Madonna defends MDNA tour violence
Madonna has published a new "manifesto" defending the violence and gun imagery featured in her latest world tour.
The pop superstar has repeatedly courted controversy throughout her ongoing MDNA trek, brandishing fake machine guns onstage, displaying swastika symbols and even exposing her nipples.
But in a new free-verse message, released by Billboard.com, the
Material Girl remains adamant that she does not condone violence
and insists her headline-grabbing antics were conceived as
entertainment.
Madonna's note begins, "My show is a journey... it is part
cinematic musical theatre, part spectacle and sometimes intimate
performance art... When you watch a film there are usually good
guys and bad guys to help illustrate this point. Sometimes I play
both."
She adds, "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 (sic) wanting to stop the lies and hypocrisy of the
church, the intolerance of many narrow minded cultures and
societies I have experienced throughout my life and in some cases
the pain I have felt from having my heart broken."