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Madonna is being accused of using the recent events in Paris, surrounding Wednesday’s massacre at satirical publication Charlie Hebdo, as an opportunity to promote her music. Many observers believe the pop star is exploiting the situation for her new album Rebel Heart, while her fans counter that Madonna is simply lending her voice to the outrage over the situation in France. What do you think?
On Wednesday, Muslim extremist gunmen killed 12 people at the Charlie Hebdo offices as revenge for the newspaper’s depictions of the prophet Muhammad. Like many horrified observers, Madonna posted the phrase, “Je Suis Charlie” (French for “I am Charlie”), showing solidarity with the murdered journalists (see photo below). She captioned it, “These are very scary times we are living in. Ignorance breeds Intolerance and fear. We can only fight darkness with light! We are all Charlie! #revolutionoflove ❤️ #rebelheartsFollowing.”
Her use of the phrase “Rebel Heart” struck some people as opportunistic, especially coming on the heels of last week’s Madonna controversy, when she photoshopped images of civil rights leaders and others to mimic her album cover.
The singer then posted a picture (see below) of people holding “Je Suis Charlie” signs in the streets of Paris, captioning it, “We must respect AlL religions! But we must also RESPECT human life!! Killing in the name of G*D is man’s idea not G*D’s!!!!#livingforlove ❤️ #rebelheart.” Madonna’s new single is called “Living For Love.”
Early Friday, two linked hostage situations unfolded in Paris, reportedly perpetrated by the people behind Wednesday’s attack. Shortly before the new crises, Madonna again posted about the tumult in the country, sharing a picture (below) of an eye colored like the French flag crying. She again invoked her song’s title, writing, “Love this photo from Mario Testino-Says it all. #jesuischarlie ❤️ #livingforlove.”
Once again, Madonna’s critics are alleging that she’s using the tragedies as a chance to promote her music, while her supporters argue that she’s simply spreading a message of solidarity and peace. Where do you stand?
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