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No way to stop Madonna

15/08/2006 10:16 - (SA)

Dusseldorf - A German Catholic spokesperson criticised popular singer Madonna on Monday over the crucifixion scene in her current stage act, saying he regretted it was not possible to ban it under German law.

Manfred Becker-Huberti, spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Cologne, said: "If someone had tried to portray Mohammed this way, there would have been a revolt."

Madonna, 47, is set to perform on Sunday in the German city of Dusseldorf.

There were protests last week in Italy against a scene in which Madonna wears a crown of thorns and is raised on a cross.

Becker-Huberti said, "It's particularly dreadful that Christian symbols can be distorted like this in a Christian nation. But the legal situation is appalling. There is no way to stop such blasphemy." - Sapa-dpa

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http://www.macon.com/mld/macon/entertainment/15278600.htm

German prosecutors wary of Madonna act

Associated Press

BERLIN - Prosecutors said Tuesday that they will keep an eye on Madonna's weekend concert in Germany in case she repeats the mock crucifixion that some church leaders have denounced as blasphemous.

The pop diva performs in Duesseldorf on Sunday, two weeks after a Rome show during which she rose from the stage crucified on a mirrored cross and wearing a crown of thorns.

Johannes Mocken, a spokesman for prosecutors in Duesseldorf, said Tuesday that a repeat of that performance in Germany could be construed as insulting religious beliefs.

However, he said the authorities would rely on media reports rather than sending observers to the concert and that the show might be covered by laws protecting artistic freedoms.

The stunt, part of the singer's worldwide "Confessions" tour, has been criticized as an attack aimed at the Roman Catholic Church.

However, Madonna's representatives have insisted the performance on the cross is not disrespectful toward the church.

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Guest bruinboy222

Madonna's going to jail!

"Maybe Bobby Brown will be there when I get thrown in...."

ok...not really...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060815/ap_en_mu/people_madonna

Prosecutors to monitor Madonna act

Tue Aug 15, 11:40 AM ET

BERLIN - Prosecutors plan to keep an eye on Madonna's weekend concert in Duesseldorf to see if the pop diva repeats the mock crucifixion scene that has drawn fire from religious leaders.

Johannes Mocken, a spokesman for prosecutors in Duesseldorf, said Tuesday that a repeat of that scene during Sunday's concert could be construed as insulting religious beliefs.

Madonna, who is known for her theatrical, action-packed shows, wears a crown of fake thorns while performing on a mirrored cross.

The stunt, which has been included from the outset of her worldwide "Confessions" tour, has been criticized as an act of hostility toward the Roman Catholic Church.

Representatives for the singer, who will be 48 on Wednesday, have said the scene is not disrespectful toward the church.

Mocken said authorities would rely on media reports rather than sending observers to the concert and that the show might be covered by laws protecting artistic freedoms.

Earlier this month, religious leaders in Rome condemned the concert stunt. Some 70,000 fans attended Madonna's performance at Olympic Stadium, some two miles from the Vatican.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/eo/20060815/en_music_eo/19766

Madonna Headed for Das Big House?

By Gina Serpe 1 hour, 20 minutes ago

If Madonna doesn't change her ways, she could be going from "Hung Up" to locked up.

German prosecutors have announced plans to monitor the erstwhile Material Girl's Sunday concert in Duesseldorf to see if she goes ahead with the mock-crucifixion routine that has been drawing religious ire since her Confessions tour kicked off in May.

Should the nearly 48-year-old pop star perform the shock shtick, Johannes Mocken, a spokesman for the local authorities, told the Associated Press it could be construed as insulting religious beliefs, an offense that's considered not only insensitive, but illegal in Germany.

If Madonn's goes through with the Jesus-channeling act and the locals find it insulting, she could face a maximum sentence of three years in prison. Meaning Madonna's next reinvention could be as an inmate.

The singer's latest grasp at controversy has been a part of her act since the tour kicked off earlier this summer, and takes place during her rendition of the 1986 pop ballad "Live to Tell."

