Remember that time Madonna started her Celebration Tour concert in New York nearly three hours late, then two ticket holders from that night banded together to sue her, and Her Madgesty’s lawyers rebutted saying they were going to fight the case “vigorously!” but the kicker in all of it was that Madonna used to charge her backup dancers $100 for every minute they were late to rehearsals? Hey, you know that we are living in a material world! Experience has made Madge rich and now they’re after her. We haven’t had an update on the case, but last week Madonna made a concert-related faux pas of an entirely new variety at a Los Angeles tour stop. She singled out an audience member for not standing up to dance. Then she moved closer to the audience to further call out the person for not dancing. Yeah, the fan she was zeroing in on was a wheelchair user. Quicker than a ray of light did Madge backtrack and resume the show, but the interwebs caught the moment on video:
Madonna has been filmed apologising to a concertgoer in a wheelchair, after she initially questioned why they weren’t standing up while she performed.
In footage taken during the US leg of her Celebration tour and shared on social media in recent days, the singer, speaking on her microphone, tells the audience member: “Take this ride with me! What are you doing sitting down over there? What are you doing sitting down?”, before walking over to the person to cheers from the audience.
Upon realising her mistake, she says: “Oh, OK. Politically incorrect, sorry about that. I’m glad you’re here.” The Guardian has contacted her UK representatives for further comment.
Madonna plays the final concert of a five-night run at Kia Forum in Los Angeles on Monday night, before heading across southern states for the remainder of the Celebration tour’s US leg.
She caused controversy earlier on in the tour by starting a New York concert at 10.30pm, resulting in a lawsuit from a disgruntled pair of fans. Her management team and promoter Live Nation said they would “vigorously” defend the suit, saying the late start arose from a technical problem during a sound check.
Celebration is taking place following a postponement last year when Madonna suffered a serious bacterial infection and was hospitalised in June. She later said the health scare made her realise “how lucky I am to be alive”.
Um, is it “politically incorrect,” or more like common decency-incorrect? Asking a wheelchair user to stand up, or anyone for that matter, doesn’t seem political so much as something you should not do. As a general rule, I don’t like performers (or DJs) directing me to “clap!” or “wave your arms!” or “bunny hop!” That’s mainly down to my near virulent response at being told what to do, ever. I see a welcome mat that says “Have an awesome day!” and am like I don’t have to!! (I know I know, I’m delightful.) So I’m not a fan of Madonna — or any artist — demanding the audience “take this ride” with her. It’s also woefully ignorant of people with disabilities, visible or not. And that’s kind of the point: everyone has their own ways of responding to or experiencing something. That includes people of diverse physical capabilities attending a concert (that they likely paid a hefty ticket price for). At least Madonna stopped as soon as she realized her error, although her apology was a bit terse, and I still think “politically incorrect” is an incorrect characterization.
Photos credit: Papculture/Backgrid and via Instagram
Once an a-hole, always an a-hole. I was a kid in the 80s and a teenager in the 90s and should have been in her fan ‘demographic’, but always detested this vain, shallow, narcissistic woman.
Same, I came up in the 80s and 90s and didn’t have cable so I missed the whole mtv generation stuff. Singers I preferred were Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey (but not deeply), Celine Dion and Jewel.
Agree. She’s always been rude.
Agree. She always seemed so unnecessarily nasty, I think that’s the word. She was making music for people to enjoy, but seemed not to like the people who enjoyed her music.
Yes, she’s a complete cow. I saw her be really rude to some major fans of hers once on a chat show. These people had spent years making these dolls of her and were SO excited that they were going to be introduced to her. She could not have been less gracious or less kind.
i can believe that… remember the infamous moment when a fan brought her flowers (I believe a hyacinth bloom?) and she loudly whispered an aside to someone that she “LOATHED” hyacinth? No grace, no class, just a completely unpleasant person.
Ugh, Madonna. She gave a huge eye roll when she presented the Oscar for best son to Celine Dion who was delighted to meet her. Madonna seems to think that not having manners makes her cool.
“Once an a-hole, always an a-hole. I was a kid in the 80s and a teenager in the 90s and should have been in her fan ‘demographic’, but always detested this vain, shallow, narcissistic woman.”
— This. 100% this. I have always loathed her and have lost friends over it who didn’t understand why I “couldn’t see past” her assholery because “her music is good”. FFS.
