Madonna stepped in it this week when she jokingly claimed that she, not Lil Nas X, performed the first gay kiss on a major awards show almost 20 years ago.
The pop icon entered the chat about Lil Nas X’s epic BET Awards performance by sharing an image of herself kissing Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera at the 2003 MTV VMAs along with the hashtag #diditfirst.
A backlash ensued, with many pointing out that two straight women pecking each other on the lips as a publicity stunt is much different, and much less groundbreaking, than an openly gay rapper standing up to homophobic zealots by kissing another man in front of millions of people.
Not over the fact that Madonna got bitter that an actually gay person had a gay kiss on tv
— Michael ?? (@opulentmichael_) June 30, 2021
Now, people have begun reminding Madonna of all the times she copied other artists throughout her 30+ year career, taken credit for things she didn’t actually come up with, and downright appropriated other cultures.
How about we take this to the next level?
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Here’s what they’re saying…
Hey sis, let’s recenter the conversation back where it belongs since you couldn’t even be bothered to list ballroom legends in that song of yours #DidItFirst pic.twitter.com/3fbNGuA27T
— coreyography (@DJCoreyCraig) June 30, 2021
#diditfirst pic.twitter.com/w3Lm7zBYkj
— nevermore (@mylenesfarmer) June 30, 2021
#diditfirst pic.twitter.com/geSx2pHG65
— Aidan (@loveisontheline) June 30, 2021
I’m sorry, Madonna did WHAT “first”…? pic.twitter.com/S5hZZnnBMo
— Dennis Hartley (@denofcinema5) June 30, 2021
I see @adamlambert and @Madonna trending for walking so @LilNasX could run but it’s time to let the GOATS out!
From 1989 BRiT awards @AndyBell_info and @BoyGeorge ???? pic.twitter.com/fOPdgu2Uzy— Tracy Hurley Martin (@tracyhmartin) June 30, 2021
Madonna’s 1984 song “Into the Groove” has so many similarities to Shannon’s 1983 song “Let the Music Play” it’s really hard to believe it’s just a coincidence.
Hey Madonna, Shannon #diditfirst pic.twitter.com/NWVXtsfEpr
— Tony “Abolish ICE” Arcieri 🦀 (@bascule) July 1, 2021
Madonna – Like A Virgin #DidItFirst pic.twitter.com/mv8xIXJ3q6
— Matthew (@mattdeanmarsh) June 30, 2021
#DidItFirst Marlene Dietrich in Morocco (1930) pic.twitter.com/rIIDxEp0Po
— Madonna Scrapbook (@m_scrapbook) June 30, 2021
#DidItFirst pic.twitter.com/gppyyQc7tg
— Joel Shoemaker ????? (@joel_shoe) July 1, 2021
No forreal, what did she say? pic.twitter.com/7Ph3dx70pP
— Fast Wolf (@LanasMonster1) June 30, 2021
#DidItFirst pic.twitter.com/QcEWLT9am7
— Josh Gomez (@_pure_1) June 30, 2021
T.a.T.u #diditfirst pic.twitter.com/vCxXwpxOps
— JOE (@Joseph7Mora8) June 30, 2021
Courtney and Madonna are moving like Soulja boy right now with the whole copycat ordeal. Madonna spent her first 2 decades copying off of Marlene Dietrich and other Hitchcock blonds. Like 70% of her looks, performances or videos were heavily influenced by Dietrich. The hypocrisy https://t.co/OqHakSx4HD pic.twitter.com/mSM6BZFGRD
— Anihtek (@anihtek) June 30, 2021
Madonna might have done it first but Lil Nas X did it better.
— Tyler ? (@deadlyyychatter) June 30, 2021
Ironically, one person who’s not upset about the whole thing is Lil Nas X himself, who took to Twitter to say he and Madonna are friends, having met during her her ill-fated Madame X tour, where they bonded over a beer.
I thought we been knew y’all were friends pic.twitter.com/YSTwpN7sCz
— ?LilNasXfp? (@NasxFp_2) June 30, 2021
“Me and madonna are friends. it’s just a joke,” the rapper tweeted. When that didn’t seem to quell the haters–who then turned on Mr. X–he sent out a second tweet. “I thought we been knew y’all were friends,” he added.
