There was more to this than the dedication. She made other statements back at the crowd after they booed, and she had also insulted Las Vegas and the hotel itself.

This isn't censorship, this is cancelling a nutty artist that was more trouble than she was worth. Why should they put up with her infuriating crowds?

There are many celebrities that feel they have a responsibilty and should use their voice for good while they are on the stage.

Then they should have to advertise that it was Linda Ronstadt's Greatest Hits and political commentary because people weren't paying big bucks to hear anything but the music.  Like I said on another thread, you can love someone's music and not embrace their political views.  You shouldn't have to have entertainers spewing their political agenda every time you go to a concert, play, etc.  If they are so famous and well loved, they should be able to have a "political talk" with their fans as a separate billing.  I feel entertainers need to keep their art and their politics separate unless properly advertised as both.

We give these people celebrity status. Hang on their every word, peek into their bedroom windows and pay huge amounts of money to see their work. But the minute one says something part of the world doesn't want to hear, all hell breaks loose. Honestly, if she had dedicated a song to Bush and made a statement about his re-election, would you be this bothered? Are any of you so bothered by this singer, bothered by whatever was said by Bill Cosby?

I'm sure her fans wouldn't be bothered by Linda dedicating a song to Bush, but I'm sure that people would be quite offended if Alicia Keys dedicated a song to President Bush at an NAACP Image Awards convention and continued with voicing the problems she had with the NAACP.
As for Bill Cosby, I'm not bothered by what he said, because where he said it was more appropriate. If Linda dedicated songs to Michael Moore at a political convention (primarily liberal), that would be much different.

Sheesh Wisefawn, are left wingers ever not given a pass by you?

I suspect if every copy of Object Desktop came with a little pop-up video of me, that they had to watch, telling the world how cowardly liberals are or that they should vote for Bush I suspect that our sales would decline.

Celebrities deliver a product/service in the form of singing or acting. That is what we pay for. They should stick to that.  If they want to do more, that's fine but then don't bitch if we choose to not to purchase their product/service after that.

"Political issues aside, does anyone else realize that "Desperado" is a love song?

Well, the penis is a "love organ", Desperado is a "love song", and Michael Moore is most certainly a penis... so I guess it all makes sense.

Well, the penis is a "love organ",

I thought feminists considered it a "violence organ".

I think some guys think of it as a "violence organ" as well. I mean, there's the beating, and the choking, and the...
Well, that's a derailment.

Um. Okay. I used to like REM a lot, but first I got tired of Michael Stipes's political activism (just in general. I didn't pay much attention to what he said), and then I didn't really like the music any more. So. That's. Y'know. Kinda like the same thing. Right?

Re: REM, "Green" was the last good album, imho.

(Back to the regularly scheduled blog...sorry...)

I think some guys think of it as a "violence organ" as well

I think of it as my "Machine Gun of Love".

if she had dedicated a song to Bush and made a statement about his re-election, would you be this bothered?

As a matter of fact I would.  Like I said, I don't give a crap what their political views are.  I feel like it is false advertising if you go to a "greatest hits" concert and instead get a political forum.  Keep it separate!

And WF, as far as hanging on celebrities' every word, don't count me in that group.  I don't see entertainers as anything other than people who do their job exceptionaly well.  I wouldn't care what the top notch Ear Nose and Throat specialist had to say about politics so I don't care any more about what Whoopi Goldberg or Barbra Streisand or any other entertainer thinks about politics.  Not their field of expertise.  They don't have anymore credentials in that area than my garbage man.

Well put, Jill.

To use your analogy, if my dentist forced me to listen to him ranting about political issues  with while he was working on my teeth I would certainly refuse to go back.  Particularly if I found his statements to be obnoxious and ignorant.

And let's face it, most celebrities are not the brightest bulbs.

I sw and interesting quote from her this morning. She said that she would rather not know the leanings of the audience because if she were to think that Republicans or fundamentalist Christians are in the audience she becomes so uncomfortable that it is hard to perform.

Says a lot, huh? There is probably a lot more at work in the bellfrey than political ideology...

P.S.? The new buyers of the hotel claim they are going to invite her back, invite Michael Moore as well, and offer a free screening of the movie. Cute...

JillUser- I don't either, but I just think this isn't a big enough deal to receive the reaction she did. Everyone has the choice now to simply not go to her concerts, so we'll see.

Draginol- I pass by the chance about as often as you pass up the chance to say sheesh WiseFawn.

Good article, Gene Nash.

It has to do with thresholds, Wisefawn.  People are fed up with no-nothing celebrities abusing their fame to shove their off-topic political agendas down our throats.  I find it offensive when they do that, regardless of their ideology because they're no more qualified to rant off on politics than the my neighbor. But because of their fame, and because the audience is usually there for a different reason (like to see them sing) they get to have their ignorant views broadcast.

People are sick of it.  It's not a "free" speech issue. It's an issue of fundamental fairness. Linda Ronstadt shouldn't have any more free speech rights than anyone else.  But celebrities seem to think that they should have extra rights the rest of us don't have.