Madonna Kicks Off Tour With Controversy

Mon., Aug. 25, 2008 4:55 PM PDT by

Madonna, Sticky and Sweet Tour Leon Neal/AFP/Getty Images

Madge lauched her Sweet and Sticky tour this past Saturday in Cardiff, Wales, and of course, being Madonna, she had to create some kind of controversy.

She started the drama with a couple of political montages during her song "Get Stupid." The video interlude features images of destruction, global warming, Adolf Hitler and John McCain (uh-oh!), then goes on to include John Lennon, Al Gore, Gandhi and Barack Obama (oh crap!).

Naturally, McCain’s people are pissed, and they let her know how not cool her little video is in this statement:

“The comparisons are outrageous, unacceptable and crudely divisive all at the same time. It clearly shows that when it comes to supporting Barack Obama, his fellow worldwide celebrities refuse to consider any smear or attack off-limits.”

Also in response to the ill-conceived juxtaposition of McCain and Hitler, the founder of the tolerance-championing Simon Wiesenthal Center called Madonna's montage "an insult to all Americans, Democrats as well as Republicans.

"There ought to be no place in the political and social discourse of American culture for such deliberate distortions and lies sure to be viewed by hundreds of thousands of young people around the world," Rabbi Marvin Hier said in a statement issued Monday afternoon.

First the A-Rod thing, and now this? Seems like Madonna needs to step up her controversy game and stay away from politics. Celebrities and politics never mix well, a lesson we've learned countless times, but which they haven't. In fact, if today weren’t a relatively slow gossip day, we probably wouldn't even be talking about this Madonna-McCain scuffle.

But we would be talking about those muscles. They're insane! Here are a few more tour pictures—because we know you want them:

Madonna, Sticky and Sweet Tour Dave Hogan/Getty Images

M. shows off some awesome double Dutch skills. This is probably what those long rehearsals were all about. Also, it's possible Lourdes was the inspiration behind these costumes.

Madonna, Sticky and Sweet Tour Frank Micelotta/Getty Images

Those dudes look a little shady, Madge, you probably shouldn't go with them.

Madonna, Britney Spears, Sticky and Sweet Tour Frank Micelotta/Getty Images

And of course, the much-blogged-about Britney Spears video, in which she goes crazy in an elevator and says the now infamous "It's Britney, bitch." Video here. And Madonna plays guitar? Really?

See, this is the stuff we care about—what Madonna does onstage, not her politics or what she does with A-Rod in her spare time.

(Originally published Aug. 25, 2008 at 12:15 p.m. PT)

Print Share 173 Comments
filed under music

173 Comments

Now loading...

Add Your Comment!

Guests

E! Online members

Register | Forgot password?

Play nice and have fun. And please, no HTML tags or special characters including [&*#()!@$].
You've got 1000 characters left.

Post Comment

BIG PICTURE

Big Easy Brad A bundled-up Pitt readies for some Button-down press on the Today show in New Orleans

More Photos

E! News Now

  • Katherine Heigl's "Ugly Truth"

    Gerard Butler teaches the "Grey's Anatomy" star a thing or two about men and dating in this new romantic comedy.

  • Breaking: Hudson Suspect Arrested

    Police have obtained an arrest warrant for Jennifer Hudson's estranged brother-in-law. Get the latest.

  • Fey Laughs It Up in "Vanity Fair"

    Funnygal Tina Fey is flirty and fabulous as she takes us on the set of her "Vanity Fair" photo shoot! Sneak a peek.

  • Fashion Police, Dec. 1

    Beyonce dazzles in black velvet, Nicole Kidman glitters in gold, Reese Witherspoon remembers old Hollywood, more.

Fashion Police

Sienna Miller, Kiera Knightley

Buddy SystemSienna gets zero friendship points for not telling Keira something looks out of place on her dress

More Photos

Our Partners

Shop

Get Your E! News Now

Text ENEWS to 4INFO (44636) for daily celeb news alerts

Standard messaging rates apply.

Did you know you can grab smokin' hot E! Online news, review and gossip through our RSS service?

New to RSS feeds? Learn more >>

Birthdate:

Enter your full birthdate:

has been subscribed to the E! News Now Newsletter.

To change your settings, go to your preferences.

E! News Now

  • Katherine Heigl's "Ugly Truth"

    Gerard Butler teaches the "Grey's Anatomy" star a thing or two about men and dating in this new romantic comedy.

  • Breaking: Hudson Suspect Arrested

    Police have obtained an arrest warrant for Jennifer Hudson's estranged brother-in-law. Get the latest.

  • Fey Laughs It Up in "Vanity Fair"

    Funnygal Tina Fey is flirty and fabulous as she takes us on the set of her "Vanity Fair" photo shoot! Sneak a peek.

  • Fashion Police, Dec. 1

    Beyonce dazzles in black velvet, Nicole Kidman glitters in gold, Reese Witherspoon remembers old Hollywood, more.