It might be somewhat cringe-inducing when Madonna crotch-grinds with young starlets, like say Miley Cyrus in her MTV Unplugged performance for example, but when she takes to the stage to introduce a feminist activist punk act like say, Pussy Riot, all’s well in the world again.
Last night, Madge made an appearance at an Amnesty International awareness concert in Barclay’s Stadium, Brooklyn to welcome to the stage Pussy Riot members Maria Alyokhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, who were recently released from a Russian prison after spending almost two years behind bars.
The two were imprisoned on charges of hooliganism and inciting religious hatred after staging an anti-Putin political protest in a Moscow Cathedral, and since their release in December have been travelling the world to bring attention to feminist and gay rights and more in Russia.
Perhaps in light of the fact the Winter Olympics start in Sochi this week, the pair have been busy of late. They star on the cover of fashion magazine POP and went on US TV last night to say they didn’t want ‘that shirtless guy on a horse’ (ie Putin – who has actually done this) to be running their country.
But back to the gig. Hobbling on to the stage with her trusty cane, in a beanie hat and leather sweatpants (we imagine they stretched very well over her sore foot) Madonna said the reason she was there was that her own tour had been damned in Russia for being a ‘gay show’ and that she felt that she’d been a freedom fighter since the '80s when she realized she could speak about more than just being a material girl.
'The right to be free, to speak our minds, to have an opinion, to love who we want to love, to be who we are. Do we have to fight for that? That’s bullshit!' she yelled.
We’re in favour. And FYI, Madonna, this is how you stay relevant – by not getting up there and having Miley Cyrus slap your ass.
Picture: Getty
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.