Posted On: Tuesday - September 17th 2019 7:11PM MST
In Topics: Music
You'd think I'd have remembered the poster, at least!
It's been a long while* since any chastisement of those denizens of the musical (or any other part of the) entertainment world for their running of their mouths on politics. We really can't understand the assumption they make that because they are good at playing music, they know squat-all more about the political world than the average Joe. It's especially bad when they insert their views into the middle of a concert.
From a commenter under a Steve Sailer post, I came to this 7 year-old article about this "symptom of absurdity" from the 1970's band KISS. The wording just above is from Paul Stanley as he chastised his own bandmember Gene Simmons for this behavior. (It's not often we link to Ultimate Guitar magazine.) I'll give the whole post here from this '12 interview with Noisecreep:
Peter Stanley had the following to say:Right on! Then we hear what Stanley is complaining about with respect to Gene Simmons:
I don't know what's more embarrassing, these musicians and actors talking about politics in interviews or the media actually giving them credibility about it... It's absurd that a celebrity could speak out on the economy or politics with no more justification than a hit album or a movie. Not to deride Gene, but I just think he's part of a symptom of absurdity where you'll see somebody on television whose only criteria for being there is success in a field far away from what they're being asked about. I really don't know who is more ridiculous, the celebrity answering these political questions or the person asking them".
"I'm usually not at a loss for words, but this whole celebrity political thing always gets me. It's so embarrassing to see people with absolutely no inside knowledge of anything they are talking about. I have friends who are intimately involved with world affairs and these are the people who won't give opinions like these celebrities do. For my friends, it's far more complex and sensitive than that, unlike these celebrities who read some newspaper story, or watch CNN, and then spout out some opinion on something they truly don't know anything about".
Stanley's comments come after Simmons expressed his regret for endorsing Barack Obama in the 2008 election on a Fox News program earlier in the year:Ha! I see what the problem is. It's not that I don't agree with Stanley (is he the guy with the long forked tongue?) Is there perhaps a problem because, as much as they ought to keep politics out of music, Mr. Simmons (is he the guy with the triangular space-suit/cape?) said something so politically-incorrect but true, that it's way out of line? I mean, it seems like it's been OK for these musicians to talk about AIDS, farmers**, farmers with AIDS (or was that Farm Aid?), etc. but common-sense conservatism is apparently "over the line, man!" I'm starting to get a little conflicted on this one.
"Hindsight is 20/20. I have some real issues with the economy and how it's being done. America should be in business and it should be run by a businessman. America is a business. If you can't afford to do something, no matter how much bellyaching everybody does I'm so sorry, if you can't afford it, you shouldn't do it. If you can afford to take care of two kids. Have two kids. Don't have ten kids. If you can't afford to have a $400,000 home, you can afford a $100,000 home, then do that".
From the sound of that Gene Simmons quote, I hate to say this, but maybe we need more political advice from guys that dress up in white face make-up and whiskers. Go ahead Shout it, shout it, shout it out loud ... It's only fair play, I could say, but please, no, don't do this in concert. Shut up and sing!
Was this post just an excuse for a KISS song without my admitting I really like them?
This is one of their best, from the 1975 Dressed to Kill album:
Nothing profound there, just good hard Rock & Roll.
The NY City band KISS was:
Paul Stanley – lead and backing vocals, rhythm guitar
Gene Simmons – lead and backing vocals, bass
Ace Frehley – lead guitar, backing and lead vocals
Peter Criss – drums, backing and lead vocals
* See Bono, you'd be serving up
** Nothing at all against the small-time farmers that Mr. Cougar Melloncamp spoke out for, of course, just trying to get my Farm-Aid joke in there.
Comments: