Music and politics


A post yesterday about U2 prompted me to listen to them today. And one comment from yesterday got me to thinking. The author wrote dismissively that they should "keep their politics to themselves." (Those may or may not have been the exact words, but that gets to the point.) As I've been listening this afternoon, I've thought: I'm neither a born-again Christian nor a political leftie, but I do love this band. And then I thought further: If I listened only to bands or singer-songwriters whose politics were like mine, I surely wouldn't spin a whole lot of recordings. (For the record, I consider myself a radically pragmatic centrist with occasional libertarian leanings. Got any bands who'd fill that bill?) I care about the music, and not about what the people making that music happen to believe. Am I alone in this? Do others dismiss certain artists because of their politics -- or religion or the kind of car they drive or whatever else?
hodu
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It's apparent that many people don't want artists making art, but instead expect bought and paid for minstrels. Real artists challenge their audiences. Is it that difficult to not reduce music and concerts to mere commodities?
They (the musicians) have the freedom to say what they want to say and we have the freedom to listen or not. I like it this way.

There are places where the musicians are told what they can and can't say and listeners are told what they can and can't listen to.

In the case of the Taliban music just isn't allowed at all. Music and audio shops are attacked and burned as are girls schools. A HUGE and definite NO THANKS!
How and the hell did you last few posters devolve into thinking we want censorship? Unbelievable how off base some of you get. Last I checked, the government wasn't telling me what CDs to buy, who to listen to or who's concerts to attend. Serves me right for trying to have a logical dialogue in this place. Stupid me, and to think, all this time I could have been listening to all those artist you think I want censored. FMPND out.
How does an artist that does only instrumental music challenge his audience to political thought with his music?Does that make them just a minstrel?

What classical artists stop during a symphony to launch a political diatribe?

What if any movie you went to had a 10 minute segment of the director's polictics in the middle of the movie?

Artists are asking us to pay to see them perform - musicians, actors and athletes alike, but only musicians it seems get to stop in the middle of a paid performance to espouse their political views.