Tuesday, October 24, 2006

Madonna Don't Preach

These days it is really hard not to be completely cynical when some uber-celebrity like Madonna shows up in poverty-stricken Malawi to scoop up a child all in the name of helping Africa.

Madonna's no fool. She knows a good trend when she sees one. Apparently in her latest Confessions tour images of starving Africans appeared on a huge screen in tune with a Madonna ballad.

But this latest stunt has seriously back-fired. You know it's bad when AlterNet finds it necessary to cover this pathetic story.

I'm sure that a lot of stars have seen the Angelina Jolie effect and want in -- but keep in mind that Jolie actually has an official role with the UN. (Of course, this didn't mean that she had to go and give birth in Namibia, but she seems to be filled with righteous zeal and searching for deeper meaning than being a movie star. Maybe being the St. John knitwear model will help.)

We're consumed with images of Madonna "helping" one child, but turn a blind eye to the genocide in Darfur, to starvation, AIDS, no funding for birth control or abortions and the most rudimentary health care in so many of these nations. We need to do so much more than have our statement baby to show the world how much we care. Please, Madonna. Take your act somewhere else.

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