Overdressed

Whitney Matheson asked today: Have you ever boycotted an artist?

I admit: I have.

I consider myself an open-minded liberal. I'm all about the free speech and everyone's right to voice their opinion. So if I don't like Bill O'Reilly, then I just don't turn on Fox News. See how that works? You don't like my blog, you click the little red X in the corner.

But now BOYCOTT. That's taking an active roll. That's me using the almighty dollar to send a message to someone who depends on the public's support for their livelihood. And I have taken that step. Twice, in fact. You can probably guess who it is. But it wasn't a sudden decision on my part. I didn't wake up to Mel Gibson's mug shot and decide to fuck all. Although Tom Cruise's downfall was pretty speedy.

See, both of them preceded their bigoted statements with really bizarre, insane behavior. So like Mel, I started to not like the guy when he made that religious movie. I totally respect his right to make the religious movie; I respect your right to go and see it if you want. But all those interviews he did at that time. He acted like he was off his medication. He said things like that his wife who has borne him seven (SEVEN!) children won't go to heaven with him b/c she's not Catholic. He wouldn't say that he supports his father's holocaust denial, but he did say "The man's never lied to me." These things made me start thinking, "Man. What a lunatic."

So when he gets caught drinking and driving and then starts spouting his anti-Semitic ire, and every media outlet on TV is reminding me that the same accusations were flung around his little religious movie, then I decide, "That's it. No more of my money is going in that asshole's pocket."
If he ever does work in this town again, I won't pay to see it.

Tom has a similar story. I think I stopped liking him around 1989. The other alien-worshippers don't annoy people with their proselytizing. He seemed to be going off the deep end, but even the couch jumping incident wouldn't really call for a boycott. It wasn't until he made those inappropriate and judgmental comments about Brooke Shield's PPD that I said, "That's it. He's outta here." I think I might have also said, "Bastard."

You want to use your celebrity as a sounding board to state your political opinions, I don't really see that as a reason to boycott your artistry. Even if I don't like your political stance, I'll still listen to your music if it's got a good beat and you can dance to it.

I know there are a lot of performers out there who have said and done reprehensible things, but I don't actively boycott them. I don't have to. Emenim's a homophobe? Nice. I don't listen to his stuff anyway.

With Mr. Cruise and Mr. Gibson, I have made the conscious decision to deny them my financial support. I don't think their bigoted statements make them any better or worse than directors who marry their stepdaughters, singers who have sex with underage girls, or actors who slap around their wives. But I find their opinions so appalling and damaging to our society that I think they should be forced to go away and live in a cave forever.

Have you ever boycotted an artist?

Posted by Kalisa on Tuesday, August 08, 2006 at 6:54 PM | Permalink