I just watched on Bruce website the reports of his speech and short concert in Madison, WI with Obama .
I'd like to know if Bruce strong political involvement in the last 2-3 presidential elections has affected his popularity in the u.s.
I mean, republican Bruce fans are still following him like before or something has changed since vote for change tour?

I really don't care much for celebrities getting on political soapboxes regardless of their leanings.

I am conservative and a Bruce fan from WAY back. To paraphrase Frank Zappa, "Shut Up And Play Your Guitar".

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Elmo Lewis
I really don't care much for celebrities getting on political soapboxes regardless of their leanings.

I am conservative and a Bruce fan from WAY back. To paraphrase Frank Zappa, "Shut Up And Play Your Guitar".

i agree - at least we wouldn't have to listen to him "sing" anymore....

It has most certainly adversely affected it.

Not that it bothers him that much, which is good.

It's a bit laughable that some fans suddenly discovered what way he votes and get so sensitive about it, though.

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StonesTod

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Elmo Lewis
I really don't care much for celebrities getting on political soapboxes regardless of their leanings.

I am conservative and a Bruce fan from WAY back. To paraphrase Frank Zappa, "Shut Up And Play Your Guitar".

i agree - at least we wouldn't have to listen to him "sing" anymore....

a rim shot was sorely needed here.

I'm an independent, meaning I do not belong to any party, but I lean more conservative than liberal.

I really don't care what an artist's political views are. I go to see a good show.

I do get annoyed when an artist preaches his/her political views on stage.
I go to a show to be entertained, not to be taught what I should think and how I should vote.

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Edith Grove
I'm an independent, meaning I do not belong to any party, but I lean more conservative than liberal.

I really don't care what an artist's political views are. I go to see a good show.

I do get annoyed when an artist preaches his/her political views on stage.
I go to a show to be entertained, not to be taught what I should think and how I should vote.

it was fun at the CSNY tour a few years ago when they were all backing neil's anti-bush tour...many fans were astounded and walked out mid-show. neil was thrilled....

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Edith Grove
I'm an independent, meaning I do not belong to any party, but I lean more conservative than liberal.

I really don't care what an artist's political views are. I go to see a good show.

I do get annoyed when an artist preaches his/her political views on stage.
I go to a show to be entertained, not to be taught what I should think and how I should vote.

Fair comment, although in this case, the reality is that, aside from the VFC Change tour in '04, this 'preaching' or 'telling people how to vote' stuff is a myth.

I personally dont give a bollocks who he or anyone else supports (its of no more significance to me than the rantings of someone on a message board), but the bottom line is that anyone who is so undecided or clueless about the world they're living in that they need a celebrity to influence their decision should't be allowed anywhere near a ballot box to begin with.

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Gazza
but the bottom line is that anyone who is so undecided or clueless about the world they're living in that they need a celebrity to influence their decision should't be allowed anywhere near a ballot box to begin with.

suppress the vote!

now i know why they keep turning me away....

The number one Republican Springsteen fan is New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.

His man-crush for Bruce has been well documented.


[www.nj.com]

I can't really speak for Bruce fans, but I find that good music transcends politics, even if the act in question has political leanings. U2's political views have never really affected their popularity, if the song is catchy enough you can probably insult somebody's political views and they'll not even notice.

On the Pearl Jam boards there are quite a few members who are right leaning, and a few who are FAR right, but still love the band in spite of the fact that the band is very left leaning and Ed is very vocal about it. There have been a few episodes that have really pissed those people off, but they continue to follow the band. Even as somebody who is pretty liberal myself, I've found quite a bit of stuff Ed has said and done to be a little too much for my liking.

Not being a big fan of the GOP, I still like Clint Eastwood. I say he's entitled to his opinion, and I'm not throwing away my Dirty Harry DVDs because he spoke at their fundraiser.

I think that music is such a powerful force, and can be so ingrained in somebody's brain when it comes to memories and nostalgia, that it's probably hard for somebody to completely shun an act just because they say or do something you don't agree with. Just look at Gary Glitter, he was convicted of possessing child pornography, but Rock and Roll Part 2 remains popular to this day.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2012-11-08 17:08 by NoCode0680.

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loog droog
The number one Republican Springsteen fan is New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.

