BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Elton attacks ‘censorship’ in US

Oh yes, madame, the US is just a haven for censorship.

In the BBC article, Madame Elton makes a couple of absolutely assinine quotes:

“There’s an atmosphere of fear in America right now that is deadly. Everyone is too career-conscious,” he told New York magazine, Interview.

Sir Elton said performers could be “frightened by the current administration’s bullying tactics”

Of course, Madame Elton provides not one single example of this “censorship” or the bullying tactics employed by the government that he mentions.

This is really the crux of the problem. Stars who mouth off are given a platform readily and easily because they are stars. Whatever they say is placed on front pages of papers with pictures, and the lead story on evening news. In this country, where we consume entertainment in quanitities like no other country, celebrities are given an unrestricted an unencumbered platform with which to speak their views.

Last week, while Sean Hannity was raising 2.2 million dollars having a concert for troops in New Jersey (something I have absolutely never seen a liberal artist do; when was the last time you saw a liberal artist in the United States have a concert to benefit troops instead of the rainforests, Tibet or a liberal politician? mmmm), artists were bad mouthing Bush in tirades so x-rated that no video of them exists at a John Kerry fundraiser.

What was on the evening news?

The 2.2 million dollars generated for fallen soldiers’ children, or the money generated by the artists running their mouth that John Kerry called “The Heart of America?”

Not exactly a prime example of censorship. In fact, for Madame Elton to claim that censorship exists would mean he is completely ignoring the news in a very profound way. Every march, rally, or protest makes the lead story of the news in this country, along with the inflated numbers floated to the media in propagandic press releases. But how many pro-war rallies did you see?

Not many.

In fact, on one weekend in New York last September, there were two concurrent rallies. One had 15,000 pro war folks, one had 2,000 (give or take a hundred or so) anti-war folks.

Which rally was on the news?

Anyway, Madame Elton continues:

The singer likened the current “fear factor” to McCarthyism in the 1950s.

“There was a moment about a year ago when you couldn’t say a word about anything in this country for fear of your career being shot down by people saying you are un-American,” he told the magazine.

Madame Elton obviously does not understand what McCarthyism is. McCarthyism is a broad definition thrown out by the uninformed to encompass any criticism of Hollywood. In order to understand McCarthyism as it applies to the real world in 2004, you need only understand one thing: McCarthy was a Senator. Part of a committee. He called celebrities to testify for possibly being members of the Communist Party.

Has anyone seen a government hearing asking the Dixie Chicks to testify? Or Richard Gere? Or Susan Sarandon?

If they are happening, it must be that secret government the Bush Administration is always accused of running because I for one have not seen it.

There is no censorship. There are corporations who dump people like Whoopi Goldberg and Danny Glover, but that’s not censorship. They don’t want a celebrity that represents a point of view, and guess what? They are indeed entitled. But in the long run, there is no instance at all of government sponsored censorship, intimidation, or coersion.

Madame Elton then brings in the predictable:

“On the one hand, you have someone like Toby Keith, who has come out and been very supportive of the Bush administration and the war in Iraq - which is OK because America is a democracy and Toby Keith is entitled to say what he thinks and feels.

“But, on the other hand, the Dixie Chicks got shot down in flames last year for criticising the president. They were treated like they were being un-American, when in fact they have every right to say whatever they want about him because he’s freely elected, and therefore accountable.”

And?

Let’s understand what the Dixie Chicks said to “criticize” the President.

Natalie Maines said the following:

“Just so you know, we’re ashamed that the president of the United States is from Texas.”

Can anyone anywhere explain to me what specific policy, law, or action that incredibly deep intellectual statement criticizes? It’s not a critique, it’s an insult.

But that’s not the whole of it.

The Chicks were yanked from Radio Stations because fans demanded it. The CD’s that fans owned were destroyed by those fans and the Chicks were panned by those on the right for their blatant insult of the President, not for criticizing a policy in a thoughtful manner.

Important to remember, and often forgotten, is that the Dixie Chicks did not suffer any career damaging backlash from their little rag session; in fact the album that came out immediately afterward did particularly well. Guess that shoots the whole “backlash” argument directly in the chest.

But Madame Elton also mentions Toby Keith. Yes, Toby Keith is a very successful country artist (one that, incidentally, Natalie Maines wore an “F U T K” shirt at a concert in a message to) because he says what country music fans want to hear. How about that. A performer appealing to his audience.

While Natalie is out there talking about how embarrassed she is that the President is from Texas, Toby Keith is writing and performing country music, doing USO tours, and promoting a message that people in flyover country not only appreciate, but enjoy. The government didn’t make Toby Keith a success, Toby Keith made Toby Keith a success.

Madame Elton has made numerous criticisms of the United States. From calling the United States “sorry” for having a majority who believe gay marriage is wrong, to this screed, Elton John has placed himself at odds with the President and the Republican administration on repeated occasions.

And yet his screeds still make news.

People here know about them.

And while he’s saying all this, Madame Elton is in New York City, making millions of dollars in concert gates and pontificating yet again on what’s wrong with the country I call home, all with zero proof that “censorship” exists and is the doing of any government official.

Guess the Madame should take Laura Ingraham’s advice: “Shut up and sing!”