The Human Being Behind the Madonna and Child (2006-11-02)

Grameen Foundation   One.org   Africa Renewal

A lot has been said of Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone Ritchie in the time that her presence has captivated the world.

But being humanitarian, was hardly one of them.

Many civil rights groups became unreasonably frustrated when reports of an adoption by the singer came to light.  This one adoption was the subject of the tabloids and mockery for more than just a week.

Since the Oct 25 airing of the Oprah interview, Madonna has been on the BBC Newsnight, The Associated Press, NBC’s Today Show, Dateline, and Live with Regis and Kelly, and even Access Hollywood.

In the prime time interview with Today Show host Meredith Vieira aired Wed Nov 1, 2006 on Dateline NBC, Madonna very candidly discussed in detail, the abusive media frenzy that enveloped her recent movements in Africa.

Publicity is a part of Madonna’s job, but her actions in Africa were not a publicity stunt.  These were made very public only because it was Madonna that is involved – her movements are always public.  “I expected people to be cynical and say ‘Oh!  She’s just doing this ‘cuz she wants attention’… people accused me, when I had my daughter, that I did it as a publicity stunt; I mean I expected that… but… I didn’t expect to be demonized.”

Madonna adopted from Africa as opposed to America for the obvious reasons.  It simply only made sense for her to adopt from Africa, for as she expressed (and I just could not have put it better, myself):

There aren’t overcrowded orphanages with no adults to look after (the children) in America.  You know that in an orphanage in America (the orphans) are going to get their basic needs met.  They’re going to have food; they’re going to have clothes; they’re going to have medicine; and people are going to look after them.  This does not exist in Africa.  You know a child is going to survive in an orphanage in America… It’s a state of emergency (in Africa).

The singer has been deeply affected by the extent of the dehumanizing conditions in hot continient. 

She also made an excellent point regarding the insane amount of resources that has been spent on the scrutiny of the adoption, speculating on why this huge waste wasn’t put toward a more worthwhile cause.  “With all the chaos, pain and suffering in the world, the fact that my adoption of a child (David Banda)… who was living in an orphanage, was the number one story for a week in the world … to me, that says more about our inability to focus on the real problems, and our desire to have distractions and to be consumed with people’s personal lives and gossip.”  

She believes that there is a serious aspect of racism involved here as well, since “it’s still considered taboo” to adopt a child of a different colour. In 2005 the US adopted 7,906 orphans from China, whereas just 440 were adopted from Ethiopia.  (There were more orphans in Ethiopia alone than in all of the other nations across Africa).

Unfortunately, Madonna is correct.

Skin colour is an important factor for many people.

But not for her – as she asserts: “I don’t live in a white world… I live in the world… and my children are exposed to all cultures and all races and many belief systems.”

Madonna had also thought of helping Yohane Banda take care of David, even though the father had already started a new life with a new marriage in another village, but stated that David’s birth-father had refused any offer of support when they spoke in court. “When I met him, I said ‘I would be happy to… facilitate with you… to bring him back to your village and help you to financially raise him.’ And he said ‘No.’ That was my sign that it was my responsibility to look after him.”  She re-iterated that she had wanted a child that nobody else seemed to want.

The singer also spoke to Nancy Odell on Access Hollywood.  Her early childhood without a mother has naturally formed a basis for a kinship with orphans everywhere. “I know what that pain feels like.”
And through a series of children’s books where 100% of the royalties are assigned to various charities, Madonna tries to bestow hard-learned life-lessons onto budding ears.
(The latest addition to the series, The English Roses – Too Good To Be True, has been also provided to various children projects in Malawi).

During her first interview with British television for the BBC (aired on Nov 1, 2006), Madonna brought up a very good point when speaking with Kirsty Wark:  “It’s interesting that when you want to adopt a child you have to go through all of these tests but when you want to have a child no one asks or expects anything of you… so I thought that was an interesting irony.”

I, myself think that this is a very interesting irony.

Although she has only recently made an addition to her family, Madonna divulged during the BBC interview that the possibility of further adoptions is always there: “I wouldn’t rule it out… I would like it to be less complicated in the future… but I would like to experience David for a while and see how it works out.”

