Dylan’s Outhouse – Smells Like ‘Rank’ Hypocrisy
by Pam Meister
In all of the uproar about how the stinky porta-potty at Bob Dylan’s Malibu compound is making his neighbors ill, has no one stopped to think about the rank (pardon the pun) hypocrisy on the part of Dylan, who made his fortune singing songs about the downtrodden, the disenfranchised, the haves versus the have-nots?
In this Red Pepper article reviewing the politics of Dylan’s music during the 1960s, we learn that…
‘Maggie’s Farm’ – booed by purists at the Newport folk festival – fuses class and generational rage in an uncompromising renunciation of wage labour. Here the power of the employers is propped up by ideology (“She talks to all the servants about man and God and law”) and the state (“the National Guard stands around her door”.) The social order is experienced as intrusive, deceitful, inimical to the individual’s need for self-definition. “I try my best to be just like I am/ but everybody wants you to be just like them.”
These themes were also explored in ‘It’s Alright Ma, I’m Only Bleeding’, Dylan’s epic indictment of a society built on hypocrisy and greed (“money doesn’t talk it swears”). Here consciousness is the battleground; it’s where the individual struggles to extract some autonomy from the all-pervading corruption of a society ruled by commodities. (all emphasis mine)
Dylan scholars may be shocked to discover that this outhouse isn’t the result of Dylan’s love of the environment (fellow celebrities Sheryl Crow and Drew Barrymore have both displayed an affinity for more earth-pleasing defecation), but is for the sole use of his employees. Now I understand that maybe he doesn’t want people traipsing in and out of the house day and night, but couldn’t he afford to build a nicer outdoor facility with running water? Seeing as how he was able to bypass handicap accessibility requirements to build a guard house by promising not to hire any handicapped people, surely he could have gotten permission to build a decent restroom for the hard-working security guards hired to protect Dylan from Malibu riff raff.
As an employer, shouldn’t Dylan be using his power for the good of his employees? What about the social order that keeps those security guards from using the nicer facility inside the house, complete with quilted toilet tissue and scented liquid soap? Yet they’re relegated to an outhouse, the smell of which is offensive to Dylan’s well-heeled neighbors. If it smells that bad in the yard next door, imagine how bad the smell is inside the outhouse? And what about that “uncompromising renunciation of wage labor?” It’d be interesting to know how much the security guards are paid and what kind of bennies they receive…
Dylan, like so many other Baby Boomer lefties whose existence was devoted – either violently or non-violently - to tearing down society and sticking it to The Man, seems to have sold out. (Just check out William Ayers, hawking his book in the capitalist system he tried to destroy, and running to the cops for protection, forgetting his terrorist activities meant to maim and kill the police.) Dylan made his pile, moved to Malibu, and is now part of the establishment he so despised back in the day. And like many celebrities, he has plenty to say to the rest of us about how the world should be, but when it comes to his own activities, well, it’s just none of your business, peon.
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141 Comments
So your thesis here is 'OMG BOB DYLAN SOLD OUT'?
Wow! All that and no 'Blowin' in the Wind' joke! I'm impressed.
This article was more retarded than Obama's bowling.
Unlike Miles up there I am shrewd enough to actually understand your point. It's not about selling out, artists sell out all the time. I almost choked to death when I heard The Cure's 'Pictures of You' in an HP commercial. It's about building your reputation on a specific cultural and social viewpoint and then demonstrating disdain for that same viewpoint with your personal life. Like Dylan singing about the plight of laborers and banishing his laborers to the outhouse. Or how about Rosie O'Donnell railing against gun ownership in America while sitting at home safe with the knowledge that her armed security guards will keep her safe if someone tries to break into her house.
It's virtually impossible to be a success in this country and NOT be a capitalist. Ayers sells books, gets paid for giving speeches. Dylan performs, etc. They live in luxury homes. They are the very definition of success in the free market.
What is so unbelievable to me is that they are able to fool so many people into buying into an idealogy that they don't live. I am sure they are amazed how gullible their followers are.
On a personal level, these rotten leftists are nothing but failures.
Dylan grew up finally it seems. Too bad the rest of the hippie liberals haven't done so as well.
[...] Here is the original post: Dylan’s Outhouse – Smells Like ‘Rank’ Hypocrisy [...]
Brecht , Ibsen , Sartre , Sontag , and so many heroes of the left were such screwed up people. Now Dylan can join the ranks of the wretched rich artists who forget who put them where they are now. Tight-assed stars gather in Malibu, calling Barbra !!
"Dylan made his pile…"
and is only content making sure everyone else smells it.
Dylan is not nor was he ever a "Lefty." Get your facts straight.