During the song, Madonna is suspended above the stage on a 20-foot mirrored cross, donning a crown of fake thorns, as images of Third World poverty and numbers representing the 12 million children orphaned by

AIDS in Africa is displayed on a screen behind her.

Mocken said that authorities would be watching the situation closely.

However, prosecutors won't actually be in attendance at the weekend gig; instead, Mocken explains, they will rely on media reports of the concert to determine whether or not Madonna was exercising her artistic freedoms or simply breaking the law.

Meanwhile, the leotard-favoring songbird has defended the routine, claiming its imagery is part of an appeal to her audience to inspire concert-goers to donate to AIDS charities.

Liz Rosenberg, Madonna's longtime publicist, chimed in by saying the performance was not intended to be "disrespectful toward the church."

"Madonna does not think Jesus would be mad at her, as his teaching of loving thy neighbor and tolerance is Madonna's message as well," Rosenberg said when the outcry first began.

But many religious leaders aren't buying it.

Earlier this month, Madonna's performance was denounced by both the Church of England--before the routine even hit her adopted country's shores--as well as Catholic, Muslim and Jewish leaders in Rome who banded together against the singer's "blasphemous" act.

Further inflaming the Roman protests was the fact that Madonna took to the stage just a mile away from the gates of the

Vatican.

Of course, the Queen of Pop has a history of courting controversy, particularly among religious types, and her mock-crucifixion isn't the only thing bugging her critics these days.

Last week, another Catholic-based group protested the placement of an H&M clothing ad featuring Madonna being draped over the scaffolding of Milan's landmark Duomo.

The billboard, which featured nothing more than the white tracksuit-clad singer gazing downward, was criticized for having been erected less than a week after her cross-writhing routine in Rome.

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Guest jamesshot

This controversy seems to have caused more of a commotion in Liberal-Europe than it did in conservative USA. Very strange.

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It's one of CNN's top stories today.

http://www.cnn.com/

German authorities watching Madonna

Tuesday, August 15, 2006; Posted: 1:06 p.m. EDT (17:06 GMT)

BERLIN, Germany (AP) -- Prosecutors plan to keep an eye on Madonna's weekend concert in Duesseldorf to see if the pop diva repeats the mock crucifixion scene that has drawn fire from religious leaders.

Johannes Mocken, a spokesman for prosecutors in Duesseldorf, said Tuesday that a repeat of that scene during Sunday's concert could be construed as insulting religious beliefs.

Madonna, who is known for her theatrical, action-packed shows, wears a crown of fake thorns while performing on a mirrored cross.

The stunt, which has been included from the outset of her worldwide "Confessions" tour, has been criticized as an act of hostility toward the Roman Catholic Church.

Representatives for the singer, who will be 48 on Wednesday, have said the scene is not disrespectful toward the church.

Mocken said authorities would rely on media reports rather than sending observers to the concert and that the show might be covered by laws protecting artistic freedoms.

Earlier this month, religious leaders in Rome condemned the concert stunt.

Some 70,000 fans attended Madonna's performance at Olympic Stadium, some two miles from the Vatican.

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Ridiculous....I mean, honestly. :rolleyes:

Sometimes I swear there are reporters who will do anything for a headline. Blond Ambition was 100x more shocking than this tour.

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... like this in a Christian nation.

the catholic church in Germany is living under a rock or still in the dark ages or in denial. they better realize that they hardly have any following here anymore. churches are empty, people don´t buy their hypocrisy. The pope is German, no one cares. "christian nation" this is so 300 years ago.

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Going to jail for alleged disrespect? I hope that's a joke!

I really wonder how old this law is (there are labour laws in Germany that are more than 125 years old, so not really up to date). I never heard that anyone was charged. I mean how to do prove that someone was actually hurt in his/her religious beliefs? And this is all what counts.

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Guest Little Red

nobody's gonna go to jail. the church always issues a statement when somebody exhibits a painting or puts on a theater play using religious iconography. they complain. nobody listens. story over.

