns — but they are used as metaphors.
I do not condone violence or the use of guns.
Rather they are symbols of wanting to appear strong and wanting to find a way to stop feelings that I find hurtful or damaging. In my case, its wanting to stop the lies and hypocrisy of the church, the intolerance of many narrow minded cultures and societies I have experience throughout my life and in some cases the pain I have felt from having my heart broken.â€
And here is something about how the show is like a movie:
“When you watch a film there are usually good guys and bad guys to help illustrate this point. Sometimes I play both.
I enjoy acting out this journey.â€
So,in summary: Stop yelling at Madonna. She’s just out here trying to heal people and get her EGOT. Why won’t you just give her that EGOT already?