Albuquerque Business Daily

What are your thoughts on entertainers who stick their noses in to politics?

I don't mind if they campaign for a person, but I do mind when they are performing a concert or some form of entertainment and they start making political statements. What are your thoughts? I respect free speech, but if I paid for a concert I just would like them to sing or entertain not talk politics, you?

Public Comments

1. Read the book "Shut Up and Sing!" enough said.
2. you should demand a refund for fraud.
3. If they have something intelligent to say, I don't mind it. But if they are going to act like Madonna or Ludacris, then I think they should just bud out.
4. Celebrities are normal people. I do not think they should talk about politics, when they know no more than us.
5. I think your mad because they're all liberals and state the facts about the republicans.
6. It generally makes me NOT want their candidate of choice to win. I don't think they should screw with the very impressionable public to get help their preference in office.
7. Totally agree with you. It's really annoying and wrong in a way knowing that you paid for a ticket to listen to their music not their political views.
8. I agree. I wish they would shut up about Politics. They somehow think that we are all stupid and are going to follow their views.
9. I agree. Celebrities need to realize that many of their fans may dump them if they get too verbal about their political views. I sure did that with Jane Fonda and Barbabra Streisand years ago.
10. I think they can bring politics into their music. I sometimes find it quite annoying, but they are free to rally for whomever they want. In the end it could cost them.
11. They seem to be a little quieter this campaign cycle so far. I hope they learned by insulting Republicans, they insult 1/2 of the population that pays to see their movies and concerts.
12. I think it's great, especially the ones that are spreading good words about Obama. And the ones talking about how great McCain is... Well I haven't heard any entertainers talk about McCain being good for anything. But I don't listen to country or bluegrass music either...
13. I don't pay those people to think. I pay for them to look pretty or sing well. I don't need their dumb politics.
14. Interesting question. If someone is paying for a concert then the performer should have the good taste not to get political in my opinion. Tickets aren't cheap and you shouldn't have to listen to a political speech you don't want to hear. But any other time they have the right to speak up, donate money or time just like the rest of us. I quit going to a dentist because he'd do that while working on my teeth.
15. I don't care at all. However, people that follow them are dangerous to politics. Next time, don't pay for the concert and/or write a letter of complaint to the entertainer, venue, and promoter.
16. I agree that they should not use and concerts and such for their political statements.
17. don't you love snobs like Michelle? Anyway, entertainers can say what they want but I hope they reliaze that people aren't going to vote for a certain candidate just because so-and-so likes them.
18. You hit the nail on the head. The very best of the entertainers who was political was Bob Hope, He was a Republican, but he never was disrespectful to any President; he would respond to a request from either party for assistance; he showed us all that the President was always to be respected as were all American troops, something the present day Hollywood types often forget.
19. I believe that they have the right to speak up for whomever they like. They are in the unique position to get a lot of ears at one time. We do not mind asking them to make money for charities, so when they want to talk about their favorite candidate I am OK with it and ready to listen. I did not appreciate the way the Dixie Chicks dissed President Bush. I do not think he is a great president, but I also respect this country and am proud to be an American. Anyone who goes to another country, or even says publicly that they are not happy to be an American or wants to harshly criticize our current president, outside of the confines of a political arena, should go else where.
20. "SHUT UP AND SING" but probably "I want my money back!" will get their attention more quickly...
21. Well the personal is political so even though they are paid entertainers they're bound to have an opinion. They just happen to be on a platform in a position where there will be people around to hear it. And while they may be commodities that can be bought and sold I would hate for anyone to be stifled from being a regular person BECAUSE they can be bought and sold. I mean I'm the same way, not so much about political opinion but I don't really like all the stage chatting but I guess if I were an entertainer I'd get sick of playing every night like a robot... otherwise people could just buy the album and not even bother going to a show.
22. I guess you do not approve of most of the Music of the 60's, 70's and the 80's. Have you ever heard of Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Tracy Chapman, Jonie Mitchell, Joan Baez, Queen, The Kinks, Devo, U2, Sex Pistols just to name a few. Many of their songs have political content. Most art forms are about expressing yourself. Politics is a part of life. We are lucky to have freedom of speech. I think Britney Spears would be a safe concert for you to go to.
23. Shut up and Sing, pretty much sums it up for me.
24. I don't like listening to them talk politics, I do wish they would stick with their area of expertise, but they have just as much a right to their opinion and to express it as anyone else. I just wish people wouldn't place so much *importance* on whether or not a particular celebrity likes a candidate.
25. If they are known as political singers/writers/etc., I don't have much of an issue with it. I can choose to support them or not. But when coaches (Vikings' Mike Tice), singers, movie stars, etc. interject it out of context, I tend to want them to just do their job. Think of it like this--if you go to the bakery to buy bread, you may not want to see buttons saying "VOTE FOR JOE" all over the place...unless it is Joe's bakery, maybe,
26. It's their right as American citizens to plug a candidate. However, I agree with you that I'm there for their talent, not their opinion.