His man-crush for Bruce has been well documented.


[www.nj.com]

ooh yeah.... Christie's man crush would flatten Bruce.

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Gazza

I personally dont give a bollocks who he or anyone else supports (its of no more significance to me than the rantings of someone on a message board), but the bottom line is that anyone who is so undecided or clueless about the world they're living in that they need a celebrity to influence their decision should't be allowed anywhere near a ballot box to begin with.

In general, I absolutely agree with you.

In all fairness, though, even if I am not at all a fan of his musical output in the past 30 years, I truly respect the man. Every time I heard Bruce Springsteen discuss politics in general or his view of life and things, he was able to express very interesting, deep and unusual thoughts. He usually makes more sense than many professional politicians!

C

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liddas
Every time I heard Bruce Springsteen discuss politics in general or his view of life and things, he was able to express very interesting, deep and unusual thoughts. He usually makes more sense than many professional politicians!

if he only stopped there....but then he "sings"! a man's got to know his limitations!

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Gazza

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Edith Grove
I'm an independent, meaning I do not belong to any party, but I lean more conservative than liberal.

I really don't care what an artist's political views are. I go to see a good show.

I do get annoyed when an artist preaches his/her political views on stage.
I go to a show to be entertained, not to be taught what I should think and how I should vote.

Fair comment, although in this case, the reality is that, aside from the VFC Change tour in '04, this 'preaching' or 'telling people how to vote' stuff is a myth.

I personally dont give a bollocks who he or anyone else supports (its of no more significance to me than the rantings of someone on a message board), but the bottom line is that anyone who is so undecided or clueless about the world they're living in that they need a celebrity to influence their decision should't be allowed anywhere near a ballot box to begin with.

That's right or the colo(u)r of their skin.

Good points Edith and Gazza...

On Election Day one of the national news programs was asking people who had just voted "What song was going through your head when you were in the voting booth." (Who the hell sings to themselves when they're voting??) Anyway, most of the people had the expected answers: God Bless America, Star Spangled Banner, etc. But two of the 6 or 7 were thinking "Born in the USA." Of course, they only ever remember the fist-pumping chorus, which sounds very patriotic but isn't really representative of the lyrics. It's not an "I love my country" song. Ronald Regan got some flak for using the song during his campaign--again, only the "fun" chorus--after someone pointed out that maybe he should actually listen to the whole tune.

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StonesTod

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liddas
Every time I heard Bruce Springsteen discuss politics in general or his view of life and things, he was able to express very interesting, deep and unusual thoughts. He usually makes more sense than many professional politicians!

if he only stopped there....but then he "sings"! a man's got to know his limitations!

Once again I agree 100%.

The only positive thing about his concerts is that you can arrive 1 hour late and skip the queue to enter, get out 1 hour earlier so to avoid the traffic jam, and still be able to "enjoy" (so to say) a good 1 hour 1/2 of concert, without missing anything (all the songs are an imperceptible variation of his 1 ballad and 1 rocker).

C

good post, BadRabbit

i remember that well, Reagan appropriating that song.

its one thing to comment on whas going on as in topical subject matter in lyrics

its another to promote a politcal candidate, or ideology.

If my political views had to mirror my favorite musician's views, there would be a big void in my life. I think Bruce has been careful lately not to do excess preaching during his tour.

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Gazza

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Edith Grove
I'm an independent, meaning I do not belong to any party, but I lean more conservative than liberal.

I really don't care what an artist's political views are. I go to see a good show.

I do get annoyed when an artist preaches his/her political views on stage.
I go to a show to be entertained, not to be taught what I should think and how I should vote.

Fair comment, although in this case, the reality is that, aside from the VFC Change tour in '04, this 'preaching' or 'telling people how to vote' stuff is a myth.

I personally dont give a bollocks who he or anyone else supports (its of no more significance to me than the rantings of someone on a message board), but the bottom line is that anyone who is so undecided or clueless about the world they're living in that they need a celebrity to influence their decision should't be allowed anywhere near a ballot box to begin with.

Agree 100%, Gazza.

Alice Cooper addressed this back in 2004...

"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."

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Jah Paul

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Gazza

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Edith Grove
I'm an independent, meaning I do not belong to any party, but I lean more conservative than liberal.

