Madonna Booed In Romania For Defending Gypsies: Should Celebs Mix Entertainment With Politics?
27 August 2009, 4:19 PM. By Alex Alvarez
Madonna was booed by Romanian fans during a concert on Wednesday when she spoke up against the discrimination of Roma, or ethnic Gypsies. Fans initially applauded her inclusion of Roma performers onstage, but weren’t so supportive of the entertainer’s decision to lecture them about tolerance.
Many concert-goers articulated exactly why they decided to show their displeasure. What it amounted to, basically, was “Who does she think she is?:”
“I jeered her because it seemed false what she was telling us. What business does she have telling us these things?” said Ionut Dinu, 23.
Her publicist attempted to offer some explanation:
Madonna has been touring with a phenomenal troupe of Roma musicians who made her aware of the discrimination toward them in several countries so she felt compelled to make a brief statement. She will not be issuing a further statement.
Both Dinu’s comment and the statement issued by Madonna’s publicist serve to explain her fans’ reaction. What business does Madonna have telling people what to do? And, by not issuing a further statement on the matter after being booed, Madonna cements the issue that money, not convictions, are at the core of whatever message she choose to preach.
Some celebrities, like Bono and Angelina Jolie, have made their political convictions (because, just as everything is political, so is the decision to seem a certain cause or movement deserving of people’s money and attention) evident in the charitable causes and projects in which they choose to align themselves, and their charity work has become an integral part of their public personas. They try to counteract the built-in criticism that comes from being one of the privileged few preaching to the masses about a cause by presenting an image of being knowledgeable about their causes and by making sure to put their money where their mouths are.
Madonna is not one of these celebrities.
Madonna can be said to be a gay icon and, by merely existing, serving as a means of acting out against discrimination based on sexual orientation, but what has she done? What active measures has she taken to help others? And what does she know about - or what stake does she have in - interethnic relationships in Romania?
It’s her business, in the money-making sense of the word, because any form of activism is, at its core, about marketing. And alienating prospective recruits to your cause by failing to identify how to best present your message to them is just as detrimental to a cause as failing to understand one’s client is to a sale. The message may be well-intentioned and honorable, but it’s made null if its delivery misses its mark. Madonna cannot expect to have her convictions taken seriously if she enters into a socio-political issue as an outsider who has barged her way in with little to no firsthand knowledge of what she speaks and who has no intention of following up on her message.
But what do you think about celebrities who preach a cause as they seek to earn your money? Do you applaud it or boo it? Or do zone out completely and daydream about Jesus Luz’s vacant gaze?
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Madonna often is booed when she opens her mouth—every since she overly articulated “I will not compromise my artistic integrity” in the Truth or Dare movie, she has been annoying many of us (yes even gay ones) since…. I am sure her little gypsy Jesus was quite proud of his mommy though…
When I was last in in Romania I too found myself lecturing people on their treatment of Gypsies. Because it tends to be Jim Crow era South horrible. Of course I have absolutely no insight into Madonna’s motivations.
discrimination is obscene… but too many entertainers think their opinions should actually count for something. shut up and dance, bitch.
I’m afraid I have to agree with the last guest. Her message is wonderful; it just gets diminished by coming from her.
The fact is that Roma are one of the few groups in Europe that are openly discriminated against. The crowd jeering someone asking for tolerance is the real story. If she would have said something trite like “let’s all love each other” applause would have broken out. Just because its Madonna, doesn’t mean the statement is bullshit.
I hate being lectured by entertainers, regardless of the issue. Just shut up and sing.
it’s easy for occidentals to preach about tolerance towards the gypsies when they don’t actully live with them.they’re not judged because of their skin colour,but because of their actions.in Romania they can get an education ,the educational system is free until the university,they JUST DON’T WANT TO STUDY.. and even at the university, every faculty has a certain number of places for gypsies that are FREE,only that are very rarely occupied..also,here they are allowed to keep some of their horrible traditions like getting married at 10-12 years and have children ..then they have as many children as possible and they make them beg or steal.they go to countries like Spain,Italy etc,they beg and steal and then they come back in Romania build castles and live a wealthy life .i don’t like racism,i have black friends,indians,chinese etc but i never met a single gipsy that was honest or that was actually working .you can’t see gypsies working in Romania i can assure you.
also i don’t know why they’re named Roma,this brings a lot of confusion to people worldwide (considering that the name Roma is closed with Romania)..i am a romanian but i study in France now and i’ve met people who discriminated me because they thought that romanians are gypsies,someone even asked me “but what is the difference between gypsies and romanians”?they come from India,they have a different language than romanian,they have nothing in common with the romanian culture and it really bothers me when gypsies that live here go in Italy,Spain and other european countries,they steal,rape,kill people and us honest romanian people can’t even get a job or a rent in the western countries and are being discriminated just because of the name that gypsies that live in Romania created for this country.they are unfriendly with the enviorement,leaving garbage everywhere they go and they have a poor hygiene.also,it happened to me many times to be asked for money on the streets and when i refused they spit me or they cursed me..but of course you can’t say anything cuz they always walk in groups and if you dare to reply you are certainly going to be beaten.
Romanian people have a lot to suffer because of the gypsies so when they pay to go to a concert,the last thing they wanna hear is publicity lectures from someone that have no idea what they’re talking about.Madonna doesn’t know shit about real life,she just walks in hotels rooms filled with flowers and kabala bottled water ,so spare us with the preaching.
Wow those Roma. They sound just like Mexicans. Maybe not quite as greasy. I syymathize with your plight sir/madam I truly do.
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Wow. So refreshing to hear the other side.
Why is this wrong? Entertainers bring issues to the light that most people aren’t aware, do they not?
I have to agree with:
“The fact is that Roma are one of the few groups in Europe that are openly discriminated against. The crowd jeering someone asking for tolerance is the real story. If she would have said something trite like “let’s all love each other” applause would have broken out. Just because its Madonna, doesn’t mean the statement is bullshit.”
Getting people to notice any act of human intolerance can best be done by those already in the spotlight. And if the real issue is at the “fault” of the Roma themselves, let that come to the light as well.
Too many people, especially in the U.S. have no idea that there are issues of discrimination beyond “black & white”.
Most americans wouldn’t know the diff between a gypsy(Roma) and a Romanian if they trampled over them at a Madonna conference. For that matter, neither does Madonna so forget this BS non story.