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ivan@stellysee.de
| From | cpeel@killertracks.com |
| Subject | Artists and Protest |
| Date | Wed, 26 Mar 2003 21:39:38 -0500 |
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I miss the Clash and the Sex Pistols? (Ahh...the Sex Pistols a great power
pop band, kick ass melodies, ripping guitar sounds, songs and attitude). We
need American bands with a political bent. Someone to balance out Kid Rock
(who I think should enlist right away).
Artists are the LAST people who should "keep their mouths shut." Observe,
feel, analyze, interpret and put it out there in exchange for praise,
ridicule, or painful indifference: that's what artists do. An artists job is
NOT keeping their mouth shut. To expect them to do is ridiculous.
Artists are different and are largely distrusted by most of the public. As
such their livelihoods are all risk. It's the deal you make as an artist.
There's a 99% chance you won't even be able to make a living in your chosen
profession, and yet you do it anyway. Even globally famous artists like the
Dixie Chicks risk the finicky nature of mass adoration with each piece of
art they put out there. Risk and criticism are the artist's diet. They're
used to it. People even scowl at the way artists dress. So I'm surprised
there aren't more artists addressing the war one way or another. But there
is a chill effect at work in this country right now.
You can see it manifested here in the whacked diatribes against celebrities
voicing opinions.
American Celebrities ARE American Citizens before they're anything else. The
people who argue celebrities have no rights to speak about political matters
are simply mistaken and are only acting out against opinions they disagree
with. Every American citizen, even those celebrities we're so envious of we
hold them in contempt, have the right and even the duty to engage in
American civics, and debate, even if that only means going to the polls and
casting a vote. As do their critics. How well informed they are has no
bearing on that right.
Equally, if the president wants to comment on popular music he can do that.
He's an American citizen and hears music just like everyone else. While he
doesn't critique music, many politicians have, and have even tried to
regulate it. President Bush could voice his opinion about music (a quip
about a record he relaxes to at night could sell a lot of records), but it's
probably not high on his agenda right now. He's the American Citizen with
the most civic responsibility . I think he's got more important things to
pay attention to. How well informed he is, or even how smart he is,
obviously has no bearing on his exercise of his rights and duties.
Maybe the Dixie Chicks music should be more political. Certainly the Clash
wouldn't be in this controversy, no one would say they should keep their
mouths shut.
And if Bikers woke up with the passions Bush's supporter have, or controlled
Clear Channel, well, look out Fountains of Wayne. Trying to steal their
women and all....
Carl
NP - Bob Dylan "Masters of War"
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