Graham Gremore is the Features Editor and a Staff Writer at Queerty. Follow him on Twitter @grahamgremore.
Hdtex
WHO?
I didn’t know she was still alive.
amanwithanedge
you’re an idiot.
Hdtex
@amanwithanedge likes to eat crusty sphincter.
Gabby
If you are going to leave stupid comments online can you alt least be creative or original?
Hdtex
@Gabby you’re going to have to wait in my crusty sphincter line just like everyone else. Grow up.
rickywintour
Grow up you tired nasty bitter old queen. You need some meds and a dildo dusty clown.
frenchjr25
There is a far deeper issue at play. Far too many times LGBTQ+ icons and iconic moments are being discarded so younger generations can claim to be the first to do things. There is little left that hasn’t already been done. Just because it’s not on the internet doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. Luckily he understood her point and that she was only being partly serious. We must remember the past.
Mozo83
The sexism and ageism of the gay (usually) white male is something else.
Look, adding a bunch of tweets confirming your bias with about 10 likes total does not a controversy make, especially since Madonna has been very open about her influences and you know, has even name-checked them in song.
Embarrassing. And we know why these stories keep coming here.
One word: reductive.
Time to let it go.
Cam
Interesting that a lot of those tweets were from women and people of color yet you used it as an opportunity to attack white gay men.
Seems like your agenda was far more important to you than reality.
Hdtex
Tired and tedious. Madonna and your lame opinions.
Cam
Lil Nas and Madonna seemed to laugh it off. Not sure where the issue is.
The one thing for the people comparing the two events. There is a difference between a kiss between two very straight women, and an openly gay man or other LGBTQ person publicly showing effection.
The kiss between Madonna and Brittaney (Because the one with her and Christina seems to be forgotten) was a kiss between two women with very public hetero dating lives, and although it was same sex and got people talking there is that underlying knowledge that this was two straight women pushing the envelope.
Lil Nas’s kiss upset people because he was being his genuine queer, out of the closet self, and there is nothing that bigots hate worse than that, except maybe for the fact that he’s Black, talented, that it didn’t hurt his career.
Mozo83
@Cam interesting you don’t understand what “usually” means.
I just held up the mirror. Sorry if you don’t like what you see.
Cam
Except those tweets, as I pointed out, were man comments from POCs and women.
Cute that you keep trying to avoid facts instead of just admitting you tried to make it about race and to attack gay people and instead had your own prejudice exposed.
Sorry I turned the mirror back on you and you got embarrassed.
scotty
So the Madonna IS the whore. Go figure.
simulations
This made my day.
MissTerri
Let’s see who is still Talking about Lil Nap X in 30 years! NEEEEEEXT!!!!
Hdtex
MissTerri needs to fix her rotting meat curtains. The flies are thick and the stench, horrific.
Kangol2
He’s 21 with 2 #1 songs, which is more than you’ll ever have at any age, Miss Thing! NEXT!
mecorrea1970
Ain’t that the truth and 2 #1 songs do not make an ICON!!
TwinPeaker
F u to all that are shitting on Madonna! She has been an amazing ally to our community for 40 years and she deserves our respect. She was one of the biggest reasons I felt seen as a little gay kid.
Hdtex
Pity you never grew up. She’s a marginally talented hack who peacked 40 years ago. She ain’t nothing but sad now.
MissTerri
“peacked” Hi-LAR-ious!!!!!!!!!!!!
Terrycloth
Can’t rember the last time I bought a Madonna record .there’s about 5 getting dusty on the shelf
Juanito malo
She certainly copied from the movie Metropolis at one point.
ARTmark
Didn’t Adam Lambert do it first?!!!!
ciasteczek
“people have begun reminding Madonna of all the times she copied other artists throughout her 30+ year career, taken credit for things she didn’t actually come up with”
so just like beyonce does all the time and nobody has a problem with that
Hdtex
We’re not talking about Beyonce.
Grow up and focus.
BoomerMyles
Beyonce never tried to take the spotlight away from a gay Black artist claiming to be first in something.
Fahd
I last saw Madonna on the Graham Norton show – promoting her latest tour, which I think was cut short. Her outfit didn’t permit her to sit comfortably and her behavior was insufferable. To me, she’s like Jim Carrey, the comedian, either people really,really love her and can’t tolerate a bad word about her, or they don’t like her at all.
