Editor&Publisher: On CNN, Springsteen Mocks Ann Coulter, TV Pundits

[DeepModem Mom]

Springsteen Mocks Ann Coulter, TV Pundits
By E&P Staff
Published: June 23, 2006

NEW YORK -- Appearing on CNN today to promote his current tour and album of Pete Seeger songs, rocker Bruce Springsteen took note of the current controversy surrounding Ann Coulter in responding to a question about whether musicians should speak out on politics.

Springsteen was asked if getting flack about his political views, such as backing John Kerry in 2004, made him wonder if musicians should try so hard to be taken seriously on topical issues.

"They should let Ann Coulter do it instead?" he mused, with a chuckle. Then he said, "You can turn on the idiots rambling on cable television every night, and they say musicians shouldn’t speak up? It’s insane, it’s funny," he said, laughing.

He called politics "an organic part of what I’m doing. ... It’s called common sense. I don’t even see it as politics at this point.''

As for the Iraq war, he commented, "You don’t take your country into a major war on circumstantial evidence -- you lose your job for that. That’s my opinion and I don’t have a problem voicing that. Some people have a problem with that, others don’t."...

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002727344

[CottonBear]

1. What ever happened to protest music?

Back inthe 50s, 60s and 70s (and even 80s) rock stars, reggae stars and folk musicinas used to be lauded for their anti-war and pro-environment songs.

Now, it's all about crappy Lee Greenwood jingoistic songs. :grr:

Soleded is such a freaking tool. :grr:

[Warpy]

3. Clear Channel and other media monopolists

won't give antiwar stuff air play, no matter how popular the artist or album might be, no matter how many requests they get for it, no matter what.

Their kneejerk support for the GOP is the way they keep their monopolies in markets all over the country.

[CottonBear]

7. I'm glad that I grew up in the 60s and 70s when protest music was popular

and played on the radio even! I love Bob Marley and Bruce Cockburn (1980s protest music) and all of the great 60s protest songs.

[AX10]

8. Clear Channel is a terrorist organization.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

18. Clear is cutting its own throat. It is destroying radio as a viable media

sats, wifi, and other alternatives will erode their monopoly. (and lose them their hundreds of millions in investments)

[Cha]

22. Oh, I hope

SO!

[calimary]

34. That would be BEYOND fine with me!

Clear Channel is the snake in the garden.

[AX10]

40. I hope you are right.

[AX10]

44. KICK

[saskatoon]

14. here's one

. AND NOW FOR THE EVENING NEWS

Hup, two, three four
Hup, two three four
What in hell are we waiting for
Left, right… left…left…left
I had a good home and I left.
Chorus
Yes, “Johnny got his gun”
Has the enemy on the run
Flags wave, cheers fill the air
(as we settle down in our easy chair)

While in that hell in the desert heat
One hundred and ten Fahrenheit
“Sarge, on the roof, two behind the wall
(keep that sphincter muscle tight)

Report from Corporal Richardson
Guys up all fuckin’ night long
Seein’ the pictures in their head
Bloated bodies of the dead.

Ah jeez! That little kid
She musta been hiding behind the door
When I threw the grenade into the room
Goddamn this stupid fuckin’ war.

Yes, Johnny got his gun
Has the enemy on the run
Flags wave, cheers fill the air
(as we settle down in our easy chair)
© 2003 by Grace M. Stevenson
“Johnny Got His Gun” title of book
by Dalton Trumbo

[LeftyMom]

33. There's a ton of it, it just gets no radio play. nt

[hiphopnation]

41. nowadays it's called hip hop - give it a try. nt

[DFW]

43. I thought this was pretty much to the point:

(Sung to the tune of When Johnny Comes Marching Home)
From "Sing Along With The Republicans" by The Freedom Toast.
(reprinted by permission)

WHEN JOHNNY COMES ROLLING HOME

When Johnny comes rolling home again, IRAQ, IRAQ!
We know he’ll never roam again, IRAQ, IRAQ!
His legs don’t work, and his shoulder droops.
But that’s OK: we support the troops.
We will all think twice when Johnny comes rolling home.

When our boy comes back broke and bent, IRAQ, IRAQ!
We’ll wonder why he ever went, IRAQ, IRAQ!
Dick Cheney got all his contracts done
And Dubya proved he’s the favorite son
But we’ll all think twice when Johnny comes rolling home.

The White House thinks they did the job IRAQ, IRAQ!
They never heard our Johnny sob, IRAQ, IRAQ!
They never found what they went to find,
And they give no thought to those left behind.
Bush will NOT be there when Johnny comes rolling home.

We wait for Johnny to arrive, IRAQ, IRAQ!
His spirit’s more dead than alive, IRAQ, IRAQ!
He joined up to fight for the U S A,
He never thought he’d get tossed away
And we’ll all wake up when Johnny comes rolling home!

