So Hank Williams, Jr. is important for a lot of reasons this week. One reason is to let us know that talent really does skip a generation but the other is that he was fired from his cushy gig at Monday Night Football by indicating on Fox News that "Obama and Boehner playing golf together is the equivilant to Hitler golfing with Netanyahu." First rule of internet argument is 'One who brings up Hitler, automatically loses." Now the beauty of the first amendment is that Ole dumb Hank, Jr. can believe that all he wants. He can make that statement and though it is offensive, crude and stereotypically redneck ignernt, he is entitled to said opinion.
I like many liberals in 2003 got upset over the Dixie Chicks being ostracized for their inflammatory comments of then President Bush. Fox news (not so ironically) led the uproar of how they lacked being patriotic at a time when the country needed them. I thought that people were moronic in their hyperbole. Then my brother in law brought up a point "they have that right to say that, and people have the right to not buy their albums.
That being said, Hank, Jr. can spout off his "New Confederacy" bullshit all he wants, he can spout off that "Obama, Biden....the Three Stooges" are the 'enemy' to his heartless content, and ESPN and Monday Night Football have every right to protect their brand. We DO have free speech, but if I walk into work and say "everything on this menu is garbage I wouldn't feed to a maggot", then my boss has every right to thank me for my time working there and find a place where the menu isn't maggot worthy. ie to break it down, I can say anything I want (within certain limits) and it will have no ramification on me going to school, raising kids, preparing my marriage. I won't go to jail. I won't get stoned by the masses (at least literally); I may, however, lose my job, a certain standing I may have and depending on how vehement I am, a certain respect of my peers.
On another note, Blue is rattled by the loss of another liberal voice. Melissa Hayes, AKA 'Ginger Snaps' was killed in a tragic accident in Nebraska. I did not know Melissa that well. In fact I only friended her about 3 weeks before her passing but she held a standard of debate that is sorely lacking in this day and age. A nuanced liberal with tolerance that Blue here has lost over 30 years of Right Wing lies. If I take any lesson from her, it is to continue to listen to the republican viewpoint fully instead of jumping in with my (usually correct view) and to have a bit more class in my rebuttal. You will be missed Melissa
I too found the Hank Jr. thing funny and at the same time a bit ironic.
ReplyDeleteMNF licensed (past tense) the song from Hank Jr. so he didn't have a job with them per se. Hank Jr. made a little bit of money every time ESPN played the song and payed him a royalty. Now that ESPN won't be playing the song Hank Jr. won't be receiving that royalty. Fair enough you think?
What makes it ironic is that all the new publicity his comments, and ESPN's actions, have generated more than make up for the loss of royalties from ESPN in new sales of Hank Jr's music. Now Hank Jr. is in a position to make more money than he was making before he made his comments.
Smart marketing or just plain dumb luck? I don't know but either way it works out for Hank Jr. that he spoke his mind. That is the beauty of a free market economy.