Monday, April 11, 2016

Controversial NC religious freedom law saving the state from over-the-hill rock stars who really need to retire anyway

Already North Carolina's religious freedom law is benefiting the state. First Bruce Springsteen canceled a concert date there and now Bryan Adams has now followed suit in Mississippi, which has passed another law deemed unacceptable to the Tolerance Police. If the trend continues, these states will have completely rid themselves of the problem of aging, overrated rock stars who really should have retired years ago continuing to perform way beyond their expiration date.

Several years back, Springsteen did the Superbowl Halftime Show. At one point in the performance the sixty-some year old rocker did his patented stage slide toward the camera. It was not exactly graceful and probably had him bedridden the next day, with massive doses of Advil coursing through his veins.

I remember my wife furrowing her brow, shaking her head, and saying, "He's way too old for that."

Speaking of aging rock stars, how much longer can the Rolling Stones continue to perform? Keith Richards really should have died a long time ago. In fact, I suspect he really is dead, it's just that nobody has bothered to tell him yet. 

Then there's acts like Kiss and Alice Cooper, whose members no longer need to wear makeup in order to look scary.

And will someone please tell Boy George that he's no longer a boy (or girl, or whatever he was)?

Not only that, but if Iggy Pop takes his shirt off one more time, they're going to have to pass a law—one a whole lot more punitive than the one North Carolina just passed. It was shocking when he did it back in the early 70s, but it's shocking for an entirely different reason now.

No rock band should be allowed to perform in concert whose members, in addition to having to practice prior to a concert, must also be exhumed.

I'm not terribly familiar with Adams (then again, he's a Canadian, why should I care?). Looking at his date of birth, I see that he qualifies for inclusion in the category of "Rock Stars Who Really Need to Grow Up And Stop Embarrassing Themselves."

Kentucky had our chance to be included in the list of places these people would not come this past session. But SB 180 didn't make it through the Kentucky House. It's worth trying again next year, if only to be rid of this cultural nuisance.

2 comments:

Martin Cothran said...

Someone pointed out on Twitter that it was Mississippi, not North Carolina, where Bryan Adams refused to go. I have changed the original post to reflect that.

Kevin Daugherty said...

Thanks ffor posting this