When someone says that they can’t/ shouldn’t have said something because it is “politically incorrect,” it implies that they really want to say something, but can’t, because they know it will be poorly received. This leads me to believe that Madonna doesn’t think she did anything wrong, but backtracked because she knew it would look bad. Showing us once again exactly who she is.
Also, I really wish performers would accept that if people aren’t standing, clapping along, whatever, at a show, maybe it’s because they’re just not that into what you’re doing. If I’m having a blast at a concert, no one needs to tell me to stand.
I agree, saying it was politically incorrect is pretty much her saying “oh now I’m going to get in trouble because people are overly sensitive“. Not an actual apology.
Agree – She who revels in being “politically incorrect” was only thinking of herself when she made that statement. She is by all definition a self absorbed “attention wh*re” , so this tracks . I’ve never understood the attraction to her. She can’t sing, is petty, unapologetically rude to fans – what is it? Many talented performers have artistically pushed the envelope without being as crass as the unholy Madonna – You’d have to pay me to go see her – then I still probably wouldn’t show
I loved her as a kid in the 80s, we all copied her style, her songs were bubble gum pop perfect for that time.
As time has gone on, I like her less and less, for multiple reasons.
“Politically incorrect” = “I’m an intolerant, entitled boor and I’m proud of it.”
(Also, Kismet, I don’t take orders very well either. Have a nice day? Hmph. We’ll see about that … 😉 )
I know this is a bit side on, but re Kaiser’s comment about not wanting to do something when you’re told. I gave up a yoga class because the teacher kept saying “just relax…relax…relAAAAAx” whenever she came near me. I thought, give me a chance, you’re making it worse! I left feeling completely stressed out. There’s something about forcing jollity or, the opposite, calm – it just rankles.
It’s not Kaiser’s comment, it’s Kismet’s.
Thank you for the clarification, Kathleen. I’m meant to be working and reading thru quickly. Appreciated.
Lol right? I usually respond with “OR WHAT?” 🤣 Is this a threat? And what happened to you in yoga class is why I do yoga at home – I don’t like it when teachers hover.
Need to stop commenting on other people’s bodies. Full stop. Appearance, what they are doing with it. Yes, some of us just trying to get through the day with the normies, give us some peace! I don’t want to smile, I don’t want to talk, if I’m sitting and not standing leave me be. Hope this helps people mind their own business with a quickness.
I find that in certain (most) situations, someone saying they are politically incorrect is another way of saying, “I want to say my rude and impolite things, and if you don’t like it, that’s on a ‘’snowflake’ society and your weak feelings.”
I LOVED Madonna, past tense. And the more I hear about her now, the more I dislike her.
And correct, it was not a politically incorrect thing to do – it has more to do with human decency and how you treat others. And if Madge can’t understand that, she is lost before she left the gate.
There were lots of apologists out defending Madonna yesterday, and it’s not on. There are too many invisible disabilities, and she could barely muster up an apology for a person with an obvious mobility aid. A person who… if they were close enough to the stage to be called out, paid an insane amount of money to be at that show.
Also there for her arrival on the pop culture map in the ‘80’s, and thought then that what she was best at was marketing- not that there wasn’t talent, but that without that other piece, there’s no way she would have hit the way she did. I imagine it’s a rough go to live with her level of thirst.
It will be interesting to see if that concertgoer and/or anyone in their posse comes forward..
Kanye did the same thing to a wheelchair user here in Sydney, during the Yeezus tour.
I’m sure Kanye, thinking he was “Jesus” Yeezus was sure he was faith healing and had some magic power to make the man stand and walk.. what a complete, delusional a hole
My husband is totally blind and he’s definitely gotten the “Why are you wearing sunglasses indoors? What are you — blind?” comment more than once!
Slightly related but to a huge and far lesser degree. Having an invisible disability also means people go way over the line and become hugely offensive. Epileptic and don’t drive. I’ve had people tell me that my partner must hate being my personal taxi driver. And I’ve been asked about whether I’ve been done for drink driving and that’s why I don’t have a licence to drive. It’s at this point they force you to talk about something in your remit to make known. I end up talking about epilepsy with the last people on earth I want to be talking about epilepsy with.
Sparrow, that actually sounds kinda worse. What a bummer.
I feel this so much. I have crohn’s, and at least once a week someone will comment on my pregnancy. Then I have to decide between just playing along or responding with, “I’m not pregnant, but I do have painful intestinal strictures, and I actually attempted to eat breakfast today.” Either one sucks.
