Choo$ing My Religion

In her recent Confessions stage show, musical artist Madonna took her status as a global pop icon to a new height by quite literally appearing on stage strapped to a giant mirrored crucifix. Unsurprisingly, this move generated more than a little ire from religious groups towards the often controversial songstress, whose use of this symbiosis of religion and pop culture, from Christianity to the Kabbalah, has become something of a trademark in her decades long career. And looking at the influence of the musician on impressionable youth, cultural commentator Maria O’ Reilly posed the question: “Has she ascended the high altar of rock ritual to preach a homily that our youth, at least our white middle class youth, immediately recognize, celebrate and imitate with a fervor that can only make religious preachers jealous?”.