Not Just Confederate Statues: Call Goes Out To ‘Topple’ Classic Rock

The culture warriors at The New York Times are at it again. Now they have set their sights on one of America’s core contributions: Classic Rock. Opinion writer Jennifer Finney Boylan says classic rock isn’t “just” or “inclusive” and as such should be abandoned, writing: 

“I want to live in a world where I can be moved by art and music and literature without having to come up with elaborate apologies for that work or for its creators,” 

Boylan suggests we re-evaluate certain songs and artists so we can have a future that is “more inclusive and more just.” Artists like Don McClain, Elvis, and Eric Clapton. Songs like “Brown Sugar”.

Of course, her op-ed focuses solely on classic rock without any mention of  bad behavior or offensive lyrics in rap or hip hop.

No One Asked For Your Opinion

Hey Jen? No one is asking you to defend the artists you like. This sounds like a personal problem. Neither the artists nor their fans needs you to like or defend The Rolling Stones or The Beatles. They are classic for a reason.

How about you just do what the rest of us do: listen to music you choose in peace, and keep your opinions on other music to yourself?

And shame on The New York Times for this clickbait headline. Comparing classic rock to the confederacy? You’re planting very specific and dangerous thoughts in people’s minds that can only serve to divide and anger.

Related: Sir Paul McCartney Drops Bomb – Bob Dylan First Introduced The Beatles To Marijuana In 1964

There’s this pernicious strain of “journalism” recently that amounts to “I don’t like this, so it can be in public ever again.”

People like Boylan don’t understand that personal opinions are just that: personal. No one needs nor wants your singular view forced upon them.

Why We Shouldn’t Cancel Classic Rock

For centuries, we’ve separated the art from the artist.

Classic rock, at its core, is imperfect performers singing about their imperfections. Johnny Cash and The Rolling Stones never hid their flaws in their music. The best didn’t hide their flaws but embraced them.

Music that transcends emotion is something special.

When Johnny Cash sang “I shot a man in Reno just to watch him die,” no one thought he was an actual murderer but was singing a ballad about a down-on-his-luck criminal in lockup. 

Also, it was a different time and people changed. Heck, The Stones don’t even play “Brown Sugar” anymore.

Canceling someone for doing something that wasn’t wrong at the time is hypocritical. Should society punish all of us now for our pasts? 

Cancel These Artists Instead 

That being said, if I was forced to get behind this “cancel” trend there are a few artists that I could consider … 

Of course, this is just my personal take.

• Post-Thriller Michael Jackson: Once Jackson went full-on creeper, his music became bad. Early Michael was the best.
• Cat Stevens: aka Yusef Islam, called for the head of the writer Salman Rushdie for writing a book critical of Islam. 
• Justin Bieber: The pain he has inflicted on this world is too much to bear. We must erase his music from history.

Do you think we should cancel classic rock? Sound off in the comment section below.