Stars, both those in the night sky and those who perform on stage, are relevant only because there are people to watch them. If a human star disrespects one of those whose love for them is what makes them so popular, there can be hell to pay.
Just ask Madonna, whom netizens have criticized for seemingly disrespecting a fan at one of her recent concerts. Madonna reportedly questioned the concertgoer for sitting down during her show. Then she realized they were in a wheelchair.
The iconic singer had been performing at Kia Forum Thursday during a Los Angeles stop in her ongoing global concert tour when it happened.
“What are you doing sitting down over there?” she yelled amid the performance, pointing into the cheering crowd. “What are you doing sitting down?”
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She got a better look by walking to the edge of the stage, after which she realized her mistake. She then added, “Oh, OK. Politically incorrect, sorry about that. I’m glad you’re here.”
Representatives for Madonna did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Video footage of the incident quickly circulated across social media, quickly inciting mixed backlash from netizens. Many were unhappy with what she did and expressed disappointment in her remarks.
The video has now garnered more than 2.4 million views on TikTok, where it was first shared. “WHATS HER ISSUE?” one TikTok user’s comment reads. It was clearly a question many other users wanted an answer to because the comment got over 16,000 likes.
Another user wrote, “Something about ‘I’m glad you’re here’ makes it even worse.” Of course, the video did not just go viral on TikTok. It also made rounds on X, formerly Twitter. There, many took issue with Madonna for calling out the attendee at all.
“Lots of people need to sit down who don’t use wheelchairs, too. This is honestly just gross, ableist behavior,” one X user wrote. “Appreciate that the person purchased a ticket and came to see you!”
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There were also questions as to whether sitting down during a concert was worth taking issue with in the first place. “Does it matter if they’re sitting or standing? they paid for the ticket and took the time to be there?” a user wrote. “Isn’t that enough???”
“Believe it or not, sitting down or standing up does not directly determine the enjoyment of an audience member at a concert!” wrote another.
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The general sentiment from users was that the fans deserved better and that it was very arrogant of Madonna to expect no one to sit while she performed.
Some users also expect her to offer a better apology, saying that her statement during the concert just doesn’t cut it.
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