I hate to see all this distraction from Lil Nas X’s kiss between two gay men of color on the BET award show (yes, on the BET award show!). Bickering about Madonna- thumbs up or down- distracts from Lil Nas X’s groundbreaking act.
Gabby
Query is the worst! Another day and another post bashing a very talented woman. I can only dream I will be as amazing as Madonna when I am older.
BoomerMyles
Yes, Madonna was incredibly nasty in that interview to Graham and other guests. She even publicly dissed Sir Ian McKellan in that interview asking who was he and what does he do.
British entertainment news even covered it as an embarassment for Madonna.
Liquid Silver
Artists absolutely copy. There is nothing new under the sun. This is an original statement I just made up right here.
Putting your own spin on something is artistry. Madonna was doing it ages ago. We still talk about it. Was it innovative? At the time, yes. Completely original? No.
misterX
Calm down , it’s not that deep people
Troyfight
@misterX ….exactly. …who really cares that she posted that…. next.
michel_banen
I’m not a Madonna fan but I guess it’s not as much a matter of “Who did it first” but “Who did it better”.
And in most of these examples….. it’s Madonna who did it better.
She is no longer the trendsetter she was 40 years ago but then…. no one remains a constant trendsetter for 4 decades.
Bonuscheque
hahahahaha I love how all these years later madonna still has people upset and talking. She is a living legend!
Gabby
I love this woman and her ability to be so adored but yet piss so many people off. She is the best!
sam83
Also do a queerty search of “Madonna” to see how Graham creates overtly negative click bait articles about her to get reactions. EVERY SINGLE ONE. It’s pathetic and he needs to go. Every heading is polarizing and negative..a ploy straight out of FOX news type propaganda that attempts to be “journalism” .
sam83
Does Graham get off on being an asshole towards Madonna? Must be an obsessive Gaga fan or something bc this is getting pathetic. I can’t stand bitter queens that trash our allies. Madonna has always given credit and been forward about her muses. I suggest he stops spewing his douche water posts he calls articles and does more research about Madonna’s legacy. Start here…a smart person (unlike Graham) put it together.
YouTube “How Madonna references classic film” on BeKindRewind (can’t post the link bc queerty keeps moderating my comments)
lykeitiz
Amazed your comments made it through. I enjoy reading Queerty, but the hit pieces they do on Madonna and Ellen make me feel like I’m reading Fox. The Madonna articles, as you pointed out, wreak of smelly Little Monsters. Zero factual information.
Toofie
His preoccupation with trashing Madonna with these half assed articles are pathetic. But at least he’s off trashing Ellen for a day or so. He should stick with the fan fiction “articles” he gets off Reddit.
ScottOnEarth
Just because a couple of losers with too much time on their hands are still whining about a joke Madonna made doesn’t mean “it’s getting awkward.” Madonna has always been shrewd and taken influence from all aspects of pop culture and made them her own. She put vogueing on the map but people still cry that she stole it. There is no more successful female performer and the petty criticism of a sad few won’t impact her in the least.
Invader7
A fading entertainer trying to stay relevant. Aka she’s lost in her ego.. And the ego can’t deal with newcomers getting the attention ,she used to get…
lykeitiz
BabyGay writers pushing their agenda.
Where are the Gaga hit pieces? I remember when she ripped off EXACT routines of Bette Midler and Annie Lennox without giving credit, but because Madonna had the nerve to comment, she gets vilified.
There has never, ever been a more appropriately named group of “fans” than Lady Gaga’s “Little Monsters.”
Shady Gaga
Yes, Madonna was dumb to say “I did it first,” but why is a kiss between 2 men of color something that is so much braver than a kiss between 2 women. This type of thinikng demeans and infantilizes communities of color by implying that they are more homophobic than than the general population.
justgeo
Never was ‘original’ never could be!
aswin_kichuz
I’m 26 year gay millennial who love Madonna and inspired from Madonna since childhood when noone else was there ( before even lady gaga in 2008 ). That.women ruled the industry for decade it’s so childish to say that she’s jealous of the attention an artist who is younger than her child’s age.. Leave Madonna alone.