"I felt it was important to voice my choice for presidential candidate, Barack Obama, seeing as the episode would air eight days before election day. Dean [Spunt] and I decided that it would be better to take advantage of the stage we had at our disposal ... Access to affordable health care is an issue very near to my heart for many personal reasons and I am sure that many of you can relate. I have lost and stood by as many of my close family members have battled with terrible illnesses. I have myself gone through traumatic hospitalizations only to come out the other side alive but horribly in debt," says Randall.
The band ended up performing after Randall wrote 'Free Health Care' on his shirt and somehow "obscured the Obama image."
So, at the end of the article it had some great questions that I think are very important.
Should artists, actors and anyone else on television/radio be allowed to publicly support their candidate of choice? Did No Age do the right thing or should they have not performed at all?
My opinion on this issue is that, at concerts bands should be able to voice their opinions and wear what they want, but the whole concert should not be about politics. From my own experience at a Goo Goo Dolls concert in 2000, the band commented on politics dealing with President Bush and freely voiced their own opinions on the matter. Some of the audience members got offended and most were angry for politics being brought up at the concert.
I think that the band should be able to wear what they want in support of whatever they want. They can also be able to express their own feelings on the matter, however, it should be held to a point on where to draw the line on what they say.
http://www.buzznet.com/musicnews/no-age-told-no-obama-j3147391/
4 comments:
Hi there!
I can't get to the original article on the school's computer but I'd thought I'd comment on the over all idea. I definately think that everyone should be able to show their support for the candidate they believe in, even on television. Isn't the U.S. a free country after all? Why would they restrict freedom for people to dress as they wish. The band didn't mean any harm. As for the equal air time rule, Obama wasn't on the stage with them, and he did not ask them to wear the shirt. I don't really see how it is all that different from the signs on lawns and the shirts people wear in everyday life. Sure, a few more people are going to see it, but I don't think it will give Obama a significant advantage ove McCain just because the members of a band wore a shirt supporting him. Honestly, we see the faces of McCain and Obama everywhere else, it wasn't going to make that much of a difference. Supporters of the band may get something out of it and be influenced, but no more than they would by just reading that the band supported Obama.
A very interesting article :)
Okay well I already commented on this, but it never showed. So if this is up twice, I'm sorry!
I have to disagree, I think this censorship is not right. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions. We live in a free country, and it just isn't right to prevent a person's views from being heard.
Besides, how would that shirt have impacted the race? Would it sway voters? Maybe just fans of No Age.
test to see if we can still comment
I agree. Everyone should be able to voice their opinion, including celebrities. What differences does it make to know what the celebrity's personal opinion on the presidential debate? Celebrities all the time voice their opinion on certain subjects, and the presidential debate shouldn't be different from the other topics being discussed. Obama didn't personally tell the band to wear a shirt for the use of propaganda, it was the band member's personal choice. It is also irritating that other bands wear little to nothing while preforming, but one band is being punished for wearing an Obama shirt. Other bands can pretty much get away with not wearing a shirt, and they are worried about a shirt that voices his opinion. This was a very interesting topic!
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