As many of you know, Aretha Franklin lost her fight against pancreatic cancer on August 16th. Fans and artists have made numerous tributes to the queen of soul. However, none were as shocking as this one.
An Awkwardly Self-Indulgent Tribute
Yesterday was the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards. Madonna was set to hand out the award for video of the year. She used her time to pay “tribute” to one of history’s greatest music icons. However, what she said shocked millions of viewers across the globe.
Aretha Franklin happened to pass away on Madonna’s 60th birthday. The queen of pop did not fail to mention that, plus numerous other facts about herself during the tribute. Afterward, people took to Twitter and Facebook to express their outrage.
Madonna went on to talk about her early career instead of Franklin’s. She spoke of her poverty in Detroit. A crack house she lived in was mentioned. She complained about how she worried that people would mistake her for a prostitute. During the speech, fans started to realize that it was going to be all about her.
Madonna continued to talk about her own journey. She went over her early auditions for musical theater. The singer complained about how she was rejected multiple times for her presence, build, and voice. Again, people waited for her to mention Aretha Franklin.
The opposite happened. Madonna kept talking about her own life. She was even shameless enough to use the tribute to promote her new album. Eventually, she mentioned singing a classic Aretha Franklin song while auditioning for a big tour. Surprisingly, she still made it about her. Madonna claimed how people didn’t expect a white girl to sing an Aretha song.
Madonna Receives Intense Anger from Across the Internet
The awkward speech is receiving an astounding amount of backlash across the internet. Viewers called the speech beyond disrespectful, selfish, and awkward. Rightfully so, since it has not even been a week since the artist’s passing.
Finally, Madonna expressed a hint of respect for Aretha Franklin. She talked about how she wouldn’t be where she is today without her. However, critics continue to bash Madonna for making this self-indulgent speech.