[BlueManDude]

2. I've always wondered why tools like Limbaugh are considered

"qualified" to talk about public policy but when The Boss or any other "entertainer" does so it's somehow out of bounds?

[Karmageddon]

9. Same reason actors and actresses aren't qualified to make political speech

except for Ronald Reagan and Aaaahhhnold, of course.

IMHO, celebrities have a responsibility to speak out. While they not be any smarter than any of us, they have a much louder voice. They have the ability to influence people through their words and actions. With that comes the responsibility to use that power wisely.

I have little respect for those who are afraid to voice those opinions and values which they hold strongly. The Boss has always held up his love of this country and everything it stands for very highly. I can't even imagine him keeping quiet about it. Thank you Bruce.

[Generic Brad]

24. I agree with you

Prior to landing his current gig Rush Limbaugh sold ticket packages for the Kansas City Royals. There is nothing in his life experience that qualified him to become a pundit any more than Bruce Springsteen or the rest of us.

Besides, I always thought pundits were supposed to be experts. Limbaugh is just an opinionated mouthpiece for the right. An expert he is not.

[sutz12]

4. Doesn't one have to have some sort of dignity to be "mocked?"

And does Anne Coulter qualify under that standard?

:rofl:

[maryallen]

5. Springsteen handled it perfectly:

LAUGH at them!

[QuettaKid]

6. Springsteen ROCKS ! ! !

in more ways than one, obviously.

[haf216]

10. Go Boss

once again Springsteen uses his words in just the right way to get his point across. Guess that is why his music is so good.

[BlueIris]

11. They don't call him The Boss for nothing.

[DebbieCDC]

12. Now do people understand why he is the Boss?

When I jumped on his bandwagon 30 plus years ago my friends all rolled their eyes at me. Well, who's the man now huh? My hero. :patriot:

[goclark]

13. He kicked Soledad into the water! It was beautiful

The video is a must see!

Love him.

[xxqqqzme]

15. boy, was there ever rolling eyes back then.

My kids didn't understand but then I didn't 'understand 'grunge'.

[Skittles]

16. I never understood the sentiment that celebs should not speak out

it's a free country, they are exercising their right to free speech. Why do so many people have a problem with this?? I dislike repuke whores like Patricia Heaton and the things they say but I never think they should not have the right to friggin' speak their opinion....yes, I think Ms. Coulter has the right to speak her ugliness; it just disappoints me that so many venues think she is worthy of attention

[argyl]

17. "If you're not part of the solution you're part of the problem" is more

apt now than it was in the 60's. Celebrities have a duty to speak up if they feel the times require it and these are desperate times.

A man of Springsteen's stature and integrity gives his words considerable weight.

Coulter and Limbaugh are celebrities,not "journalists." They're just famous for foul and hateful propaganda.

[calimary]

35. And the ironic thing is that people like Bruce actually are INFORMED

about the issues, and can talk about them with conviction and integrity - BECAUSE they gave a damn enough to become informed about those issues. Springsteen should be applauded for this. And frankly, if he does care enough to be involved in his community, concerned about his world, and outraged by the criminals running this country, then he has a duty to speak out! Compare that to miz ann whose much-vaunted "footnotes" are quite a bit of bullshit, mostly mangled, massaged, misinterpreted, tweaked, and taken out of context. You can't really even compare the two of them. He is speaking out on his convictions and his knowledge of the issues and his deep-seated compassion and his involvement and his just plain ol' giving a damn. Plus, he happens to be talking truths. She, on the other hand, is just spewing hate, distortion, lies, and character assassination, to get more face time on TV and to sell books. I know whose side I'm on.

The thing a lot of these so-called "skeptics" and Hollywood haters don't understand is that celebrities like Bruce who take public stands on issues tend to do so after they've read about it, or maybe they've gone to check it out for themselves, or they've otherwise done research and have come to that activism by becoming informed and involved. There's a bunch of 'em, from George Clooney going to Darfur with his dad to Jimmy Smits grabbing a broom and heading down to the riot areas after the Rodney King uprising here in L.A., to help clean up the streets to Sean Penn in a rowboat with a couple of rescuers, pulling abandoned flood victims out of the poisonous muck in New Orleans to Al Franken going to Iraq to visit the troops - repeatedly. And there are people from the late Audrey Hepburn to Brad and Angelina, who've partnered with the UN, using their fame and publicity magnetism to draw attention to injustice or human crisis. And let's not forget the Dixie Chicks, either, and what they've risked to speak out against the outrage of Iraq. Celebs who spout stuff for mere empty publicity are one thing. Celebs who put their money and their fame where their mouths are are quite another. They have a right to speak out, too. In fact, I think the more informed, involved, and committed they are to their causes, the more they have an obligation to speak out. If you have a podium, you might as well use it for the good, for the benefit of others in need, not just for yourself. I cannot help but respect and applaud that. Bruce really does rock!