You can tell a lot about "the elites" by how they treat the help, at home or in public eating establishments.
Maybe the real problem is that Mr. Blowin' in the Wind doesn't realize that this kind of outhouse needs to be emptied on a regular basis.
I need to read PJ O'Rourke's "Age and Guile Beat Youth, Innocence, and a Bad Haircut", so excuse my ignorance, but wasn't it about the liberals of the 60's being a bunch of rich, white, privileged punks? Not saying Dylan was, but it's the mentality that we have our lives behind our gates which are completely different from what the little people see when we're activists? Isn't this kind of the same? And isn't this how Hollywood normally works?
Ibsen? Really?
speaking of people that hate capitalism that are benefiting from it, I saw a little short about musicians and actors that idolize Che Guevera since in Cuba, Fidel and Che didn't think too fondly of artists. They were talking to a Cuban-american musician and he was laughing at how Che's face appears on t-shirts due to the capitalist system that he despised.
For the left, Capitalism ceases to be evil the second they benefit from it.
Maybe I missed it, but I don't recall Mr. Dylan joining the chorus of the eco-peacenik-commie lefties recently. So where's the beef? I wouldn't be surprised if this story wasn't being pushed by his disappointed moonbat pals who expected him to go the Bruce Springstein route and found out he no longer on that bus.
Yep, that's exactly what he's saying. Well, that, and Zimmerman is a selfish tool.
As a conservative I have always found it embarrasing when those in the conservative movement make undeducated remarks regarding pop culture. Bob Dylan is by no means a leftist. He has championed Israel in "Neighborhood Bully" and voiced concern against hippies in his autobiography. He has said in numerous interviews he believes Jesus Christ is coming back to set up his kingdom. He has never endorsed a political canidate. He has written an anti untion song "Sundown On the Union." He has never protested in a march except concerning civil rights. He is pro gun. When asked by MTV if gun laws should be stricter he shocked the intervviewer by stating everyone should own a gun. You may not agree with him or like his singing but to lump him in with Hollywood "lefties" is incorrect.
Since Ayers has been brought into the discussion, i'm compelled to note that, thanks to Dylan, Malibu "don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows."
Since Dylan hasn't given HIS side of the story, why are you righties so quick to assume that his neighbors aren't overstating things? Since when are righties worried about anything "environmental," anyway?
Oh, and "Baby Boomer lefties," along with mentioning Dylan and Ayers in the same breath, shows the writer of this drivel to be nothing more than a Michelle Malkin wannabe.
Dylan endorsed Obama.
ttp://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article4076339.ece
Albeit, in a Dylanesqe way, it is clear if you've followed Zimmerman for any amount of time.
Wasn't Dylan a Goldwater supporter?
I don't consider that an endorsement. He said Obama would bring change and that is what he is doing. Not the kind of change I like but change none the less. It was just a true statement.
Aren't we passed the shock over rich celebrities and eco-hypocrisy?
I believe a reporter has left the question a few days ago to his publicist and so far "no comment". Is this news up there with Abie Hoffman now selling insurance?
For the left, Capitalism ceases to be evil the second they benefit from it.
Not so sure of that L4L. It's evil for other people to benefit from it.
Since when are righties worried about anything "environmental," anyway?
We do, you just can hear us over your hysterical global warming shrieking.
Well, Gordon just by your asinine "quip" alone–no, you don't worry about the environment. Good l'il righty; Rush will feed you your bisquit now…
As I said, Dylanesqe (CYA all the way.) Consider this:
http://blogs.citypages.com/gimmenoise/2008/11/bob...
Maybe Dylan just needs to hire vegan security guards. It's not the outdoor potty, it's the beef and bean burritos…
I think there was a Ramone's song in a car commercial. That's just too much…
Check out Paul Johnson's book, "Intellectuals". Very enlightening. Bernard Shaw, Marx, Tolstoy, the whole lot rotten to the core.
The M.E. one got me, too, Andrew. Along with the Blondie/Swiffer commercials. I almost puke when I hear songs used on ads. GAG! I agree with blackhawk, how hypocritical of Dylan, and the others. If I worked for Dylan, and that would be only to keep me out of the homeless shelter, then I would have long ago put a M-80 down the pottie. Boom! Of course, I still can't figure out why anyone ever liked Dylan anyway. How did he get to be voice of his generation, when he sounds like he has a mouthful of marbles, and is forced to "sing" through his nose? It will always be a mystery to me. I believe there were drugs involved.
He provides an out house for the people who work for him to use. He does not have to use it or go near it.
