Associated Press
Nov. 5, 2004 08:41 AM
http://www.pabaah.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=704
| Mellencamp To Perform On Thanksgiving--Contact NFL and CBS | ||
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Posted on 11/25/2004 11:41:24 AM PST by spycatcher
What is the NFL thinking after the recent "In your face America" naked desperation Monday Night Football fiasco?
According to the NFL, the theme of the Thanksgiving halftime show in Detroit was supposed to be “Join the Team: Millions of People Giving Back in Hundreds of Ways to Celebrate One America.”
So what did the NFL choose to represent this theme? They gave us a Christian-insulting, George Bush-hating, Bush voter-insulting song by John Mellencamp who famously said:
"George W. Bush has lied to us, failed to keep our own borders secure, entered a war under false pretense, endangered lives, and created financial chaos. How is it that he hasn't been recalled? Perhaps this time we could even have a real election...but that wouldn't fit the Bush administration's 'take what you want and fire people later' policy. Take an election; take an oil field; take advantage of your own people--a game of political Three-Card Monte.The fight for freedom in this country has been long, painful, and ongoing. It is time to take back our country. Take it back from political agendas, corporate greed, and overall manipulation. It is time to take action here in our land, in our own schools, neighborhoods, farms, and businesses. We have been lied to and terrorized by our own government, and it is time to take action. Now is the time to come together."
Here's the lyrics:
Walk Tall by* John MellencampI can only conclude that the NFL clearly despises more than half of America and for some reason they decided that Thanksgiving would be the time to let us know.The simple minded
And the uninformed
Can be easily led astray
And those that cannot connect the dots
Hey look the other way
People believe what they want to believe
When it makes no sense at all
So be careful of those killing in Jesus's name
He don't believe in killing at all
And I wish you a long sight line
And the strength to walk tall
Walk tall
Yeah walk on
Through this world
Walk tall
Somewhere out in the distance
Is the death of you and me
Even though we don't think of it much
It's still out there for us to see
If you treat life like a bar room fight
You'll die stinking of gin
No drunkards are allowed in heaven
No sinners will get in
Walk tall
Yeah, walk on
Walk tall
Through this world
Walk tall
So be careful in what you believe in
There's plenty to get you confused
And in this land called paradise
You must walk in many men's shoes
Bigotry and hatred are enemies to us all
Grace, mercy and forgiveness
Will help a man walk tall
So walk tall
Yeah, walk on
Walk tall
Johnny Cougar's not my cup of tea......
marking for later...turkey awaits.
http://www.pabaah.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=704
| Mellencamp To Perform On Thanksgiving--Contact NFL and CBS | ||
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The NFL is still being naive. I doubt if they were immediately responsible for this. It's the folks at network TV and the advertising agencies.
But the NFL had better lean on the TV folks to cut this stuff out, or they will be held responsible.
Did they really play this song during halftime? Did Johnny Cougar Melanadsf09q34*$^)(@*#% actually perform it himself?
Yes!! I was dumbstuck. He played that exact song. I was like, f$@# you and the football league you rode in on buddy!
He's still fairly popular, inspite of it all he still has an image as an all-American guy, and he's from Indiana (the Colts are playing in Detroit today), get over it. This attempt to make political statements into some sort of scarlett letter is assinine and makes us look like provintial morons. People are allowed to speak honestly, he honestly thinks Bush lied, he's wrong but that's what he thinks. He's moved on, so should you, and neither CBS nor the NFL should ban people just because they campaigned for the guy that lost the election. While freedom of speech include rebuttal this is getting past ridiculous.
You're naive. The NFL has a repsonsibility not to shove political sh^t in our faces and we have every right to object.
That performance was not "moving on" from the election and it made a mockery of their "Celebrating One America" theme when the purpose of the song is to bash half of America and what Mellencamp clearly sees as a Jesus-war bring fought by morons in Iraq.
I'm not naive, you're overly sensitive. They didn't shove politics in our faces, YOU shoved politics in YOUR OWN face, that's not the NFL's problem.
There was nothing wrong with the performance, a popular musician, considered a heartland guy, played some of his more popular songs. He actually played them rather than lipsynching (at one point he chuckled at something going on off camera and you actually heard the chuckle as well as saw it), everybody was wearing a modest and appropriate level of clothing, plenty of flag waving in the audience. There was nothing there worth getting offended at.
