On Macklemore, Ed Sheeran, Celebrities and Criticizing Those With Power.
Let's skip the specific issues that are the subject of what happened to Macklemore for a moment. The bottom line is his criticism (which was emotional without being scathing or derogatory) was enough to rally stadium owners to threaten to cancel a musical tour. As James Li said, this an interesting reaction considering Kanye West has not been confronted for his criticisms and speech. And as Foley/Johnstone point out, Macklemore being released highlights how the "causes" entertainers claim to champion have limits, and those limits are controlled by a class who have to gain from the things that are being criticized. Macklemore's (older) interview with Breakthrough News shows that the artist himself does not believe in fence-sitting when you know your power and are watching something that really moves your heart. Much like our politics, our entertainers need to be independent of the machine that profits from our pain. Oh, and just another reminder about Robert Kraft:...
