I’m a regular listener to and a big fan of the radio personality and former standup comic Ron Bennington, currently heard on satellite radio. Some time back, before the 2012 elections, he discussed Paul Ryan’s mention that he was a big fan of Rage Against The Machine, and raised the question about whether one can be a fan of a band if one disagrees with the band’s politics.
I like Rage’s songs. I’m a metal head, so the energy and drive of the music appeals to me. The lyrics, at least those in their first album (my favorite, and admittedly, I haven’t listened to their subsequent work much) are antiestablishment and anarchistic, and when interpreted literally they can be considered to align with a libertarian viewpoint in their anti-authority and anti-ruling-class message. But, the band self-identifies as far-left and anti-capitalist, which doesn’t.
But, this leads to a bigger question – so what? Can one like a band’s sound without necessarily agreeing with the message the band seeks to deliver? Can one hear the message of a song, like the song, say “I disagree” and still listen to the music without guilt, hypocrisy or some other issue? Can one enjoy a song and not even pay attention to the message in the lyrics? Of course, of course, and of course. In fact, the simple answer is to respond to anyone who tells you that you cannot with a Rage lyric, “F*** you, I won’t do what you tell me.”
Many bands have songs that can easily give one pause, if one takes them seriously. Black Sabbath, my favorite band, sings “Satan sends out funeral pyre – Casts the priest into the fire” and “my name is Lucifer, please take my hand.” But, the band also sings “God is the only way to love,” and Ozzy Osbourne, the self-proclaimed “Prince of Darkness,” passionately shouts “God bless you!” endlessly in concert (and the band has quite a number of pro-religion songs). Slayer, another of my favorites, has songs rife with death, destruction, war, blasphemy and so forth, yet in concert the singer/bassist Tom Araya will talk to the crowd in the warmest, kindest and most appreciative tones, and he’s a Catholic. What’s the message there? Oftentimes, perhaps even the majority of the time, the lyrics aren’t meant to be taken so seriously, literally or philosophically.
But, that’s an easy conclusion if one takes more than 15 seconds to contemplate things (as opposed to the Tipper Gores of the world, who’d rather not think in their self-righteous pursuit of self-aggrandizement and nannying). It gets tougher when one looks at artists who intend real messages in their music. Rage is a quite obvious and extreme example, but music has long been a medium for delivering messages. And, not just left-right political messages. Can an atheist, or Jew, or Muslim listen to Gospel music without guilt or conflict? Can a police officer listen to gansta rap? Can a devout Christian listen to Black Sabbath or Iron Maiden? Can a recovering addict listen to Lou Reed?
The answer, of course, is “yes” to all of the above. It’s called “freedom.” The power someone else has to judge you based on what music you listen to is entirely what you choose to cede. If you want to listen to Rage, yet are a Republican Congressman from Wisconsin, I say good for you.
Now, the flip sign of the coin. Just as one can listen to whatever one wants, and feel about it however one wants, another can opine on one’s music preferences in any way, shape or form. And, while that opinion might be uninformed, hastily constructed, agenda-driven or just downright ignorant, it’s still an opinion. The great author Harlan Ellison had this to say about opinions:
You are not entitled to your opinion. You are entitled to your informed opinion. No one is entitled to be ignorant.”
He’s right. But the operative word therein is “entitled.” Whether one is entitled to one’s opinion is of little relevance when one chooses to be judgmental based on that opinion. And, a whole lot of people pass judgments rooted in remarkably ignorant opinions. One who doesn’t know any better can hear someone’s a Black Sabbath fan and conclude he’s a satanist who should be shunned and kept away from small children. One would be wrong, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen. And, people can be remarkably stubborn in their opinions, even when hastily formed ones are demolished by mountains of contrary evidence.
Back to Paul Ryan. His declaration of fandom for Rage was very likely honest, genuine and unscripted. If he wanted to make a calculated play to sound young, in touch and relevant, he could have picked any of hundreds of other bands to declare for. What, then, are we to think of Ryan now? Ronnie B thinks it’s stupid to like a band whose message is so contrary to his own. I, on the other hand, think it’s irrelevant in the context of politics. I’d judge him by his performance and political statements rather than by an ad-lib.
As for the broader question… If we were to filter all the entertainment we enjoyed through a belief compatibility check, we’d all be much the worse off for it. Turning off and tuning out ideas we disagree with risks losing out on ideas that might influence us. And, no matter what anyone else tells us, what we choose to believe is entirely up to us. Do we, in our fandom, reward and help promulgate opinions that are contrary to ours? Oh, certainly. But, winning the war of ideas legitimately cannot include restricting contrary ones. If my opinion is more strongly rooted than the opposing one, I should have faith in that strength.
So, do the politics of musicians or other artists matter? Only as much as you choose to let them.
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