Ah, Geez, Are Artists Out There Expressing Themselves?

By Nancy Colasurdo

I could go off for an hour on the politics around a Toms River bar owner’s behavior regarding the Bruce Springsteen cover band that will no longer be playing at his establishment in MAGA-rich Ocean County next weekend.

But I’ve got another angle.

Hey, Tony Rivoli, tell me you’re not an artist without telling me you’re not an artist.

“Unfortunately it’s just too much money I wanted to do the Springsteen tribute for that money in my social media team would have promoted it we would have done well but now because Bruce can’t keep his mouth shut we’re screwed,” Rivoli wrote in a text message to a band member from No Surrender (obtained by NJ Advance Media).

Putting aside the reading labyrinth created by the disregard for punctuation, one thing came through clearly in this text: “because Bruce can’t keep his mouth shut …”

Could we stop with this please? This utter ignorance about the role of artists in our society?

Ah, yes. Why not ignore the deep-seated concern by most Americans (and others in the world) that we’ve descended into a dictatorship and most certainly are living in an oligarchy? The near-daily marches and protests in our streets must not be mentioned by the singer from New Jersey when he’s performing before massive audiences that love his message … because he disagrees with the grifting felon running our country?

Oh no, not an artist expressing himself! Whatever will we do? How radical a notion that the issues of our times will be reflected in our art. We may as well expunge half the literary canon. Oh, wait. Aren’t we doing that under this administration?

These cretins mock Taylor Swift for only writing about breakups (a fallacy), but maybe it’s better they don’t know about The Man or You Need to Calm Down since those songs talk about “woke” things like gender inequality and homophobia.

Jesus, she can’t keep her mouth shut. Why doesn’t she stick to writing about … what?? Her love life is off limits, according to you. Her social commentary -- not allowed. What is it that MAGA wants to hear about in music? Or any other art form for that matter?

As a writer, I can tell you that I have moments where words, phrases, diatribes download into my brain at the most inopportune times. They appear because I feel strongly about something or I’m deeply hurt or over the moon or moved in a way I need to share. I am ever grateful to have this gift where I can write it down and let it take flight.

I have no doubt there are people who look at writers like me and wonder why we can’t just go about living our lives without commenting on every darned thing. People wonder if it’s hurting our businesses, our relationships. It may be, but I realized a long time ago that if, for example, a potential coaching client opts not to hire me because of my expressed opinions on social media, I am not the coach for her. It’s simple, really.

Clearly, on a much bigger scale, that’s the calculation artists like Springsteen and Swift have made. Buy the music, don’t buy the music. Come to the concert, don’t come to the concert. But I’m speaking my mind.

If you ask me, that’s courageous. And more admirable than keeping your mouth shut while The Felon chips away at our freedoms and rights as he finesses a deal for a plane he thinks is free and becomes a crypto billionaire before our eyes. The emoluments clause in the Constitution? No worries. That piece of paper is losing its relevance by day.

But artists are not supposed to express our concern, right? The Supremes have this covered (sure they do) and we shouldn’t worry our artsy little heads over it.

Meanwhile, we’ve got the final episode of The Handmaid’s Tale this week ending with a powerful scene that has, under it, Swift’s Look What You Made Me Do. What an attention-getter. What a statement. Oh my god.

Sometimes art is such a high.

I’m happy the Springsteen cover band found a – yeah, I’ll say it – better place to play at the Jersey Shore next weekend. Also, here’s hoping Mr. Rivoli will figure out the purpose of art and artists in his lifetime and take it into consideration in his hiring. I’m not hopeful on that one.

Any Kid Rock cover bands out there? I know just the guy …