John Mellencamp: He Ain't America (my title)

NY Daily News ^ | 10/15/2001 | Jim Farber

[JacksonCalhoun]

Troubadour Pitches In Despite His Misgivings

By JIM FARBER

Daily News Feature Writer

Rock fans know him as the voice of heartland America. But John Mellencamp has felt out of step with his U.S. concert audience ever since the events of Sept. 11.

"In the shows, people would chant, 'U.S.A! U.S.A!' It's frightening to me," he says. "I would go into another song so they couldn't get it going."

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[JacksonCalhoun]

Another artist from the music industry who is falsely seen as representing America's values (Springsteen also comes to mind). Why he can seem to see the threat we face is beyond me. Oh my god, they're shouting USA! USA! It's so threatening. Give me a break! If you feel so queasy about it John-boy, then STAY HOME!

[mgc1122]

John Cougar Melonhead.

[MoJo2001]

What a loser!! Yo! John you are offended by USA chanting and by the use of the word "N"?? Why don't you look at Tupac's rap counterparts and see who uses the word most often. Bet you don't have enough balls to GO THERE!

[Tai_Chung]

Mellencamp says. "I hope everybody's intentions are honest and true."

From a guy that used to call himself John Cougar

[Dirk McQuickly]

Sigh. More records to throw away. Unbelievable.

[riley1992]

I couldn't stand his music prior to reading this so there is no threat of me boycotting this half-wit no talent.

[freedomcrusader]

I couldn't stand his music prior to reading this so there is no threat of me boycotting this half-wit no talent.

Same here. John Cougar Marxist.

[AppyPappy]

Just what we need. Another over-inflated cowardly artist

[ikka]

What a pussy.

[phillibuck]

"Half my band is black," Mellencamp says. "I have a 33-year-old black man in the band who produced Tupac's first record and a 49-year-old black woman who has been with me for 25 years. So I have an idea about what a range of black people are thinking about."

I was no statistics major in college, but.....

[VaBthang4]

As a born and bred Hoosier allow me to say:

That's a damn shame.

[Lizavetta]

I've never known what his political views were, but I've always thought his music particularly vacuous and dull.

[riley1992]

You go ahead and do that, Buffett Boy, and you will pay dearly. LOL

[Rustynailww]

IRL are you listening?

[537 Votes]

It's legitimate to be concerned about American foreign and military policy, and our treatment of the Afghan people. But it's stupid to assume that because people shout, "USA!" that they're a bunch of fascists.

It's stupid to assume that because we're going after the Taliban, that we're going to nuke the entire Islamic world. There are certainly people who think like that (we see them post every day) but they're not America.

American patriotism is a good thing. Remember the guy who said, "Ask not what your country can do for you . . . ?"

[Aeronaut]

You guys pull out the heavy artillery early, don't you?

[rmac123]

"Half my band is black," Mellencamp says. "I have a 33-year-old black man in the band who produced Tupac's first record and a 49-year-old black woman who has been with me for 25 years. So I have an idea about what a range of black people are thinking about.

"Isn't this patronizing? " have black employees, so I'm in touch with black America." If a conservative trotted out a line like that he would be skewered by the political correctness police in the media. For a liberal, it's deep and heartfelt. What a crock.

[Twins613]

"John Cougar Mellowcrap" lives up to his moniker.

[riley1992]

There is not a time of day or night that we're not like this. It's part of our charm. LOL