Aging pop star replays tired schtick

Madonna Ciccone launched a new tour last night in Los Angeles and tried to regain some relevance through shocking the audience. Besides making dubious political statements about President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair, the performer was hanging from a cross made out of mirrors and was wearing a crown of thorns that apparently was crafted by a designer.

This is just another play for attention from someone who has been irrelevant for years now (the ticket proceeds may prove me wrong). She once said she wouldn't repeat something she's done, but doesn't this stunt kind of smell similar to "Like a Prayer" video in the late 1980s that drew the church's ire?

Let me say that I've never been a fan of "Madonna." I'm a rock and blues guy who prefers substance over flash at a show. But even if you once liked her schtick, you have to view it as sad today. Would you want your grandmother gyrating on stage, looking like a drag queen?

Is anti-Christianity the "in" thing now, or do all these so-called artists have such inflated egos that they think they are worthy of comparisons to Christ? (Yes, I'm thinking of you, Kanye West)

I believe creating a furor over her antics would be counterproductive. Rather, ignoring her latest cry for attention would be far worse than anything the Catholic Church could say. "Madonna" is no different than a child who acts up to gain attention.

What do you all think?