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Too bad Lil Kim is out of jail now, cause if Madonna went to the same jail, those 2 could be having loads o' fun!

This news was ALL over the radio today. They played tons of Madonna songs today too. I heard DOnt tell me, Papa dont preach, La Isla Bonita and True Blue. And before each song they repeated this news from Germany

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DM

Info on Dusseldorf Concert.

The website of the LTU Arena - www.ltuarena.de - has published information for next sunday's concert.

Here's the translation that our reader Dirk did for all the fans coming from other countries.

approx 17.30 hrs - Doors open

approx. 19.30 hrs - Support Act "Paul Oakenfeld"

approx. 21.00 hrs - Madonna

(subject to change)

Traveling by car/Car Park:

Plenty of parking at the carpark Messe P1.

We reccomend to use public transport with VRR (Underground)

Traveling with public transport:

The fare for VRR is included in the ticket price.

The Underground Line U78 has a cycle of 5 minutes.

From Düsseldorf Hauptbahnhof (central station) it takes approx. 15 minutes to the venue.

The stopping point is "Arena/Messe-Nord".

After the show, trains will run in a 2,5 minute cycle back to the city center.

Access to arena floor:

There are two acces areas to the floor. These are located underneath the middle of the LTU stand and the Stadtsparkasse Düsseldorf stand.

The arena floor is divided into three parts.

Access to the stands:

Lower tier: All stands are accesible through the Promenade on Level 0

Upper tier: Please use the outer staircases to Level 3

Stage:

The stage is located in front of the Warsteiner stand in the north side of the LTU Arena.

Roof status:

The retractable roof of the LTU Arena will be closed.

Cloakroom:

The LTU arena does not have a cloakroom/coatcheck.

Information for disabled:

The LTU Arena is fitted for visitors with disabilities.

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It's funny seeing the press pics, cause they could have come from any dang show! :D

That's kinda why I didn't get into taking too many pics when I went, cause therre are SOOOOOO many out there, it ain't even funny!

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Pollstar

Prosecutors Miss A Peep At Madonna

Updated 03:55 PDT Sun, Aug 20 2006

The mock crucifixion scene that's led to much fuss and many headlines during Madonna's current tour will come under the scrutiny of German law.

Newswires quoted Johannes Mocken from the Düsseldorf prosecutor's office saying his department would take note of her August 20 sellout in the city's LTU Arena, but wouldn't be sending anyone along to monitor the performance.

Instead, the prosecutors will be relying on such unimpeachable sources as "media reports" to determine if Madge's antics could be considered insulting to religious beliefs.

So far, the list of religious bodies that have objected to her simulated crucifixion - wearing a crown of thorns - includes the Roman Catholic and Russian Orthodox churches, the Muslim World League in Italy and the Roman Jewish community.

Catholic leaders called for a boycott of her sold-out August 6 show at Rome's Olympic Stadium, which is a couple of miles from The Vatican, but 70,000 still turned up and gave the controversial scene a rapturous round of applause.

The other show causing consternation is the final date of the tour at Moscow State University on September 11, which is quickly developing into the highest profile rock or pop event Russian audiences have ever been able to see.

Promoted by Tim Dowdall of Live Nation's Budapest office and Nadia Solovieva's Moscow-based SAV Entertainment, and using such major production companies as the city's JSA Staging, it has already shifted 25,000 tickets for the "Sparrow Hill" site that overlooks the university buildings and Moscow center.

Organisers are looking into the possibility of getting permission to sell more tickets, but Dowdall told Pollstar he's already staggered by the demand.

This is far from the first time Madonna has come up with either a show or video that's caused outcry.

Following a run of U.S. dates that grossed about US$2.5 million a night, Madonna kicked off the European leg of her world tour in the Welsh Cardiff Millennium Stadium July 30, where she reportedly "gyrated on a saddle floating above the stage and sang from a crucifix in a performance involving provocative dance routines."

After Düsseldorf, the super diva was slotted to take her Confessions tour to Hannover, Denmark, Paris, Amsterdam, Prague and Moscow between August 22 and September 11.

