The Dixie Chicks

[Motorboat Cruiser]

Originally Posted by scaeagles

And self important? Of course they are, whether I agree with their opinion or not. I find a difference in using their art to express it rather than their art leading to other platforms for expressing their political opinion. But the self importance doesn't come so much from expressing it in their art as it does from expecting what they say to be held in high esteem because they think their art makes them more an authority.

But I've never heard any artist proclaim that they are the end all authority on anything or that they expect to be taken more seriously than a non-artist. They are just expressing their views.

When you post, I don't think "Oh, Leo thinks he is a self -appointed authority on everything. Man, he sure is full of himself". I am able to recognize the fact that you are expressing your opinion. I see no need to attach all the other preconceptions. So, why is it, when someone is an artist, they are only expected to express their opinions in their songs and nowhere else?

I think these labels only surface when one disagrees with the opinion of the person they are labeling. If you were to hear an artist say, "I support the war and this president in all that they do", would you honestly consider them to be a self-important, grandstanding, self appointed authority?

And as far as them sticking to their particular medium, why should their opinions be stifled in another platform, whether it be talking to a crowd or doing an interview? Why are they somehow out of bounds? Chances are, if they wrote a song about how they feel about the war, they are going to have the same opinion in other forums. Should you only express your political views in the area of computer programming but not on a message board? Does that make you self-important?

In my opinion, no it does not.