Re: barr roseanne? No, Skin sinead

[Lazlo Nibble <lazlo@hydra.unm.edu>]

Greg Larkin writes:

> Of course I am biased since I am American, but I think that if
> you are in a foreign country, it is always best to observe and
> respect local custom.  I enjoy Sinead's music and recently saw
> her concert (which was very good) and I always thought she was
> a humble person, so I must admit I was a little surprised at
> this apparent ego trip.

Excuse me?  What local custom?  What ego trip?

I've never been to a single concert where the National Anthem was played
beforehand -- it may be a custom at baseball games or Willie Nelson's
Fourth Of July Picnic, but it sure isn't a custom at rock concerts in
this part of the country.  (Maybe New Jersey is different.)

Sinead is perfectly within her rights to refuse to have her concert
prepended with "The Star Spangled Banner", just as you're within your
rights to boycott or unburden yourself of her music if she does so.
But, quite frankly, I think that the people who are protesting her "ego
trip" (some ego trip -- God forbid that an artist exercise any control
over the presentation of her work) are being jingoistic, idolatrous
fools.

There are a lot of knee-jerk patriots floating around this country
lately.  Are these folks going to demand American flags on both sides
of the stage at concerts next?  Pledges of Allegiance by the band
before every show?  Red-white-and-blue fireworks shows after every
encore?  Are people just considered worthless scum in this country
nowadays unless they spend more time cowtowing to the symbols of
"America" than they do protecting and utilizing the rights and freedoms
those symbols allegedly represent?

Pa-thet-ic.

                                                   Lazlo (lazlo@hydra.unm.edu)
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