Madonna Is Trending Because People Think She, Not Diego Maradona, Is Dead
Madonna, as far as we know, is not dead.
World-class Argentinian football player Diego Maradona died overnight aged 60, sending both his country and fans worldwide into mourning as they remember the legacy of one of the sport’s greatest stars, who used his position to protest imperialism and inequality.
It also sent thousands into mourning for Madonna, because their names are slightly similar.
Alongside Maradona, Madonna began to trend on Twitter as people misread the footballer’s name — and as tweets began circulating about ‘RIP Madonna’, others began to search for the news of her death, as per the sharp spike on Google Trends.
Of course, Madonna’s name is now trending mostly for joke tweets about her death, but, there’s a lot of sincere ‘RIP Madonna queen of pop’ posts going around, too — or, at the very least, some very scared fans for a few seconds before they realise what’s happening. And naturally, millennials are all to blame.
Of course "Madonna" is trending in the US because of all the millennials who don't know who Maradona is, or how to spell his name pic.twitter.com/2AGomwhpHd
— Josie Ensor (@Josiensor) November 25, 2020
Madonna, for her part, has not as of writing confirmed that the reports of her death are greatly exaggerated.
Most recently, Madonna appeared on Dua Lipa’s remix of Future Notalgia track ‘Levitating’, also featuring Missy Elliott and The Blessed Madonna. To celebrate the fifteenth anniversary of Confessions On A Dance Floor, last week Madonna released a HQ version of her ‘Hung Up’ music video.
Find some ‘RIP Madonna’ posts below. For a tribute to Maradona, the Guardian has surmised why his life meant so much to Argentinians, and The Nation has looked at Maradona’s life-long advocacy for a fairer world.
all these jokes about Madonna's death and the confusion with Maradona's name proves once again that the Internet is an evil place. pic.twitter.com/JUK3aWtj38
— Natalie ?? (@ariesmars91) November 25, 2020
I THOUGHT MADONNA HAD D WORDED pic.twitter.com/fmxDhWQ5Or
— fran is the #1 gio (gsalcure) stan (@moulinrougememe) November 25, 2020
Madonna checking twitter today: pic.twitter.com/epbNqUkEs8
— Alice In Babylon (@LoveInMyDNA) November 25, 2020
It’s MaRAdona, not Madonna pic.twitter.com/CHUgLnjrCB
— Xris (@xristian36) November 25, 2020
RIP Madonna ?
It was unexpected
We will always remember you like a virgin#4everChachacha pic.twitter.com/263dwbYtlC— リジー ♡☆✞ (@Lxzzx54) November 25, 2020
RIP Madonna ????? Gone but never forgotten, didn’t know you played football ? fly high angle ✨☺️❤️ pic.twitter.com/dwgH7F2yfm
— RD (@rreeces) November 25, 2020
Rest In Peace #Madonna, Queen of Futbol ⚽️⚽️⚽️ You will be missed. #WakaWaka eh eh ? pic.twitter.com/VgCyk69seS
— J (@jotazl_) November 25, 2020
i love men's football! pele, messi… *reading smudged writing on hand* madonna pic.twitter.com/vAStacJuQa
— caprese boy (@gwinfinitejest) November 25, 2020
madonna logging into twitter to find out she has died pic.twitter.com/MDllPh4oHm
— john (@johnmceneaney) November 25, 2020
Madonna opening tweets saying that she’s died pic.twitter.com/JyjKS7gXW0
— Olly (@ollywldrn) November 25, 2020
Madonna opening twitter this morning pic.twitter.com/0ADgCUfCFx
— hava nagila (#GangBang Remix) (@shantytyrelle) November 25, 2020
Photo Credit: Diego Maradona holding the FIFA World Cup trophy after winning the final to West Germany, 1986. Photo via WikiMedia, under public domain use.