Re: ERIC CLAPTON, KATE, ART & EXPLOITATION

[Richard Bensam <rabensam@earthlink.net>]

We often disagree, but for once, I've got to side with my friend Dongerous
on this one.  He wrote:

>Eric Clapton? Didn't he sleep with the wife of one of his best friends
>(George Harrison)? Isn't that what Layla's about? Isn't this guy a multiple
>time drug addict?

One might also add that Clapton is a self-described alcoholic who
nonetheless appears in beer commercials.  Between his avowed drinking
problem and his much-publicized heroin addiction, he does seem to have a
suspicious knack for getting into trouble with substance abuse.  One might
also also add that he was the individual who inspired the formation of the
Rock Against Racism movement, after a concert where he took to the stage
and delivered a long, incoherent rant against dark-skinned immigrants who
were, in his opinion, spoiling Britain.

(Clapton also once made some spectacularly ignorant remarks about Jimi
Hendrix' alleged sexual prowess being related to his race -- and this was a
man he apparently worshipped!  But I've always been inclined to overlook
those comments, because Clapton was scarcely more than a teenager at the
time, and anyway, most of the Surrey blues fraternity had seriously weird
racial hangups; they couldn't help being raised in ignorance.)

Clapton also has his moments of insight and sensitivity, but I'm not quite
ready to award him a halo.

>>>To give Eric Clapton the benefit of the doubt, I'm sure he did not release
>>>the song with the single-minded intention of making a few extra dollars.
>>
>>In actual fact I think the song was  written for a soundtrack before
>>Connor's accident even happened. It's unlikely someone whose son had just
>>died would be thinking up ways to take advantage of the situation. Get real.
>
>If the song was written before the fall, then he most certainly was
>exploiting the tragedy.

I took the heavy push this song was given as exploiting the publicity
generated by the death of his son.  This may not have been Clapton's intent
in writing the song -- and its later promotion may have been entirely the
work of his handlers -- but he seems to have lent himself to the effort, or
at least allowed it to happen.   Personally, I don't consider it offensive
so much as merely in poor taste.  I have no strong feelings one way or the
other about the song itself.

And Samantha said to Dongerous:

>>>... you have obviously not experienced
>>much suffering (or you stuff it and deny the pain) and while you may be
>>ignorantly blissful for it, it's probably also the reason you are so shallow.

That is pretty darned unfair to say about someone you don't know --
especially when all he's done is disparage a song and a performer you
happen to like! -- and arguably out of bounds for the polite discourse we
should all be enjoying in this group.  Don can be harsh and judgemental in
his opinions, and enjoys fights (uh, I mean, "spirited exchanges of
opinion") but he is not shallow, nor is he personally abusive to the people
he argues with.  Give him a chance and you might just be surprised.


RAB

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