Whatever happened to free speech?

[MarkG]

We're both idiots for thinking we can change it.

actually, you said "that's life", so you're not really into changing anything

anyway, here's a political statement: Bush says we need to party!

[Bereta_Eder]

Originally posted by MarkG
Bush says we need to party!

What an arselicker. Still propably the only right thing he said during his precidency of the US of A.

[MarkG]

paiktis, did you see this?

[Bereta_Eder]

yep and I agree with it (the comment)

You should have seen late last night at Alpha some "journalists/experts" talking about the war on Iraq.

Not even a VEGOS film would have made for better entertainment

[Bereta_Eder]

a propo





alla kiauto

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by MarkG
they are effectively loosing their ability to work and make a living

Country Music fans happen to like Bush. Artists really should be more mindful of thier target demographic.

[SlowwHand]

Artists really should stick to their area of expertise.

[Willem]

Originally posted by notyoueither
You're not an idiot for caring about it, Mark. I care about it too. We're both idiots for thinking we can change it.

If you lack the faith that you are unable to change anything, then certainly it's a forgone conclusion. What's your alternative, sit back, say and do nothing? Doesn't sound very productive to me.

[Jac de Molay]

Country Music fans happen to like Bush. Artists really should be more mindful of thier target demographic.

Get real. Most artists, even mainstream ones, dont express themselves with a "target demographic" in mind. It's not the problem or the burden of the artist if his/her audience has an intolerant, narrow worldview, and most accept the responsibility for the reaction their expression creates.

Of course, when somebody gets pilloried for something they express completely outside of their artform, that's different. When media types create a feeding frenzy for one isolated incident, artists probably will be forced to self-censor even more.

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by DetroitDave
Get real. Most artists, even mainstream ones, dont express themselves with a "target demographic" in mind. It's not the problem or the burden of the artist if his/her audience has an intolerant, narrow worldview, and most accept the responsibility for the reaction their expression creates.

Then they and thier defenders shouldn't whine when the audience expresses thier displeasure.

[Imran Siddiqui]

being pissed off is one thing. trying to enforce on others that they wont be able to listen a song because of you being pissed is another

And when you have a radio show or even when you own a radio station you have the RIGHT to prevent others from listening to a song from a group that you disagree with politically.

It's called 'Free Speech'. I know you Euros don't have it yet, but one day, perhaps you will .

Most artists, even mainstream ones, dont express themselves with a "target demographic" in mind.

I dunno. Natalie justified her comments by saying there is a lot of anti-Americanism in Europe. Seems like she was going for a 'target demographic' there.

[Jac de Molay]

Then they and thier defenders shouldn't whine when the audience expresses thier displeasure.

Whos whining? . "Audience displeasure"is one matter. Respectfully choosing not to buy their material, for any reason, is one matter

Wholesale character assasination at the hands of the media outlets is another matter entirely. Ritual villification like CD burnings and trashings is something a little different as well, especially for something said completely outside of their work.

You can call whatever it wants, but it has the faint whiff of blacklisting. You can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig.

[Willem]

Originally posted by notyoueither


Yes. Do you think any employees of any corporation have it any better?

Partners of a law firm?

Elected Representatives?

Why are celbrities different?

If an employee of a firm is fired from their job because of a political view, they can file a wrongful dimissal suit against the company. What recourse does a celebrity have if he/she is blacklisted?

And no Ming, musicians don't have special status, the same would apply with sports celebrities or television stars. If they were chastized and forced from their careers for simply expressing a basic political view, it would still be wrong.

[Ming]

Originally posted by DetroitDave
Wholesale character assasination at the hands of the media outlets is another matter entirely. Ritual villification like CD burnings and trashings is something a little different as well, especially for something said completely outside of their work.

You can call whatever it wants, but it has the faint whiff of blacklisting. You can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig.

Yawn... Yes, musicians can have their opinions, but the fans can't.

Like any public figure, if you step up in front of a microphone and say something, you have to deal with what happens.
Blacklisting... Yawn... let me know when no radio stations will play their stuff... then you can call it blacklisting. Some stations and DJ's have decided not to play their music... THEIR CHOICE.

They are public figures... and they make A LOT OF MONEY for what they do... If they can't take heat for opinions they have, LIKE ALL PUBLIC FIGURES, they should give up their multi million dollar career and hide in a hole like rabbits.

[Imran Siddiqui]

If an employee of a firm is fired from their job because of a political view, they can file a wrongful dimissal suit against the company.

Not in most US states (which are right to work states). There is no provision in the 14th Amendment or the EEOC for protection of political beliefs. That's because they realize that a Nazi or a KKK member should be able to be fired because their views create a disturbance.

And btw, he wasn't talking about firing. Partners in a law firm or Elected Representatives suffer from the PUBLIC refusing to either have them be their lawyer or refusing to vote for them.

You can call whatever it wants, but it has the faint whiff of blacklisting.

So? It ain't censorship. According to the definition of 'blacklisting', it is something which almost all political groups do, from the NAACP and NOW to the NRA.