Arts & Culture

Where Have all the Protest Singers Gone?

Tony Hicks — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 13:53:43 -0400

One would think the time is ripe for an explosion of protest music.

We're witnessing what pundits are calling a historic presidential race at a time when even the party holding the Oval Office admits that a big dose of change is needed. We've been at war on two fronts for years with no end in sight, while there's less than a month to go in the election. The economy appears to be in free fall. The race is close, and the rhetoric is heating up fast as each side lobs verbal grenades at each other almost daily.

So where are all the protest songs, calling for one brand of change over the other?

Protest music is rare from conservative artists, but even the liberals songwriters seem to be sitting this one out.

"People are overwhelmed by the corruption of our government," says Paul Kantner, a founding member of Jefferson Airplane and Jefferson Starship, who just released a new Starship record, "Jefferson's Tree of Liberty. "They don't think their vote counts "... people don't have enough faith."

In other words, even if we have two new candidates promising change from an outgoing and unpopular administration, it might just be that musicians aren't feeling they can make a difference, especially after the outpouring of activism in 2004.

That was the year John Kerry had the support of Bruce Springsteen, Pearl Jam and Dave Matthews, among other big-name artists, performing on the "Vote for Change" tour. Linda Ronstandt was grabbing headlines for speaking out in the face of open hostility at many of her shows. It was the year that gave us songs like Ani DiFranco's "Animal," the Beastie Boys' "It Takes Time to Build," and the Roots' "Why (What's Goin' On?)," among others.

The Day the Music Died

Tim Einenkel — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 12:00:15 -0400

Senator McCain and Governor Palin just held a campaign rally. McCain, not surprisingly was on the attack but what really stood out was the awful music which played at the end of the speech. I am not sure the name of the band and I am guessing the song’s title is “McCain/Palin Tradition.” Now, I am not a professional music critic. I
believe I have somewhat good taste but I’ll let you be the judge.

Hannity Will Help Fund Planned Parenthood?

Tim Einenkel — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 16:16:03 -0400

The theme song that plays at the top of each hour on Sean Hannity radio program will not just help strike fear into those who challenge him--will not just kick start Hannity's three hours of hate radio anymore, but will now help fund a group Hannity hates the most, Planned Parenthood. According to Newshounds.Us:

The writer of the song, Gretchen Peters, will be contributing royalties, from this song, to that bastion of all that is wrong with the world – Planned Parenthood – the place that, according to Hannity’s “pal,” Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson is genociding black babies and being aided in that genocide by the U.S. Government! (Comment: Neglecting, of course, the comprehensive health care which PPFA provides for women of all ages.) Peters, like so many of the women that John McCain was hoping to woo with the selection of rabid anti choice Sarah Palin for Vice-President, feels that her song is being used for the wrong reasons: "They are co-opting the song, completely overlooking the context and message, and using it to promote a candidate who would set women's rights back decades," Peters said. The song is not, as Sean Hannity would have it, about patriotism; but about domestic abuse – something that we all know never happens in Hannity’s America.

The beginning lyrics to the song:

Let freedom ring, let the white dove sing, let the whole world know that today is a day of reckoning. Let the weak be strong, let the right be wrong roll the stone away, let the guilty pay, it’s independence day.

Hannity has dedicated much of his programming to "exposing" Planned Parenthood:

The Next Right Wing Lie?

Tim Einenkel — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 11:01:29 -0400

The right wing’s prediction of Islamic fundamentalists’ secret plan to infiltrate the United States has officially come into fruition. The toy making company, Mattel, has released a doll, “Little Mommy Cuddle 'n Coo,” which giggles, coos, and appears to mumble, "Islam is the light." Bush’s prediction that “if we don’t fight them over there, they’ll fight us here,” seems to be the most truthful words he has ever spoken, especially since we are fighting in the wrong country (President Bush, the hijackers were not from Iraq).

What started as an innocent presidential campaign run by Senator Obama has turned into, as recent rightwing wackos have foretold, a ploy by people that hate America to take over the country. Remember those right wing wackos, who believe Obama was “raised in an Indonesian madrassah by radical imams”? What they fail to tell you besides this being just a racist, ridiculous claim, is that Obama learned how to make dolls at that time. Not just any old regular doll, but talking ones.

Right wing wackos, are you starting to see the connection? Do you see where I am going with this? Think about it…

Do you remember commentator, Andy Martin, on Fox News' "Hannity's America"?
I think a community organizer, in Barack Obama's case, was somebody that was in training for a radical overthrow of the government.

Right wing lemmings, are you connecting the dots? Obama knows how to organize--organizing usually involves a group of people--toy making companies usually have groups of people--Obama learned how to make dolls--Obama has two children--children like dolls. Are you following me? I hope you’re not…

Governor Palin, whom some may think isn’t the sharpest tool in the shed, warned us this week:

BREAKING NEWS: Obama Buys Half-Hour of Network Time

Beau Friedlander — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 17:21:59 -0400

Details are still sketchy, but this just in from the Hollywood Reporter:

Barack Obama has purchased a half-hour of airtime on CBS, sources
confirm.

The Obama campaign will air a half-hour primetime special on
Wednesday, Oct. 29, at 8 p.m.

Sources say the Obama camp is also in talks with NBC and Fox. NBC
is said to be very near a deal. With Fox, the matter is likely to
remain uncertain as the time period could conflict with Game 6 of
the World Series.

FAIR: Top 12 Anti-Muslim Pundits

Tim Einenkel — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 11:35:24 -0400

The national media watchdog group, Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting (FAIR), yesterday released a report that looks at twelve of the most influential members of the right wing media and explains why are should be considered anti-muslim. The title of the report is "Smearcasting: How Islamophobes Spread Fear, Bigotry and Misinformation."

You can read the full report here. The list includes:

1) David Horowitz

2) Robert Spencer

3) Daniel Pipes

4) Michael Savage

5) Pat Robertson

6) Sean Hannity

7) Bill O’Reilly

8) Mark Steyn

9) Steve Emerson

10) Michelle Malkin

11) Glenn Beck

12) Debbie Schlussel