BBC’s ageism against Madonna is outrageous, and we must take a stand

From leaked songs to a full leaked album, Madonna is having a hard time rolling out the campaign for her upcoming LP, Rebel Heart, which drops on March 6. However, it seems like the Queen of Pop is now facing another uphill battle called ageism.

Late last week, the U.K.’s Daily Mail reported that Radio 1 has basically banned the singer’s new single “Living for Love” because the 56-year-old singer is too old for the station’s demographic. According to the report, the song has been available for airplay since Dec. 20, but it has been played only once during an evening broadcast, which is when non-playlist tunes can be spinned.

Let’s be clear: It’s one thing to not play a tune because it isn’t good, and frankly, Madonna hasn’t released quality music in quite a few years, but “Living for Love” is downright delicious pop ear candy. Sure, there’s a ton of arguments as to whether the singer acts her age or not, but to have your material simply cast off before listeners even get the chance to judge is just out of line.

Word seems to spread fast, especially when an A-lister gets discriminated against because of his or her age. Boy George, Diplo and Garbage have all come together to speak out against the station’s supposed ageism claims against Madonna.

We need to show @BBCR1 how irrelevant it is to a rapidly ageing nation, world!

— Boy George (@BoyGeorge) February 15, 2015

https://twitter.com/diplo/status/567441067784433664

In all seriousness,Radio 1's policy of discrimination against age is bordering on, if not actively,unlawful. Beware intolerance.It spreads.👵

— Garbage (@garbage) February 16, 2015

It’s not just celebrities taking a stand against the boycott either. After the Daily Mail‘s report, tons of fans flocked to Radio 1’s official Facebook page to show some love for Madonna and insist that they play the record. With almost 3,000 comments on the station’s post from Monday afternoon, several of the top responses are directed at Madge, including a top comment, which reads, “I’m 17. I’m not old. I want to listen to MADONNA!!!”

What do you think of this Madonna controversy? Sound off on Radio 1’s Facebook post and in the comments section below.