14 DAY TRIAL // For years now, Madonna’s tours have stirred controversy, either because she chooses to make a statement on art by being strapped on a mirrored cross or because of her dance moves and the way she dresses. The other night, though, as the singer performed in Bucharest, Romania, it was something that she said that got a 60,000+ crowd upset: Madonna speaking on the discrimination of Gypsies in Romania, and Eastern Europe in general, as E! Online informs.
Madonna cut her set to speak to the crowd about discrimination in general and the mistreatment of Roma in particular, stressing that all “people who are different,” no matter their color or orientation, should be treated equally. What she got in return was general booing and only some isolated clapping as approval. At one point, right after the “lecture,” the singer can be heard muttering to herself “god damnit,” but it’s not certain whether she says so in frustration at the crowd’s response or to something else that is not seen in the video below (at the 1:20 mark).
“When in Romania… whatever you do, don’t mention the Gypsies. Never one to bite her tongue, Madonna incited booing – and, to be fair, a smattering of polite applause and cheers – at a concert in Bucharest last night after she paused midway through the show in an attempt to preach the importance of loving thy neighbor to the 60,000-strong Romanian crowd. Madonna took time out from the concert to address the discrimination the country, and Eastern Europe in general, exhibit against Gypsies, or as they’re also known, Roma, the region’s most socially and economically disadvantaged minority.” E! Online writes.
As one can easily imagine, the opinions on Madonna’s now public stand on the issue of the Gypsies in Eastern Europe are divided. While some consider she should just stick to her job as an entertainer and not mix politics with her art, there are also those who see her as an excellent example of a pioneer for change. It’s people with a high public profile that make a stand to correct something that goes wrong that pave the way for change and improvement. Then again, critics says, lecturing a people in their country, when you have only minimal knowledge of the most burning issues, is bound to cause upset.
See below for the video of Madonna speaking against the discrimination of Gypsies in Romania and for the public’s reaction to her gesture – then judge for yourselves what is right.