Music

Madonna is sort of sorry she used black civil rights leaders to promote her new album

by Mark Teo

January 5, 2015

Madonna has a lifetime’s worth of mega pop jams under her belt, and we can’t take those accomplishments away from her. But we’ll be honest: As of late, Madonna (ahem, MDNA) has been a complete jabroni. Remember, for instance, when she posted pics of her 13-year-old son partying with a bottle of gin? Or when she dropped an N-bomb on Instagram then told everyone to get off her junk? We sure do.

Now, she’s one-upped herself by using civil rights leaders, such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela, to promote her new album, Rebel Heart.

It could be chalked up to an insensitive blunder. Sure. But when she was criticized of using inappropriate cultural imagery to promote her album–which probably isn’t about black civil rights–she offered a tepid halfway retraction.

Worse still, she blamed her fans for creating those images. “I’m sorry,” began the not-sorry singer. “I’m not comparing my self to anyone, I’m admiring and acknowledging their Rebel Hearts.”

Then, she did the worst thing that anyone accused of racism can do: She got defensive.

This is neither a crime or an insult or racist!

Of course, Madonna isn’t the person who gets to decide what’s insulting (or racist, for that matter). A simple “I done fucked up, sorry” was all that was necessary. But instead, the renegade parent continued on a long-ass diatribe about how she’s an appreciator, not an appropriator.

Here was her kinda-sorta-not apology, which is studded with spelling errors.

I’m sorry
I’m not comparing my self to anyone
I’m admiring and acknowledging there Rebel Hearts
This is niether a crime or an insult or racist!
I also did it with Michael jaclson and frida khalo and marilyn monroe
Am I saying I am them
NO
I’m saying they are Rebel Hearts too.
And
I didn’t do it
My fans did
And I just re posted those photos
My fans aren’t racist either
If they put me in the same category as these other people
Thank you. I’m very flattered and I hope one day to live up to 1 100th of what those people accomplished.