Elton John attacks 'censorship' in US

Elton John has said stars are scared to speak out against war in Iraq because of "bullying tactics" used by the US government to hinder free speech.
news.bbc.co.uk...

The singer said things were different in the 1960s.

"People like Bob Dylan, Nina Simone, The Beatles and Pete Seeger were constantly writing and talking about what was going on."

Damn Right!!!
Sanc'.
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[edit on 17-7-2004 by sanctum]

Good for Elton John

This is reality. I'm sure we all remember what the Dixie Chicks faced when they critisised George W. Bush. After that, I am not surprised that most stars are keeping quiet.
It's a shame that This is happening.

Maybe the artists of today just don't have the talent of those in the 60's, I have heard most the songs of protest back then and while it was clear they were protesting they did it without trash talking, many of them actually wrote songs with their political views and I have to admit alot of them were very, very good.

These days it is just to easy to bash, bash, bash, which in the end solves absolutely nothing. Hell maybe some of the artists here could write some good protest lyrics, maybe a competition? But please no bashing lol.....

afraid to speak out? what a load of crap! i've never seen so many stars publicly denounce bush. what happened to the dixie chicks was a public response, not government bullying. the dixie chicks said something to the wrong crowd and the crowd got pissed, as did other stars( i.e. other country music stars) who had other views then they did. it isn't censorship if it's the public telling someone to shut up.

Yeah, but are they being fire for advertisment also? This administration and his religious bodies form the 700 club, and al the other his has around that are narrow minded women hater are the ones pushing the sensorship in US.

Originally posted by JacKatMtn
Maybe the artists of today just don't have the talent of those in the 60's, I have heard most the songs of protest back then and while it was clear they were protesting they did it without trash talking, many of them actually wrote songs with their political views and I have to admit alot of them were very, very good.

These days it is just to easy to bash, bash, bash, which in the end solves absolutely nothing. Hell maybe some of the artists here could write some good protest lyrics, maybe a competition? But please no bashing lol.....

What the hell did that have to do with Elton John denouncing American censorship? I don't get it... Not to mention Elton John is undisputedly one of the greatest musicians of the 20th century. So why are you making talent an issue? And speaking of the artists of today... heh, there's a whole bunch, but Incubus' Megalomaniac comes to mind. It's an anti Bush protest song that combines deep creative lyrics with expert musicianship. Oh, and Radiohead's newest album, [Hail to the thief is even better. The whole album is political protest masterpiece.


Sorry, didn't mean to bash you or anything.

Originally posted by Echo
I don't get it...

Exactly

Originally posted by JacKatMtn

Originally posted by Echo
I don't get it...

Exactly

Oh, I didn't realize I was up against a great thinker like yourself. Forgive me. You are great at taking someone's words out of context and twisting them in a way that makes you look like less of a fool.

But quoting my words out of context won't get you anywhere, master.

[edit on 7-17-04 by Echo]

And now for something completely different...

Peter Garrett former 'front-man' of Midnight Oil. Back in the 80's the "oils", imo held
very strong anti-establishment lyrics whether it be a 'Oz issue or a global issue.
I reckon he 'sold-out' to Latham and will just end up being sucked into the vortex of Govt'
and will achieve a fraction of his 'goals'.
library.trinity.wa.edu.au...

Sanc'.

I have never been a big fan of British singers (eg Elton, Bono) telling American about her own principles. Especially from a country that still supports, condones, and lavishes in having a king and queen. The irony.

Do I think certain voices have been silenced? Certainly. I am a military veteran who did a lot of dangerous jobs and have frequented other message boards. For simply questioning our role in this war and this administration, I have been slammed as un-American, etc. etc. All from people who never served a day in their life in the military. Again, the irony and disgust of it.

Originally posted by NavyDog
I have never been a big fan of British singers (eg Elton, Bono) telling American about her own principles. Especially from a country that still supports, condones, and lavishes in having a king and queen. The irony.

Look! It's Captain America!

Most poular American musicians are too arrogant to sing about themselves or their country in a negative way. That's why we have to depend on the rest of the world's musicians to give it to us.
And what's wrong with having a queen or a king, in otherwords a monarchy. We have Jackasses and Elephants running our country. And uneducated ones at that.

Originally posted by NavyDog
I have never been a big fan of British singers (eg Elton, Bono) telling American about her own principles.

... Bono's Irish.

Y'know, that island just to the left of "Britain"?

EDIT: I get my right and left mixed up this time of night.

Artists are as talented as those who came before them, but those most talented may not be the most popular or recognised. Or signed with major labels which flood the market.

[edit on 18/7/04 by Ouroboros]

I think a lot of people have a pretty fuzzy concept of censorship.

Censorship is being told you cannot say something by a government official.

Fans deserting an artist they disagree with is a PR problem, not one of governmental interference. If the Chixie Dicks were ill-served, maybe it was by their fans who wanted to hear music instead of a political diatribe. THEY critiqued another artist's politics first, by wearing the "FUTK" T-shirt. The government never took any action at all.

Madonna's decision to pull her anti-war song was a marketing decision. She wasn't forbidden to hype it; instead she was afraid that her fans would be alienated by her opinions.

Miramax's wavering in its support of "Fahrenheit 9-11," however cowardly, was a decision made by a private corporation, not by the government. Now, admittedly, peer pressure may have been applied by various powerful Republicans in a private capacity, But that was never a government agency pulling the plug. Similar things happened from the left to "Wag the Dog," but that wouldn't have been censorship, either.

Censorship is when you have a government agency that screens materials before they are released, like an Iron Maiden album being banned in the UK, or the textbooks of an alternative physician like Wilhem Reich being seized and burnt by US customs. THOSE are acts of censorship.

The real threat to your freedom is not the Orwellian Big Government that so frightened Hobbes and Locke; no, the current threat to liberty comes from big business.

Look! It's Captain America!

Most poular American musicians are too arrogant to sing about themselves or their country in a negative way. That's why we have to depend on the rest of the world's musicians to give it to us.
And what's wrong with having a queen or a king, in otherwords a monarchy. We have Jackasses and Elephants running our country. And uneducated ones at that.

I think the Dixie Chicks pretty much said it all so no we probably don't need Elton John. As for American musicians, there have been plenty over the years that sing about the negatives in our society. Last time I checked, America was founded on the premise of no King and Queen.

Originally posted by Ouroboros

Originally posted by NavyDog
I have never been a big fan of British singers (eg Elton, Bono) telling American about her own principles.

... Bono's Irish.

Y'know, that island just to the left of "Britain"?

EDIT: I get my right and left mixed up this time of night.

Artists are as talented as those who came before them, but those most talented may not be the most popular or recognised. Or signed with major labels which flood the market.

[edit on 18/7/04 by Ouroboros]

My bad - Irish. My point is you probably wouldn't like the Dixie Chicks hooting and hollering about the British government and British society. Really not their place.