It's a good song, the lyrics are right. They don't apply to the war in Iraq, and if Mellencamp thinks they do it's because he's a moron. Getting mad because somebody in the entertainment industry is a moron is a complete waste of time, they're ALL morons, most of them are high school drop outs and the rest dropped out of college on "fine arts" and other wimpy majors. If the NFL limited half time entertainment to non-morons they'd have to do away with half time entertainment. He didn't stand up there and rant, he just played a few songs that can be interpreted how ever you want to interpret them, the smart thing to do is to not interpret them the way HE wants you to, getting angry for no reason is bad for the ticker and a waste of energy on a day that's should be filled with happiness and relaxation.
You obviously are one of those people that doesn't hear lyrics, and when you see them think they "mean anything." You might want to take a course in English and reading comprehension.
For instance, if I wrote a song about how stupid and inbred you and your family were, it would simply fly right over your head as just innocent music. LOL
BTW, it seemed hardly anyone applauded when he was done.
And I do agree that one might interpret lyrics differently in most cases and that Mellencamp disguised his insults enough to make money from Red-State fans who don't have a clue of his politics, but the fact remains that the specific context he wrote the song for was exactly as I stated. And in that context it's not just an innocent feel-good liberal song.
I'm sorry, I must have missed whatever it was he's done or said that shows that he's "moved on". Judging by the things he's said in the recent past I seriously doubt it.
...neither CBS nor the NFL should ban people just because they campaigned for the guy that lost the election.
CBS and the NFL are both organozations that are run by adults who are capable of exercising judgment and restraint. They know when they're taking "shots" and do it on purpose.
I hear the lyrics, and I do think the have meaning. But what I learned a long time ago, and what you need to learn, is that the final arbiter of the meaning of entertainment is the entertained, not the entertainer. I interpret the song as I see fit, I filter the lyrics through my filter, I see them as a blanket condemnation of violence in the name of God, and in our current world situation the lyrics are much more condemning of the jihadists than of America.
No if you wrote such a song the meaning would be quite clear to me, the meaning would be that you are a shallow and pathetic person who chooses to be angry, and attempt to make others angy, on a day of happiness, a person that seeks to hurt others feelings on the one day a year we set aside to thank. Very sad indeed, I pity you.
I really didn't pay much attention to the fans. I really didn't pay much attention to Mellencamp. It's just a half time show, I happened to pay enough attention at the right time to notice it wasn't lip synched, I thought that was nice. Other than that I don't give a crap. It's just a half time show, given the choice between that and more idiocy from Gumble, Marino, Sharpe and Esiason it was definitely the superior choice; but other than the fact that Mellencamp is slightly less stupid than CBS' pre-game crew I really didn't care one way or the other.
I don't care about the context. Mellencamp doesn't get to tell me how to interpret his song, I decide how I will interpret his song, and if he doesn't like my interpretation that's not my problem. You should try a more enabled lifestyle, you'll find it a lot more relaxing, and you'll get to be the person that annoys people instead of being the person that spends his Thanksgiving annoyed.
Has he moved to Canada? Did he get upset seeing thousands of people waving American flags while he was on stage? No, he's moved on, the election is over and now he needs to make a living.
They are adults capable of exercising judgement and restraint, notice that everybody was fully clothed and Mellencamp didn't get to rant. They didn't give him a stage for his politics, just his music, which happens to still be rather popular. And they also know that regardless of a performers political outlook we learned earlier this month that half the country disagrees with them, and picking and chosing entertainment based on politics would accomplish nothing.
bump
This line is the full monty slap at the Red Nation: "So be careful of those killing in Jesus's name He don't believe in killing at all." It is because of the killing that we have to cut out the cancer. I suppose the surgeon is supposed to be sent up on murder charges if his surgery fails to save the patient's life.
From your profile, I can see that you have an appreciation for music and performance much more than you do the underlying message sent by the performer's lyrics.
Mellencamp's lyrics are intentional to provoke anti-Bush feelings from the listeners and no justification from you can deny that, regardless of the 'Kerryesque' words you use.
I'd guess you probably 'appreciate' Eminmem for his artistry too!
PS - I just watched Destiny's Child's Halftime performance at the Bears - Cowboys game featuring The Old Guard of the US Army, and that was much better 'entertainment' for a football game than 'Hate America Mellencamp'.
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