Madonna: The Ugly American

Not a stranger to controversy, the American pop icon Madonna is once again gaining headlines by challenging contemporary standards, but this time it has nothing to do with music or photography or sexuality or social mores or for that matter, anything that she had intended.

No, when Madonna unthinkingly announced to the public in Britain that she privately referred to her crack staff of closest assistants as her "Semtex Girls," not many took enough notice to feel uncomfortable about the fact that Madonna was privately glorifying Semtex, a plastic explosive that has been popular with terrorist organizations throughout the world for the past thirty years or so. Semtex was a favorite of the Irish Republican Army, which used it to terrorized Britain for nearly twenty years. Semtex was also the explosive of choice for the Libyan terrorists who took down PanAm103 over Lockerbie, Scotland in 1988.

But Madonna has been living Britain for some years now, and the locals have grown accustomed to her and her sometimes uncouth ways.

At a recent event, however, one which was intended to introduce her new line of clothing, M By Madonna, for the H&M department stores, news of an unrelated business move made by Madonna was leaked to the press. Madonna had apparently taken her infatuation with the concept of a "Semtex Girl" to the next level by legally establishing a limited company in the UK called "Semtex Girls." Madonna described her impression of a Semtex Girl as "a girl who is dynamic, a girl who explodes, who doesn't know the meaning of nine to five, a girl who is unstoppable and who doesn't take no for an answer. And has excellent taste."

Madonna, however, has refused to discuss any business plan or even give the vaguest hint as to what her plans are for her Semtex Girls company; it is largely assumed that it will be a new line of fashion.

But the Brits who've had enough of Madonna and her Ugly American act may be able to take just a little solace in the knowledge that Madonna's legal right to the name Semtex is being challenged by Explosia, the Czech company that actually manufactures the product (the original product, the plastic explosive) and owns the trademark to the name Semtex.

Explosia has filed legal notice against Madonna to prevent her from using the name Semtex, but in public statements, the company has implied that it is willing to come to terms with Madonna and her Semtex line. That is, if she is willing to pay Explosia enough money to do so.

Explosia sued the manufacturer of the Czech energy drink Semtex, which is a very popular beverage in the Czech Republic. The two companies came to terms, however, and it is assumed that Explosia is open to negotiating with Madonna. But will Madonna want to negotiate with Explosia? Or will she just give up the whole idea?

Note: Semtex was invented in 1966 by Stanislav Brebera in the town of Semtin in the former Czechoslovakia (today the Czech Republic). In the days of the Cold War, Semtex was the Communist Bloc's version of the American C4 explosive. Due to the indifference of the Communist regime, however, Semtex was sold liberally throughout the world, and due to poor record keeping, thousands of pounds of Semtex are unaccounted for and assumed to be on the black market. Which is how it gets into the hands of terrorists.