Lady Gaga Seoul Concert Includes Extreme Sex Content; Christians Pray for Nation
Lady Gaga has opened her global tour Friday in Seoul, South Korea, ignoring protests by local Christian groups calling for her concert to be halted due to the provocative nature of her shows.
Around 50,000 fans attended the concert at the Olympic Stadium in Seoul, all of whom were over 18 years of age, after Seoul banned children from attending. The ban came after a state ratings board judged that the content of the concert would likely be unsuitable for those under 18. As a result all ticket holders were forced to show ID cards upon entry to the concert.
The controversial solo artist entered the stage riding on a horse, wearing a black glittering bodysuit, as well as an oversize metal headpiece. In a rebuke at the banning of under 18s she shouted, "I was told that your government decided that my shows should be 18 or over... So, I'll make sure it will be!"
The concert certainly proved to be aimed at a more mature audience, as Gaga's routine included being thrown into a giant fake meat grinder, as well as other scenes involving machine gun fire.
Gaga also looked to provoke the Christian groups in the country that had been protesting against her, by including simulated group sex scenes, and also at another stage, a lesbian sex scene.
Her tour, "Born This Way Ball," will continue through several Asian countries over the coming days before going on to Australasia and Europe later this year.
Gaga has often been accused of copying Madonna's style, and some may also notice her resemblance to Madonna in attempting to rile the Church, as she included a large illuminated cross during her highly controversial show that included high levels of sexualized and violent content. The concert lasted just under two hours and contained more than 20 of the singer's most popular hits.
The Korean Association of Church Communication said it would take "concerted action to stop young people from being infected with homosexuality and pornography," which they said was being promoted by Gaga's tour.
Outside the stadium on Friday more than 20 Korean Christians prayed for the nation's society not to be affected by the explicit nature of the show, while other Christian groups held placards saying "Lady Gaga Go Home!"
According to Channel News Asia about 100 other Christians gathered for a rally in Seoul on Friday handing out leaflets stating: "Lady Gaga... is a wounded soul that is in desperate need of restoration. Therefore Christians should love and bless her. We should hate the evil spirit behind her, not Lady Gaga herself."