[K8-EEE]

19. BRUUUUUUUUUUUUCE!!

I've yet to understand why people like Coulter and Limbaugh are considered "experts" or whatever, just because they're always on some fascist rant or another...we ALL have the same right and obligation to speak out, period. NEVER SHUT UP AND SING, or shut up and do whatever your job is, this land is OUR LAND as the song says...

[bjhecht]

20. Bruce Springsteen the Dixie Chicks

Unlike Bruce, the Chicks are STILL getting bashed hard by a large number of people, including Reba McEntire.

Check out this article on Reba's latest comments:

http://www.liberalcountryfan.com/?p=107

[Cha]

21. The fucking media tries to

set the agenda..way to go, Springsteen!

"Springsteen was asked if getting flack about his political views, such as backing John Kerry in 2004, made him wonder if musicians should try so hard to be taken seriously on topical issues.

"They should let Ann Coulter do it instead?" he mused, with a chuckle. Then he said, "You can turn on the idiots rambling on cable television every night, and they say musicians shouldn’t speak up? It’s insane, it’s funny," he said, laughing."

[tanyev]

29. Bruce had their number back in 1992.

57 CHANNELS (AND NOTHING ON)

Lyrics By Bruce Springsteen

I bought a bourgeois house in the Hollywood hills
With a truckload of hundred thousand dollar bills
Man came by to hook up my cable TV
We settled in for the night my baby and me
We switched 'round and 'round 'til half-past dawn
There was fifty-seven channels and nothin' on

Well now home entertainment was my baby's wish
So I hopped into town for a satellite dish
I tied it to the top of my Japanese car
I came home and I pointed it out into the stars
A message came back from the great beyond
There's fifty-seven channels and nothin' on

Well we might'a made some friends with some billionaires
We might'a got all nice and friendly
If we'd made it upstairs
All I got was a note that said "Bye-bye John
Our love is fifty-seven channels and nothin' on"

So I bought a .44 magnum it was solid steel cast
And in the blessed name of Elvis well I just let it blast
'Til my TV lay in pieces there at my feet
And they busted me for disturbin' the almighty peace
Judge said "What you got in your defense son?"
"Fifty-seven channels and nothin' on"
I can see by your eyes friend you're just about gone
Fifty-seven channels and nothin' on...
Fifty-seven channels and nothin'

[Child_Of_Isis]

23. Evidenlty they don't know much about Bruce.

To be asking such dumbass questions.

[Cha]

36. Turns out they don't know

much about anyTHING!

[nealmhughes]

25. If a mere playwright such as Havel can be President,

then why can't Bruce be a Senator? Or Neil Young (I think he's a US citizen now). As Kinky Friedman says, 'More beauticians and musicians and less politicians".

[newscott]

26. Oh that was righteous.

Thank you for fighting the good fight Bruce. After all these years, I still think you're the greatest.

[wisteria]

27. Springsteen always avoided politics for years, he only became

involved after Bush. That says a lot in itself. Good for him, he knows exactly what is going on and he speaks his mind. He doesn't like what is happening to this country -like the rest of us.

[JerseygirlCT]

30. Involved, if you mean backing certain candidates

but the man has been involved in his community, and involved wherever he plays, for years and years.

He was integral to the MUSE concerts a zillion years ago. He almost always collects food and money for local foodbanks where he plays. And of course, he's done benefit concerts for local charities in NJ for a long time now.

I think this last time he felt the need to be more outspoken. I also think, having seen the destruction of lives his area of NJ suffered from 9-11, and then the callous disregard of the administration toward those people -- that probably just pushed him over the edge.

[oldgrowth]

28. Video is on crooks and liars link

http://www.crooksandliars.com/2006/06/23.html#a8829

[Zorra]

31. "idiots rambling on cable television every night" n/t

[samsingh]

32. repugs don't want liberals to voice any opinions

this makes repugs anti-democratic.

they should destroy themselves because they do not believe in democracy.

repugs - carry out your prime directive and self destruct.

[calimary]

37. No kidding. If he were speaking out on their side, they'd have him

on the short list for cannonization. And they'd give him his own show on Pox "news."

[samsingh]

45. i saw him in concert a few years ago

Bruce is awesome.

[Vidar]

38. Cheering the Boss.

[mac56]

39. Later in the article:

"(Springsteen) revealed that some former fans have mailed records back to him."

Love it.

Our idiot governor Tim Pawlenty might have been one of those. On his weekly radio show, Pawlenty once noted that Springsteen was on the stump for Kerry. He claimed he is a big fan, and lamented that Bruce "had become too political".

Had..become..too..political?!

Had Pawlenty ever listened to any of Bruce's albums?!

[young_at_heart]

42. Bruce is a true patriot........THANK YOU!!

As more and more celebrities become outraged about the blatant manipulation re Iraq one can only hope that they too will say something! People listen and care. The neo-con bullies have to be ignored.

[samsingh]

46. coulter mocks herself