The Black Madonna comments on Conan O’Brien’s televised visit to Berghain: ‘It’s private for a reason’
Renowned producer and performer The Black Madonna was none too pleased about the publicity surrounding television host Conan O’Brien’s September 4 visit to German techno club Berghain. The artist initially reported O’Brien’s trip to the club via Instagram, with a photo captioned “Husband at Berghain. Sent a photo of Conan O’Brien who is outside doing comedy. Doesn’t he know there’s already a designated Jokeman in this town?”
The Black Madonna, real name Marea Stamper, went on to explain her condemnation in the comments of the Instagram post which has since been deleted.
“I don’t need to know what he’s joking about to know that he’s taking millions of people into a space that is private for a good reason. I’m not humorless about any subject. But turning a space like this into a comedy spectacle for a largely straight American audience with no context other than the club being private and gay is a problem.”
Though it is presumed that O’Brien did not enter the venue due to its strict no-camera policy (as well as the ruthless judgment of its iconic bouncer Sven Marquardt), Stamper took issue with the context in which the club will be presented to a mass American audience. This assumption is not unfounded: in September 2015, Ellen DeGeneres shed doubt upon Berghain’s appeal on her show after Claire Danes revealed her love for Berlin’s club scene, including Berghain and Panorama Bar. DeGeneres played a cheesy sample of ’90s “techno” and gifted Danes with multi-colored fluffy front-facing backpack adorned with flashing LED lights, ostensibly for her next trip to the venue. Stamper concluded:
“It’s private for a reason. Taking your selfie out front is one thing. Conan is a comedian that millions of people watch nightly in a country on the verge of having Donald Trump for a president. That context matters.”
H/T: Fact Mag
Read more:
Conan O’Brien went to Berghain this weekend
Watch This: Actress Claire Danes tells Ellen why she loves techno and Berghain
Categories: Music