I thought I would share this experience on this thread.
I generally try to segregate my politics and my entertainment (music, movies, etc.)
But there are a few "entertainers" who will not get my money. Barbara Streisand. Jane Fonda. Susan Sarandan. Sean Penn. And so on.
I went to see Roger Waters (Pink Floyd) recently (September 9th) at the Tweeter Center in Mansfield, MA. The show was great, until about halfway through the show, when the whole thing took a political turn, and became a huge anti-war, anti-republican anti-Bush tirade.
I sat there, sitting on my hands, steaming like hell. At one point, I just burst out in replay to a lengthy, sappy diatribe (about the "innocent Lebanese" "we" were killing...) "Maybe someone should ask the Israelies how innocent some of those Lebanese were!"
At another time, they bought out a giant helium Macy's Parade size pink pig with "Fuck Bush" written on it, and "VOTE DEMOCRAT IN NOVEMBER" on one side, and on the other side it said "KAFKA RULES". They paraded this around the crowd, then released it into the air (open air theater)
I was so effing mad and wanted to leave, but I didn't want to ruin it for all the people around me who I had gone to the show with.
Afterwards, I thought "What should my expectations have been?" Surely, if I had known anything about Roger Waters, I should have fully expected it (I didn't...I just liked the music of Pink Floyd, never delved into the political aspect of their music such as The Wall, Animals and Wish You Were Here. I simply liked the music.)
And truth be told, I always felt that the music in The Wall could be more easily and appropriately applied to the Liberals.
Anyway, I ended up blaming myself in the end for being ignorant. After all, who could be upset at going to a strip club and seeing naked women inside?
Just a question. Did you also feel ripped off due to the fact that Roger is lip-syncing all of his concert performances these days?
Animals is probably my favorite PF album, but even I could figure at that basically it's a allegory about the workers (Sheep) ultimately overthrowing the capitalists (Dogs and Pigs).
The irony is that, at the end Waters character admits that he is himself a Dog.
I'm disgusted to hear this about the Roger Waters concert. My son bought me tickets for the Sept 30 show in Indianapolis. I wish now I didn't have to go. I won't even want to enjoy it with it being a political rally.
I really wish I could just continue to enjoy the music, acting, and art of such people, without them reminding me of just how much they hate me, my values, and---frankly---my country.
It's getting harder and harder to separate the two.
Without a doubt!
Anyway, I ended up blaming myself in the end for being ignorant. After all, who could be upset at going to a strip club and seeing naked women inside?
Blame yourself for this flawed analogy instead. If you go to a strip club you expect to see naked women. If you go to a concert you ought to rightfully expect to hear music. Neither would normally be platforms for political rallies.
I love Pink Floyd, FWIW. My understanding is that Roger Waters parted company with Pink Floyd because he is such an a-hole. I know there was a dispute as to who had the legal right to keep the Pink Floyd name but AFAIC Floyd ain't Floyd without David Gilmour's guitar. I am curious (haven't been to a concert in 20 years) was the concert you saw billed as "Pink Floyd?"