Reading old papers on the floor of the bathroom today (a filtration system arbitrarily filtering last week's news to my attention the slow way) I nearly choked to read that in a Playboy interview of 1976, David Bowie had caused outrage and widespread revulsion which helped to kick-start the Rock Against Racism movement with comments praising Hitler for being the first rockstar and asserting that Britain was "ready for a fascist leader". Given that this occured during a period of fermented racial tension, stirred and fuelled by psycopaths such as Enoch Powell and the rise of the National Front, I was shocked to think that this hero of mine could have been so devoid of sense and compassion. In the same year Eric Clapton threw his weight behind the NF's cause, skilfully disregarding his debt to soul and RnB by praising Enoch Powell and telling the world that England was turning into a "black colony".
Now I've heard that cocaine can do crazy things to people, and don't think necessarily that people shold be nailed to the cross for foolish statements uttered in a state of alcoholic paralysis, but where do we draw the line? Should we forgive artists and authors of their personal views, especially views of 30 years ago or should they still be held to account for what they publicised? Is the artwork distinct from the person who created it? Can I ever listen to Diamond Dogs without visualising Bowie doing a Nazi salute from an open-top Mercedes?
#07 March 2007
Comments...
Fair point but then again maybe need some allowance for being young and foolish and perhaps a sceptical approach to press coverage? Then again, I no longer want to be in Gary Glitter's gang.
Posted by: | 8:02pm 7 March 2007
Well GG is a convicted paedophile. Its apples and oranges mate. Freedom of expression is one of the things that makes this country so great. If you suppress the voice of the NF, it will simply go underground and will be harder to monitor. Who knows, maybe those artists were trying to expose it for what it was. As the article states, the Rock Against Racism was 'lick-started' by these comments. Seems to imply it wasn't really getting off the ground before that.
btw, I don't think Clapton is soulful. ">More...
like awful.Posted by: ken | 11:26am 8 March 2007
Were you reading the Observer Mag per chance? The auhtor of the article sais that he moved down to Exeter to start up the Anti-Nazi League down here. I remember it all well. Skins were always at the footie and there was serious violence and racism in and around the ground. I recall having had a tip-off about some lads that I had heard of being involved in the local crew. As I was aware of my own burgeoning political responsibilities at the time and had inherited my mum's carpet bag, I wrote a couple of names on the paper and passed them on to the League. Irony has it that years down the line, I would be listening to Eek a Mouse tapes and playing Subuteo with some of these characters.
Funny eh?
Name withheld
Posted by: | 8:38pm 12 March 2007
people should be nailed to the cross for foolish statements uttered in a state of alcoholic paralysis. definitely.
Posted by: drinks | 11:07pm 12 March 2007