I really don't care what an artist's political views are. I go to see a good show.

I do get annoyed when an artist preaches his/her political views on stage.
I go to a show to be entertained, not to be taught what I should think and how I should vote.

Fair comment, although in this case, the reality is that, aside from the VFC Change tour in '04, this 'preaching' or 'telling people how to vote' stuff is a myth.

I personally dont give a bollocks who he or anyone else supports (its of no more significance to me than the rantings of someone on a message board), but the bottom line is that anyone who is so undecided or clueless about the world they're living in that they need a celebrity to influence their decision should't be allowed anywhere near a ballot box to begin with.

Agree 100%, Gazza.

Alice Cooper addressed this back in 2004...

"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."

a head-in-the-sand attitude about what's going on, especially how it affects one and one's family, is truly adolescent

[www.theonion.com]

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andrea66
I'd like to know if Bruce strong political involvement in the last 2-3 presidential elections has affected his popularity in the u.s.
I mean, republican Bruce fans are still following him like before or something has changed since vote for change tour?

I think that's a hard question to answer. We hear stories, some from Springsteen himself, about fans being so upset about his involvement that they quit buying his new releases or going to live shows. But he still makes a lot of money from touring and still put his new album at No. 1 on the Billboard chart for one week. If there was a drop off in his fan base due to politics my opinion is that it was minor and insignificant.

I could be wrong, but I also think that the people who are the most vocal with their outrage over his involvement are upset about something they've know for a long time, but were in denial about. I don't understand how people could listen to his songs, read the lyrics, read and listen to interviews from him and suddenly be surprised about his political views.

And I will never understand how people can say that he shouldn't voice his opinions. The "shut up and sing" argument isn't really fair. Doesn't he have as much of a right to say what he wants as the next person? Isn't that what free speech is all about? Why is an entertainer exempt from speaking his or her mind?

And why does it upset people so much to hear an opinion that is contrary to their own? It seems like no one has any tolerance for that anymore. The whole point is that you can listen to other ideas, weight them, and decide to continue with your own line of thinking or perhaps change or modify your opinion. It's nothing to get outraged about. It's just another part of life.

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TheBadRabbit
Ronald Regan got some flak for using the song during his campaign--again, only the "fun" chorus--after someone pointed out that maybe he should actually listen to the whole tune.

That's a myth. Reagan mentioned Springsteen in one campaign speech. There is no documented evidence that the song was ever used by Reagan at any appearance.

of course rock stars are entitled to their opinions about politics, and if bruce wanted to campaign for obama, that was his choice. but i do think they should limit their political views to venues apart from their concerts/recordings. when i pay big bucks to see a show, it ruins it for me if i must endure a sermon on any subject, especially if it's contrary to my view. i'm there for a good time and "to get away from it all".

i must say, i especially dislike it when a performer from another country performs in the u.s. and disses an american politician from the stage. i've heard roger waters completely bash bush during his concerts. what right does he have to do that, or is he simply pandering to the crowd? and paul mccartney's the worst, insulting ex-president bush while receiving an honor in nyc. i would never insult the queen if the situation was reversed, and i resent non-americans insulting our officials, however inept they might be.

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chrisvw
of course rock stars are entitled to their opinions about politics, and if bruce wanted to campaign for obama, that was his choice. but i do think they should limit their political views to venues apart from their concerts/recordings. when i pay big bucks to see a show, it ruins it for me if i must endure a sermon on any subject, especially if it's contrary to my view. i'm there for a good time and "to get away from it all".

i must say, i especially dislike it when a performer from another country performs in the u.s. and disses an american politician from the stage. i've heard roger waters completely bash bush during his concerts. what right does he have to do that, or is he simply pandering to the crowd? and paul mccartney's the worst, insulting ex-president bush while receiving an honor in nyc. i would never insult the queen if the situation was reversed, and i resent non-americans insulting our officials, however inept they might be.

So do I. It's bad form.

"of course rock stars are entitled to their opinions about politics, and if bruce wanted to campaign for obama, that was his choice. but i do think they should limit their political views to venues apart from their concerts/recordings. when i pay big bucks to see a show, it ruins it for me if i must endure a sermon on any subject, especially if it's contrary to my view. i'm there for a good time and "to get away from it all".

