Madonna has always embraced controversy throughout her long career.
The singer-dancer pushes boundaries and sparks conversations with her fearless performances, music videos, and lyrics.
One of her most controversial moments came in 1989 with the release of the music video for "Like a Prayer."
In this nearly six-minute video, Madonna is a witness to a shocking scene: a group of white men violently attacks a white woman. A Black man tries to intervene and assist her, but instead, he ends up being wrongfully accused of the crime.
A statue of a saint inside the church inexplicably transforms into the man who was wrongfully arrested. The saint, now alive, receives a kiss from Madonna, exhibits stigmata, and joyfully dances with a gospel choir.
The scene plays out in front of a field filled with burning crosses.
In a 2021 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, music video director Mary Lambert shared what inspired her.
"I wanted to dive into the connection between sexual ecstasy and religious ecstasy," Lambert explained. "The idea of having a Black man play Jesus "came from Madonna telling me she wanted to 'f--- a Black guy on the altar.'"
"I said, 'Well, why not have it be a Black Jesus? Let's just go all the way.' She liked that," she went on.
On the symbolism of burning crosses, Lambert explained that the act of taking a sacred symbol and perverting it to spread fear and racial animosity was a powerful statement.
"I wanted to turn that on its head," the director added.
When the "Like a Prayer" music video premiered, many expressed outrage. Reports indicate that even Pope John Paul II urged individuals in Italy to boycott the blonde beauty following the video's release.
The controversial video also posed challenges for Pepsi, who invested over $5 million in Madonna for an advertisement promoting their soda alongside the song.
Additionally, the company had plans to sponsor her concert tour at the time.
In the Pepsi advertisement, Madonna reflects on her childhood while enjoying a cold Pepsi. Although the ad is unique, it generated some confusion among viewers, similar to her "Like a Prayer" music video.
Many consumers mistakenly believed that the video was an extension of the Pepsi commercial, leading to a surge in complaints directed towards the soft drink company.
Additionally, the conservative American Family Association urged a boycott of Pepsi in response to the ad.
Ultimately, the ad only aired twice in the US.
Years later, the "Vogue" singer revealed that the Catholic church excommunicated her.
During a "Carpool Karaoke" session on "The Late Late Show With James Corden" in 2016, Madonna shared that despite being baptized and brought up in the Catholic faith, she claimed to have faced excommunication three times.
While the "Material Girl" singer faced criticism from Catholic clergy for her controversial songs and performances, there is no official record of her being formally excommunicated.
It is speculated that Madonna may have incurred automatic excommunication for her controversial actions, but the Catholic Church has not publicly announced any such declaration.
Madonna became known as a powerful force in the entertainment business who could provoke conversation and challenge the existing norm because of the audacity of her artistic choices in the "Like a Prayer" music video and the backlash from her Pepsi commercial.
She has been widely regarded as the "Queen of Pop" since and have been getting accolodates left and right, including seven Grammy awards.
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