Thursday, June 01, 2006
Rex vs Madonna
Rex Murphy, in his weekly column in the Globe and Mail (a paid blogger as far as I'm concerned), goes on an on about Madonna's latest creation of herself and the insult to Christianity that it brings.
Fine. Rex gets to rant (although I love to listen to Rex, I sometimes have a hard time reading him. The trick I've learned is to read him out loud trying to sound like Rex. It's the only way I've found that works). Everyone seems to have an opinion whenever Madonna comes out with a new look/tour/image/self/album (all basically the same). She's a master of pop sensibilities. Her music is boring and trite, but that's not her point.
Where poor old Rex goes seriously off track, is trying to persuade Madonna, and others of her ilk, to have a little more sensitivity when trashing the western worlds' largest religion.
Rex says Madonna should adopt the same attitude towards Christianity (although Madonna primarily targets Catholicism) as the rest of the world has adopted towards Islam: Tread carefully and don't say anything that could in the least inflame (especially true after those Danish cartoons).
Wrong, and so surprising coming from an august member of the fifth estate. What Rex should have said, and I guess I'll have to say it for him is:
Good for you girl, go for it, and note that your use of Christian symbols in your 'art' in no way endangers you or anyone else, and doesn't cause demonstrations or riots.
Isn't this the way it should be? We in the west should be proud of our tradition of use of the Christian story in pop culture: Madonna, DaVinci Code, Jesus Christ Superstar, Jesus of Suburbia, Life of Brian, and it goes on. What a healthy approach. Maybe we could export this tolerance to the rest of the world. Oh I forgot, that's what Georgie is doing.
And last but not least, let's not forget that after all, it's only religion.
It's not as if it's something real, with substance.
It's not as if Madonna is making fun of the Toronto Maple Leafs or Tim Hortons.
Fine. Rex gets to rant (although I love to listen to Rex, I sometimes have a hard time reading him. The trick I've learned is to read him out loud trying to sound like Rex. It's the only way I've found that works). Everyone seems to have an opinion whenever Madonna comes out with a new look/tour/image/self/album (all basically the same). She's a master of pop sensibilities. Her music is boring and trite, but that's not her point.
Where poor old Rex goes seriously off track, is trying to persuade Madonna, and others of her ilk, to have a little more sensitivity when trashing the western worlds' largest religion.
Rex says Madonna should adopt the same attitude towards Christianity (although Madonna primarily targets Catholicism) as the rest of the world has adopted towards Islam: Tread carefully and don't say anything that could in the least inflame (especially true after those Danish cartoons).
Wrong, and so surprising coming from an august member of the fifth estate. What Rex should have said, and I guess I'll have to say it for him is:
Good for you girl, go for it, and note that your use of Christian symbols in your 'art' in no way endangers you or anyone else, and doesn't cause demonstrations or riots.
Isn't this the way it should be? We in the west should be proud of our tradition of use of the Christian story in pop culture: Madonna, DaVinci Code, Jesus Christ Superstar, Jesus of Suburbia, Life of Brian, and it goes on. What a healthy approach. Maybe we could export this tolerance to the rest of the world. Oh I forgot, that's what Georgie is doing.
And last but not least, let's not forget that after all, it's only religion.
It's not as if it's something real, with substance.
It's not as if Madonna is making fun of the Toronto Maple Leafs or Tim Hortons.
// posted by Bob Walker @ 9:03 AM 