He loves people . PS be sure to buy his records
Ms. Meister,
It MIGHT interest you to know that when this story was posted online by the LA Times,
another of Dylan's neighbors posted a response testifying to the dubious credibility of the ONE neighbor who complained (ie, they have a pattern of making various dubious public complaints.
It's all still online to be checked out by anyone.)
Ms. Meister, your posting looks like an example of someone who is eager to leap to a simplistic, sneering conclusion about a subject (and then broadcast it), and therefore is not much interested in acquiring plenty of information about the subject, because ignorance of the subject can enable such a person's (self-serving) hostile agenda.
Keeping in mind the limit of one's information about a subject may give one a feeling of uncertainty
(or modesty) which many find unbearable.
However, admitting "I don't know" and suspending judgment is often the most intellectually honest option.
Tom, there are times you have a way of saying things that just make my day! Good one, buddy.
Dylan is not a leftist. He's supported the right to bear arms, he wrote a very hawkish song about Israel, he supported Barry Goldwater in 1964 and later wrote interestingly about his thoughts on Goldwater in his autobiography. His views have occasionally lined up with those of the entertainment left, but more often they have not. In fact, the reason "purists" turned against him in 1965 had less to do with his electric guitar than with his shift away from the cadre-left politics of fool-on-a-stool folk music and toward what Pete Seeger and the gang considered capitalistic rock and roll. Finally, whatever its poetic merits, "money doesn't talk, it sweats" is not some kind of broad indictment of capitalism.
You kids need to learn a thing or two. If you're going to call everybody who opposed segregation and denounced defense contractors a leftist, you're going to have an awfully lonely life — without even Dwight Eisenhower to look back on fondly.
I just replied to Blackhawk and I'm in moderation. Apparently, you can't say Joe C__ocker. Poor guy. LOL!
I know the Swiffer commercials of which you speak… makes me sick too.
Beats me how Dylan became so important. He's one of my least favorite 60's singers. Maybe somebody else can explain that one?
Rush will feed you your bisquit now…
At least Rush feeds us. Al Gore won't let you near him. And be careful with that one square, Eddie.
BTW, I've actually built ponds to encourge frog and other reptile populations in my area. You?
Honestly, I don't understand much of anything he says (but I do like it).
Maybe the pumps don't work 'cause the vandals took the handles.
I guess the times really are a-changin':
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europ...
http://blogs.citypages.com/gimmenoise/2008/11/bob...
I don't see anyone here supporting segregation or voicing unqualified support for defense contractors. Read the posts again.
On the Goldwater support and the gun control position, that's interesting, I never knew that. Tell me more…
Dylan is and always has been an enigma. People have made many assumptions about his politics, other than civil rights I don’t believe he was overly involved with the 60’s leftist counter culture. In fact over the years I’ve heard him speak out about some of the dumber leftist tripe. The bigger point is he’s being a cheap-skate if we have all the facts straight, but knowing Dylan’s persona he may be screwing with his neighbors. I don’t know, I’m just pooling ignorance with everyone else. Really kind off a nasty story, I don't know about hypocrisy, just sayin.
That’s grotesque, dude. 50 year old septic tanks whoa…
Well good for you, Gordon. Give yourself a big pat on the back.
But no bisquit from Rush for that one; too "liberal" for him.
Oh, the poster of this tripe is a "writer" for Joe the Plumber-backing Pajamas Media (whose blogging network is going belly up.)
Yup. Makes sense now. Definitely a Malkin acolyte. Tripe breeds tripe.
Oh, the poster of this tripe is a "writer" for Joe the Plumber-backing Pajamas Media (whose blogging network is going belly up.)
Yup. Makes sense now. Definitely a Malkin acolyte. Tripe breeds tripe.
Ok, Dylan is a special kind of hypocrite, but at least his neighbors don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows. Sorry, I couldn't help myself. I got a
milli…999, 998 of 'em!But otherwise you guys, what's wrong with selling out? I'd sell out in a minute. For the right price you could slap my ass and call me Betty. Don't believe me?. Offer me some money.
A house in Malibu would work too. I didn't say I'd sell out cheap. Heck, I'd sell out for a certain outhouse in Malibu and then sell it on Ebay. I need help. I know that now.
Malibu has always stunk to high heaven.
Coming through the canyon as you approach Pepperdine is ridiculous.
Dylan's always strayed from the herd. He's no joiner.
Calling him a lefty isn't quite accurate.
Back when I was attempting the artist thing, my goal was specifically to sell out. See my avatar picture? That's a reduced, streched, and skewed thumbnail of the very first photograph I ever sold. Got a nice chunk of change for it too. Unfortunately, I only sold a couple of other photos, so I had to get a real job. I've never understood why people don't want to sell out. Don't they have to eat?