John Gammon / Pollstar

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http://www.mdr.de/nachrichten/meldungen/3337595.html

Madonna begeistert Fans und provoziert die Kirchen

Mit einem Konzert in der LTU-Arena hat Popstar Madonna ihre Deutschland-Tournee begonnen. Rund 45.000 Fans verfolgten die aufwändige Show. Madonna spielte dabei vor allem Hits aus ihrem aktuellen Album "Confessions on a Dancefloor". Die Fans feierten aber auch zu Hits wie "Like a Virgin" und "Music". Madonna zeigte sich bei dem zweistündigen Konzert auch mit einer Dornenkrone auf dem Kopf. Besonders die Kirchen hatten diese Geste scharf kritisiert. Die Staatsanwaltschaft hatte auch deshalb angekündigt, das Konzert genau zu beobachten.

zuletzt aktualisiert: 21. August 2006 | 02:14

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Madonna May Face German Legal Action

8:10 am, 21 Aug 2006

Prosecutors in Germany say they are considering legal action against singer Madonna following a complaint that her stage show violates blasphemy laws.

Madonna begins the German leg of her tour in Duesseldorf shortly.

Meanwhile, a German Lutheran bishop has called for a boycott of the concerts during which the pop diva is shown suspended from a crucifix.

© NewsRoom 2006

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Madonna defies prosecution threat

The cross use has been criticised in most countries on the tour

Madonna has gone ahead with a concert in Dusseldorf despite warnings that German prosecutors were considering legal action over the show's content.

Prosecutors said they were to monitor the performance after receiving a complaint that the US pop star's act breached German laws against blasphemy.

In one scene Madonna is seen in a mock crucifixion, wearing a crown of thorns.

A German Lutheran bishop has called for concert-goers to boycott all dates on the German leg of Madonna's tour.

Madonna says the performance is part of an appeal for Aids charities.

'Attention seeking'

The segment where she appears on a cross has provoked controversy in several countries and been criticised by the Vatican and Russian Orthodox Church.

But the German prosecutors admitted they would rely on media reports of the concert rather than send their own observers to decide whether further action should be taken.

Protestant Bishop Margot Kaesmann told German newspaper Bild am Sonntag that concert-goers should boycott the show.

"I thought Madonna was better than this because she claims to be a religious person," she said. "But maybe the only way an aging superstar can attract attention is to offend people's religious sentiments."

"I advise people to ignore Madonna. Stars come and go, but the Christian faith endures," Bishop Kaesmann added.

Madonna's New York-based spokeswoman, Liz Rosenberg, denied that the star's show was insulting.

"The context of Madonna's performance on the crucifix is not negative nor disrespectful toward the church," she said.

source: BBC news

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Associated Press

No probe of Madonna's mock crucifixion

DUESSELDORF, Germany - German prosecutors said Monday they have decided against opening an investigation into Madonna after the pop diva performed a controversial mock crucifixion scene at a weekend concert.

A crowd of about 45,000 packed Duesseldorf's LTU Arena Sunday night to watch the first of two German concerts on the worldwide "Confessions" tour.

The crucifixion scene recently drew criticism in Italy, and Duesseldorf prosecutors said last week that they would monitor reports about the concert. They did not, however, send observers.

On Monday, spokesman Johannes Mocken said they would not open an investigation for possible charges of insulting religious beliefs. While the scene might be "hurtful to religious people," there was no indication of a criminal offense, he said.

Mocken said the scene was covered by laws protecting artistic freedom.

The scene — in which Madonna rose from the stage crucified on a mirrored cross and wearing a crown of thorns during her rendition of "Live to Tell" — drew criticism from religious leaders in Italy. They condemned it as an act of hostility toward the Roman Catholic Church.

Madonna's representatives have insisted, however, that the performance on the cross is not disrespectful toward the church.

Madonna is scheduled to perform in Hanover on Tuesday. Authorities there have not publicly expressed concerns about her show's content.

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