I don’t know. It appears to be that backlash against artists’ expression of “political” views is based on a few assumptions:
– That artists’ art is somehow supposed to be free from controversy.
– That the apparent lack of “political” expression is somehow a neutral position.
– That an artist does art stuff as a job, and art-stuff doesn’t include opinions about things that might touch on “political” stuff.
– That an artist’s position on a particular issue is less valid because the person doesn’t happen to work in Washington, wear a suit, and meet with lobbyists for a living.
And the common response is to say, “Why do we give a sh*t what artists say anyway?”. That’s fine. You can ask the question, “Why do we give a sh*t what window cleaners say anyway?”. But for some reason it is less silly when the statement is about artists.
What people seem to object to has very little to do with the artist and the opinion expressed. Rather, it seems that an artist expressing him/herself will provide an opportunity for people who are opposed to the opinion to catch a glimpse at the absurd concept of celebrity and the functions of media. The offended public sees this and says, “What do we care…”. It’s not that their neighbor expressed a controversial opinion – it’s that some other individual expressed their controversial opinion and they are having a difficult time resolving why the artist has attention while their neighbor does not.
But we’ve given these artists the very microphone that we now resent. We demand a culture of celebrity only to feel humiliated and resentful when it reveals itself in these moments. Yet it’s always there – and that humiliation should be there with or without the political and controversial expression.
I don’t listen to lyrics. Never have. To me, vocals are an instrument. My favorite vocalists could be singing from Mein Kampf and I would have no idea. It’s about tone and the way the words rhythmically play over the rest of the music. But I can appreciate that there are those who understand that there are very few words that do not carry with it some position on nearly every “issue” facing us all. In other words, writing a song about partying – in the context of what is going on – is itself a political statement.
Anyway, artists are people. And people have opinions. If we demand our artists to keep their opinions to themselves, we are really asking them to be muzak. That’s fine. But keep in mind that we’re asking them to provide an additional service – one that once was done by a mother or father. Gently touching your head, telling you that everything is going to be fine, and singing you a lullaby is what my mother did when I was feeling anxious as a child. I’m not sure I want artists to serve this role for me now.