I hear this complaint quite a bit. Why does (your favorite artist here) have to get political? I wish they'd just shut up and play their music.
I don't share this view. I imagine being in their shoes, would I take advantage of my high profile to speak of what I believe, to try and persuade others? Your damn right I would. I'd climb right into that bully pulpit. It's one of the benefits of being famous in my opinion.
A musician taking a political position isn't without cost either. Certainly there are those fans who don't side with them or appreciate their being preached to. Those fans have every right to stop following that performer. They can stop buying their music and attending the concerts. That is certainly effective protest. It hits the artist right in the wallet.
That loss of revenue in favor of taking a stand is admirable in my book. It shows integrity to me.
And if it weren't for musicians speaking their minds we wouldn't have protest music. What would the 60s have been like without those songs? I wish there were more protest music being made today and that people actually had a place to hear it.
It's a fact that the vast majority of musical acts are liberal. Those siding and speaking up for the Republicans are far outnumbered. It's most certainly frustrating to the conservative music fan. I always get a chuckle when an artist gets wind that a conservative candidate is using one of their songs in the campaign and the artist calls for a cease and desist.
Yes, if you read my blog regularly you can get an idea of where I stand politically. But it's not always so cut and dry for me and other moderate leaning folks. And I don't use that bully pulpit mostly because I hardly have the stature of a rock star.
Personally, I never discuss politics or try to persuade in social media. You won't find me posting anything blatantly political on Facebook or Twitter. First of all, it's futile as it leads to never ending debate. Secondly, I try to be a nice guy. I want people to like me. I have a good number of friends who are conservative (oops I'm giving myself away) whom I like just as much as my liberal friends. And the thing is, we all get along. Why on earth can't they find common ground in Washington DC? Those partisan politics have soured our government on both sides of the aisle for me and many Americans.
Disclosure: Bruce Springsteen and President Clinton will be in Parma tomorrow for an Obama rally. If I weren't in an all day training session I'd so be there. ;)
