In just under the wire for Monday...ran across this item from Reuters via CNN.com. Apparently, Linda Ronstadt (singer who had a lot of big hits in the 70s: think "Blue Bayou" and "You're No Good") dedicated a performance of the song "Desperado" to Michael Moore during a performance at the Aladdin casino in Las Vegas. She was greeted with a near-riot by some of the audience members, a quarter of whom left the concert, apparently demanding their money back. Following the show, she was escorted from the premises with the message that she would "not be welcomed back."
This reminds me of last year's Dixie Chicks incident on a smaller scale. I can see why the Aladdin wouldn't want their performers alienating paying customers with political screeds, but a song dedication hardly qualifies as deeply offensive. Really, why shouldn't musicians (actors, writers, whatever) use their bully pulpits to slip in a political message now and then? If music is essentially a means of self-expression, why is anyone surprised and/or offended when musicians tell us what they really think? I say, get over it. I don't see how Linda Ronstadt's politics have anything to do with her singing. I mean, she isn't the Indigo Girls. It's not like she decided to spend the whole show giving political speeches instead of singing -- she just dedicated one song to a controversial figure. The extreme reaction of the audience says something pretty appalling about the level of maturity and sophistication in our political discourse.
Posted by at July 19, 2004 11:26 PMI guess I need to re-read the lyrics to the song - I don't get the connection off-hand. Other than that, whereas I think it was a bit odd for her to do that, it does seem the reaction was over-the-top, but he is a very divisive personality and some of these folks paid a lot of money to "escape" if you know what I mean - "just take us away to 'Blue Bayou' and we can forget things like the Stock Market and politics and Iraq and Martha Stewart". I think you need to know your audience - although perhaps her audience will be different now...I am reminded of the Olivia Newton John concert I went to at a casino here in Mpls. Now she knows her audience. A few people may have dozed off during her "enviromental schpeel", but that was very short and who doesn't like dolphins?
Posted by: Philip T. Hunter at July 20, 2004 7:21 AMI heard that she urged everyone in the audience to see Moore's film, which seems to be more than a simple dedication. I recently saw some barf-inducing footage of S. Hannity at some "patriotic" country music concert. As host of the event, he was up there spouting his right-wing rhetoric between numbers and it was pretty sickening.
Perhaps the disgruntled portion of the Rondstat audience felt the same way about her mention of Moore. I've seen this knee-jerk reaction to the mention of his name (instant dismissal…they won't even discuss it).
Personally I would have been more offended by hearing "Desperado" yet again than I would have been by any bully pulpit practices!
Posted by: Christian Erickson at July 20, 2004 10:34 AMRight on, Chris -- I hate "Desperado." Interesting that she recommended the film. I guess that makes the Aladdin's reaction seem a little more reasonable to me, since I'm sure they wouldn't want to be perceived as endorsing the film. Still, audience members throwing and smashing things? That's just ridiculous. Everyone's entitled to their opinions...
Posted by: Stacie at July 20, 2004 1:24 PMNo kidding! It sure as heck wasn't the Rite of Spring! Well, at least she didn't expose her nipple. They might have rushed the stage.
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