Jeff Stallard
08-26-2004, 01:16 PM
Not according to Alice Cooper. Here's part of an Alice Cooper interview I just ran across that I thought others might find interesting. This is a bit of a pet peeve of mine, so it's nice to hear someone say this stuff, particularly someone on the inside.
"To me, [rock stars surrorting political candidates] is treason. I call it treason against rock 'n' roll because rock is the antithesis of politics. Rock should never be in bed with politics. When I was a kid and my parents started talking about politics, I'd run to my room and put on the Rolling Stones as loud as I could. So when I see all these rock stars up there talking politics, it makes me sick.
If you're listening to a rock star in order to get your information on who to vote for, you're a bigger moron than they are. Why are we rock stars? Because we're morons. We sleep all day, we play music at night and very rarely do we sit around reading the Washington Journal."
Neil Mick
08-26-2004, 06:43 PM
Maybe, Alice Cooper Rarelt Sits Around, Reading the Washington Journal, but maybe others, might. I dunno, not being a rock star. ;)
But, it DOES feel weird to me, when a rockstar endorses a candidate. But then again, this in the same moral category as Michael Jordan (a rock star of sorts) endorsing Nike's, so there you are. It's all in the brand-name.
Thomas Ambrose
08-29-2004, 12:04 AM
I think their may be hidden wisdom to Alice Cooper's message. It may sound as if he is going over the top trying to act "true to rock," but for some reason, I seem to think there is some sort of wisdom there. On the other hand, it is best summed up by Sen. John McCain. When he hosted Saturday Night Live, he did a spoof of a commercial for an album, where he sings (very badly) Barbara Streisand's hits. He then says that if she doesn't like it, then as soon as she stops trying to do "his" job, he will stop trying to do hers. :)
Michael Jordan endorses Nike because of the pay-off involved. Luckily, with he desire of our media to obtain juicy and scandalous stories, if we found out that Rock-Star-X endorsed Politician-Y and Politician-Y cut a big check to Rock-Star-X, it would be end of both careers.
I can understand why a rock-star might wish to support a various candidate and such a star certainly has that right, but on the other hand though a rock-star may certainly understand their craft of making music, entertaining crowds, and whatever else they do, I would be very cautious before I take their advice, since I mean, they don't spend their lives following politics, economics, etc.
On that note, perhaps I should trust a politician who deals with that stuff on a regular basis... oh wait... ;)
To me, I think it is silly to base one vote on any person's recommendation, unless you really know that person and would trust them with your very life. Rock stars, politicians, activists, corporations, newspapers, all of the "endorsers" have interests to gain by their support so they cannot be trusted to be unbiased. Perhaps I am a bit too cynical. For me, I just simply look at the following things: a candidate's record/reputation, their recorded viewpoints, and their personality. I try my best to choose whomever lines up with my ideals. In other words, "The only political endorsement I trust, is my own."