(She also confessed that she wouldn’t mind if Hillary Clinton would become the next leader of the US).

Woman!  You make another good point!

The Material Girl currently studies a system of Kabbalah.  This is no surprise since the Kabbalah is “synonymous with asking questions,” as she explained in an interview with Michael Parkinson a year ago.

Speaking with Meredith Vieira, the singer made it clear that she could never subscribe to any system of organized religion, as these religions are basically organized cults, where everything within any particular religion has to be taken as is, and questions can never be asked.
She was then asked about the red string around David’s hand.  The host of The Today Show was informed that he had been born a Christian.  (Typically made of thin red wool thread, this red string bracelet, gained in the giving of charity, is worn to ward off the evil eye – as protection against ill-will).  Madonna replied that since he was only 13 months old, he was certainly “too young to have been indoctrinated into any kind of belief system,” and that he can believe in whatever he chooses when he was older.  “I believe in Jesus and I study Kabbalah… I don’t see why he can’t too.  Studying Kabbalah doesn’t mean you can’t be a Christian or a Buddhist or a Muslim or a Jew or agnostic… it’s not a dogmatic religion… it’s a kind of philosophy.” 

The controversial performance of Live To Tell from the Confessions World Tour was censored by NBC for a hugely anticipated broadcast of the concert later this month.  During this performance, a thorn-crowned Madonna performs in front of yet another cross while numbers roll from 1 to 12 000 000, signifying the number of “AIDS orphans” currently suffering in Africa.  (The first time was at the midst of another fierce controversy in a video for the track Like A prayer in March 1989).

She sensibly agreed to have the censored performance broadcast, and in so doing drive her point home with regards to the AIDS epidemic, in the resulting creation of heated discussion.

Really, who could have ever known that this “mock-crucifixion,” presented in a mere stage show, would actually be mirrored by future events?

Madonna is obviously humanitarian.

And she always has been.

 

(Even back in 1989, a directive of the Like A Prayer video was to confront the narrow-mindedness of racism).

 

Madonna’s career is just replete with philanthropy.

 

Don’t get me wrong – she is selfish at times, of course.

But, being selfish is an innate part of the Human condition – in order for us to survive.

She had fought for a certain livelihood, and goes through the required motions within that particular calling – in order to take care of herself and her interests, which are intrinsically good.

Madonna has done good her whole life.

She has consistently strived for excellence.

She has cared about herself (as a human being), enough to establish a career path.

And she has continually used her career as an effective motivator for the betterment of society as a whole.  “If you want to affect change in the world you do have to have a platform to stand on, and in order to have a platform to stand on, you have to keep doing your job.”

 

Madonna has been instrumental in paving a way for a great many minority groups.

 

Isn’t it a ‘good’ thing to have been giving so much of her self, resources and fortune to so many worthwhile causes for decades? 

The list goes on and on.

 

And even though the singer was so severely pilloried by the world in the last month, she is ultimately very happy that so much attention has been brought to Malawi, the horrible situation of AIDS in the world, and the possibility of Intercountry Adoption from Africa.

And this fact is going to anger many, let me tell you.

No matter what Madonna does she is going to be condemned by some.
No matter where she goes.

Some people resent that she is what they wish they were, and doing what they wish they were, and personifying the ideas that they wish they were.

Some people just cannot equate being provocative with being a ‘good’ person, all within the same human entity.

Some people are very closed-minded.

Some people have a one-track mind.

And therein lies the controversy that has unsurprisingly accompanied almost every single one of Madonna’s endeavors.

 

But, I guess these aspects are here in our realm of existence so that the opposite aspects (facets of true love) can also have a life.

 

Madonna attests her recent “uncomfortable” experience to people’s inability to focus on what is really important.

I attest the very real crucifixion that Madonna was subjected to, to people’s refusal to give attention to the issues that are really important.

 

The fact that Madonna is just now being recognized for altruism by a previously vindictive crowd is long overdue, and only out of guilt, it seems to me.

 

In all fairness however, it cannot be denied that we are all in a perpetual state of learning, and growing.

And I think that I do see some light in an otherwise cold, wet, murky pool of darkness.

 

-Kevin Dass

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