Sinéad O'Connor

Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor (born December 8, 1966) is a critically-acclaimed, Irish pop music singer and songwriter. As well as her music, she is known for her unconventional appearance (she often has her head shaved) and controversial opinions.

Saturday Night Live controversy

O'Connor's career received a significant blow—especially in the United States—on October 3, 1992, when she appeared on Saturday Night Live as a musical guest, hosted by Tim Robbins. She was singing an a cappella version of Bob Marley's "War" to protest sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic Church http://www.salon.com/ent/feature/2002/10/12/sinead/index_np.html, and added a lyric about "sexual abuse." She then presented a photo of Pope John Paul II to camera and, screaming "Fight the real enemy!", tore it up before a stunned audience that included millions of live viewers. http://www.notbored.org/sinead.html

Related Topics:
United States - October 3 - 1992 - Saturday Night Live - Tim Robbins - A cappella - Bob Marley - Roman Catholic Church - Pope John Paul II

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In the resultant media furore, O'Connor was booed off stages and verbally abused by audiences.

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For example, two weeks later, booing (and some cheering) appeared in force when O'Connor tried to perform "I Believe In You" at the Bob Dylan 30th Anniversary tribute concert in Madison Square Garden. She was unable to start the song, and shouted "War" again instead. Afterwards Kris Kristofferson told her to "not let the bastards get you down."

Related Topics:
Bob Dylan - Madison Square Garden - Kris Kristofferson

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Saturday Night Live had no foreknowledge of O'Connor's plan, and has resisted invitations to rebroadcast the incident (however, it is available on volume four of Saturday Night Live - 25 Years of Musichttp://www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/B0000A1HQC/ DVD, one of SNL's compilation video sets). When Comedy Central occasionally rebroadcasts the episode, the incident is replaced with Sinéad holding up a picture of a smiling black child (this is likely how the song was performed in rehearsal). As part of SNL's apology to the audience, during his opening monologue the following week, host Joe Pesci held up the photo, taped back together.

Related Topics:
Saturday Night Live - Joe Pesci

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This was not even O'Connor's first go-around with Saturday Night Live; earlier she had refused to appear on a show hosted by "misogynistic" comedian Andrew Dice Clay. Rather, she had agreed to appear on a later episode hosted by Kyle MacLachlan.

Related Topics:
Andrew Dice Clay - Kyle MacLachlan

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On September 22, 1997, O'Connor was interviewed in Vita, a Italian weekly newspaper. In the interview she asked the Pope to forgive her. She claimed that the tearing of the photo was "a ridiculous act, the gesture of a girl rebel." She claimed she did it "because I was in rebellion against the faith, but I was still within the faith." She went on to quote Saint Augustine, by saying "Anger is the first step towards courage."

Related Topics:
September 22 - 1997 - Saint Augustine

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