@Whatever — omg it’s so awful, isn’t it? I have a very bloated, distended stomach and am also constantly fending off pregnancy congratulations. It’s like a sucker punch every single time. I never get used to it or am able to laugh it off. So sorry.
@brailler, SAME. On every single count. I’m so sorry.
All the jerks who were applauding Madonna for being a mean girl need to apologize also.
There’s a perfectly good word for her actions – wrong.
As someone who has osteoarthritis in both knees, there’s no way I could stand up for 2 hrs at a concert. It would be way too painful. I can’t imagine going to a show and getting shamed for having to sit down just so I wouldn’t be in excruciating pain. She’s a jerk.
Ya, Madonna wasn’t being politically incorrect she was being ablest and arrogant.
I agree that if Madonna was really sorry, she would so, but using words like politically incorrect means she’s not sorry she just doesn’t want to face backlash.
Wheelchair user (paraplegic) and former Madonna fan. I would’ve been mortified. I grew up in the 80s and I loved her. And politically correct? WTF? And I’m surprised she doesn’t use one already.
Someone was sitting down at a concert and was told by the artist to “stand up”, and then when they didn’t the artist came closer and again told them to “stand up”. That is straight up harassment, whether the person had a visible disability, an invisible disability, or no disability but just plain didn’t feel like standing up!!
“Holy photo shop Batman!!”
She’s always been a bee with an itch. I have been around for the whole rise, fall and kinda revival of her career. She has been rude and nasty the whole time. Was not a big fan before, couldn’t care less now.
I remember when Madonna first got airplay on the radio in the early 80s with “Lucky Star”. My boyfriend at the time thought it was ‘tHe bESt SonG eVaH!!’ and I looked at him like he had two heads. Needless to say the relationship didn’t last but my antipathy towards Madonna did. She’s always been narcissistic, self-obsessed, rude and only good at one thing — shameless self-promotion.
This exactly.
She doesn’t seem to grasp that her audience is getting a lot older, just like she herself, and that she should expect to see more people sitting down at her concerts, not just due to some condition that requires a wheelchair, but also just because it’s too tiring nowadays for some of us to stand for a whole concert for hours no matter how much we like the music! They paid her exorbitant concert ticket price, and that’s the only thing that should concern her.
As a person who is physically disabled myself: this was pretty clearly audience banter, which is normal for a concert. She didn’t seem upset that someone was sitting, and her apology seemed genuine. Yeah, it’s ableist to assume that everyone can stand, but the world has not caught up to this yet. It isn’t always easy for people who have always been healthy to conceive of not being healthy.
I’m not saying it’s great, but it’s not nearly as bad as people are making it out to be. Please don’t ever make me defend Madonna again.
@BadJanet- Nah, there’s ways to do audience banter without this tone. I went to a comedy show on Valentines Day where Jo Koy made an appearance. A woman had gone to the loo before he got onstage and had the misfortune of coming back during his set. She was having trouble finding her seat and this caught his attention. He proceeded to, for the next 10 minutes, harass her and insult her about it. He asked her name and shouted it with every sentence. It was painful to be there and I nearly walked out. At the same time, I’d paid good money and he wasn’t who I’d come to see. I felt he’d kinda been foisted on me, honestly. My point is that engaging the audience without punching down isn’t hard. The singled out people in my anecdote and this incident cannot possibly have been the only people in the area. Or the “stand up and dance” could have been directed to the audience at large. But no, petulant egotistical celebrity has a living temper tantrum over one person who won’t feed their ego. Never cared much for her before. No points earned. I’m disabled myself. And if you defended her, you did it because you wanted.
What an ass. Also, you shouldn’t have to be in a literal wheelchair to be allowed to sit without harassment. People have all kinds of invisible reasons they need to sit.
I am a musical artists that puts on concerts and the only kind of dancing I encourage is chair dancing( i tend to perform in soft seater theatres and concert halls ) but I also do not care if people do not chair dance. Nor do I make big demands we all enjoy things how we want to enjoy em, I am to busy playing tunes and feeling grateful anyone chose to spend their time with me. Ugh this is such a lame move on her part.
Oh, FFS! Madonna didn’t notice the woman was in a wheelchair and apologized once she realized the situation! Madonna’s not picking on people with disabilities at her concerts!