Exactly. There is a time and place for everything. I don't care if Springsteen plays at a pep rally for Obama but at regular concerts he should stick to the music since the audience will most likely be mixed. I haven't been to a Springsteen concert so I can't tell you wether or not he gets up on a soapbox at his regular concerts.

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FrankM
"of course rock stars are entitled to their opinions about politics, and if bruce wanted to campaign for obama, that was his choice. but i do think they should limit their political views to venues apart from their concerts/recordings. when i pay big bucks to see a show, it ruins it for me if i must endure a sermon on any subject, especially if it's contrary to my view. i'm there for a good time and "to get away from it all".

Exactly. There is a time and place for everything. I don't care if Springsteen plays at a pep rally for Obama but at regular concerts he should stick to the music since the audience will most likely be mixed. I haven't been to a Springsteen concert so I can't tell you wether or not he gets up on a soapbox at his regular concerts.

I have - and he doesnt really do it at all. Certainly not in a party-political sense.

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lamemodem2
Why is an entertainer exempt from speaking his or her mind?

could we still make an exemption for nugent? please????

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StonesTod

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lamemodem2
Why is an entertainer exempt from speaking his or her mind?

could we still make an exemption for nugent? please????

Ted Nugent is the voice of reason & sanity.

God bless Ted Nugent.


.......taking cover now !

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Gazza

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chrisvw
of course rock stars are entitled to their opinions about politics, and if bruce wanted to campaign for obama, that was his choice. but i do think they should limit their political views to venues apart from their concerts/recordings. when i pay big bucks to see a show, it ruins it for me if i must endure a sermon on any subject, especially if it's contrary to my view. i'm there for a good time and "to get away from it all".

i must say, i especially dislike it when a performer from another country performs in the u.s. and disses an american politician from the stage. i've heard roger waters completely bash bush during his concerts. what right does he have to do that, or is he simply pandering to the crowd? and paul mccartney's the worst, insulting ex-president bush while receiving an honor in nyc. i would never insult the queen if the situation was reversed, and i resent non-americans insulting our officials, however inept they might be.

So do I. It's bad form.

Well, our policies do affect the rest of the world, so I understand it. What I find to be bad form is when American acts go to other countries and make those comments to pander to the crowd and get cheap applause. That's what caused a lot of the Dixie Chicks controversy. Sure a lot of it was just the fact they said anything at all, but some people like myself just found it kind of lame because Natalie didn't have the balls to say anything like that in the U.S. and then they got overseas and said it for some cheap applause. Now she'll say that stuff in the U.S. all day, because that event led to them having a new fan base as the old one abandoned them, and now it's all she does. But I feel like it was a change of necessity after the debacle and not one of sincerity. I have no problem with what she said, I just found the way they went about it kind of lame.

I'd like to think that when celebrities say this stuff, they're not trying to tell you how to vote or think, they're trying to raise awareness. Hoping that if they bring things to people's attention they'll read up on it and form an opinion of their own. As human beings I'm sure some of them would love for you to agree with them, but I think a lot of it has to do with them feeling the need to do something socially responsible with the podium they're given.

Somebody made a comment about wanting to see a concert and have fun and not being preached at, which is pretty much how I feel. I won't boo and entertainer or anything, but I will kind of wish they'd get on with the show. And you can do it without getting too preachy or a long winded speech. I saw Pearl Jam during the early days of the Iraq War in '03, and I expected some big speech or something, but all Ed did was play a little prank by saying that under somebody's chair there was an envelope marked "WMD", whoever has it gets to hang out with the band after the show and made some kind of joke about destroying the town. It took him about 20 seconds to say it and move on, and 1 or two times later in the show he would ask if anybody had found it yet. But that's it. Of course the big joke was that there are no "WMD's" and there was no such envelope, but he never explained that, either you got it or you didn't get it. Now take that and compare it to a Pearl Jam show back in the 90's when they stopped the show and brought out Gloria Steinem who proceeded to make a long-winded speech. That is something that seems unnecessary and is not what people paid for. If you have an opinion, speak it, but don't turn the concert into something else, because that's not what people paid for.