Is Madonna Using Charlie Hebdo Massacre Imagery to Promote Her New Album?

Singer uses Rebel Heart hashtags in Instagram posts calling for peace and religious tolerance

By Rebecca Macatee Jan 08, 2015 7:36 PMTags
Je Suis Charlie, Instagram, MadonnaInstagram; BFAnyc.com

Madonna is no stranger to controversy, but her album-promoting antics might have gone just a little too far this time.

On Wednesday, the 56-year-old singer Instagrammed the black-and-white "Je suis Charlie" (I am Charlie) graphic that's become a symbol of support to those killed and hurt by the terrorist attack against French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo's offices in Paris. She shared some words of encouragement calling for peace, but she also worked in a few hashtags promoting her forthcoming Rebel Heart album, which hits stores March 10. 

"These are very scary times we are living in," she wrote. "Ignorance breeds Intolerance and fear. We can only fight darkness with light! We are all Charlie! #revolutionoflove [heart] #rebelhearts."

It wasn't just once, though—shortly after her initial post, Madonna Instagrammed an image of people in Paris holding the "Je suis Charlie" signs. "We must respect all religions!" she wrote. "we must also RESPECT human life!! Killing in the name of G*D is man's idea not G*D's!!!!#livingforlove [heart] #rebelheart' ("Living for Love" is the name of one of the songs on her forthcoming album).

Many social media users found pairing her pairing of these hashtags and images associated with a tragedy to be in poor taste. This isn't the first time, though, that the Material Girl has found herself in hot water over something she's posted.

Just last week, Madonna's Instagram featured Photoshopped pictures of Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King. Jr, Bob Marley and other deceased leaders and pop culture legends so that they appeared to impersonate her new album cover. This got some mixed responses, prompting an apology from the Queen of Pop.

"I'm sorry," she wrote in a Facebook post. "I'm not comparing my self to anyone...I'm admiring and acknowledging [their] Rebel Hearts." She also stated that she didn't do the Photoshopping, but her "fans did" and she "just re-posted those photos."

"My fans aren't racist either," she went on. "If they put me in the same category as these other people Thank you. I'm very flattered and I hope one day to live up to 1 100th of what those people accomplished."

Time to hire a social media coach?