An Englishman's Castle

Madonna crosses a line but antics fail to shock - World - Times Online

MADONNA'S world tour began in typically provocative fashion when the pop singer hung from a cross, shouted an obscenity at an image of President Bush, showed video footage that seemed to compare Tony Blair to Adolf Hitler, and writhed around on a device that combined a horse's saddle with a stripper's pole.
As if that were not enough, the singer also wore a crown of thorns,.. and even briefly played the electric guitar. Early reviews of the event on Sunday night were positive, but the show failed to produce the reaction so beloved by Madonna: shock.

I must admit I am surprised - her attempting to play an instrument is quite unexpected, never in the history of entertainment has anyone with such little talent fooled so many people for so long. But the rest of her targets are so boringly obvious, now if instead of putting a crown of thorns on her head she had put a towel on with a fake beard (or she could not have bothered to shave) and made some derogatory remarks about the Religion of Peace then that would have been shocking, and brave...