Sorry, but isn't it "biscuit"? Or are you trying to say "Bisquick(TM)"? I'll let an isolated typo stand, but when it's repeated, I got to do something.
bob should clean up the outhouse. however, the author here, knows nothing about dylan's politics. it's true, he wrote some great songs, and they did point out the hypocracy in our society, and rightfuly so. he is, however, no leftist, and now this author, by her ignorance has completely mis-informed the reader. for years, the left tried to get dylan to be their standar bearer, but he steadfastly refused again and again. and in his refusal, he made it clear that he was just a "song and dance man", constantly expressing his dismay, dislike and disagreements w/ those on the fringes. the author should apologize and correct the record.
Now don't be bitter, Eddie. We're all trying to save the planet, aren't we? Or is it just fun to whine?
Nathan, I had my eyes dilated at the eye doc this AM–it's amazing I only f'ed up the "q."
Well, he has to put up with the stink, too. On this politics, I did read an interesting article on him some hears ago – he likes his solitude and bought a home – I believe in rural NY somewhere – and the people who thought he was betraying him actually got on his roof – something strange.
I can beat that. I heard a Clash song in a Jaguar ad. I'm not offended inasmuch as I'm wondering who the hell signed off on that.
I get some comfort out of knowing that every time somebody prints that picture on a shirt, Che turns over in his grave. I'm thinking of buying one of the ones that says "THIS SHIRT BROUGHT TO YOU BY CAPITALISM".
i consider it a huge danger sign if the girl i'm with is rude to the waiter.
i am not the waiter's friend. i do not want to know his name or when his band s playing. but i see no reason to make their job harder than it already is. don't understand the weird pleasure some seem to get from making service industry types jump through hoops.
Bob Dylans politics seem to be elusive and enigmatic, but I would guess him to be apolitical. He focuses more on issues. If you add up all his statements on topics of a political nature, assuming they are true, and categorize them, I would conclude that he is more conservative than liberal. There is a website dedicated to Bob's conservatism called Rightwing Bob. There is a story on there regarding this portal potty issue.
http://www.rightwingbob.com/
One group did hold out—- "The Fifth Dimension." In the seventies, some big name canned goods vegetable manufacturer wanted to use a Fifth Dimension song from "Hair" to sell their goods. The ad was going to go: "This is the dawning of the Age of Asparagus." Never mind that that's actually pretty clever, the group (and the principals of "Hair") refused permission.
sometimes i think it's fumes seeping up from the old oil fields. but i think i know the area you're talking about. no idea what that is.
So true. My son was a big surfer, but at first I didn't realize that he was taking the most direct route from our house in Simi Valley through the canyon to Malibu. After I found out, I insisted he take a little longer trip and hit the west-facing beaches of Ventura and points north. Besides, I was afraid he might have to stop in Malibu for gas and catch some dread disease, like libermania, which is native to the Malibu area.
As long as they promise not to eat brussel sprouts.
that leaves out the first part where bob makes fun of his bassist for wearing an obama button.
Hi, Andrew: A whole lot of us children of the 60s (well, young people anyway) were anti-war, and anti-establishment. When I was at Berkeley (not Stanford, you bltzpfzk) I even liked Joan Baez and didn't know for years that "Diamond and Rust" was aimed at Dylan. Most of us liked his songs, so long as he let somebody else sing them. Some of us grew up, some didn't. I would be sort of interested in hearing more about Dylan recently. I lost interest in his music some time after he became a born-again Christian. Loved "Ya Gotta Serve Somebody." So I frankly have no idea what his political stands are today, if he hasany. More than one well-meaning but deluded person endorsed Obama, and he may just have been one of them. I dunno.
You are correct. Dylan is an explorer and a great writer. He doesn't (for the most part) follow the trends. The Left turned their back on him when he recorded his Christian albums. The Left pretty much ignored his Judaism / pro Israel period. Let's just enjoy the ride. I have a feeling he has his tongue in his cheek for much of the time. He enjoys the elites being idiots. Throughout his long long wonderful career, the only time he really got it wrong was his support for Hurricane Carter. But the song was great.
Why would "righties" not be concerned about the environment? We have to live in it. Just because we have different ideas on what to do about it, doesn't mean we aren't concerned about it. At least "righties" are able to look at the facts and discern truth from fiction.
He was more a scruffy anti-establishmentarian than anything else. More like a proto-libertarian than a hardcore lefty. He was definitely no Woody Guthrie. Or as Joan called him "the original vagabond."
Was it after Joe Strummer passed away?
Was it after Joe Strummer passed away? Cadillac really missed out on an opportunity
Well, you can become rich and still maintain aristic integrity – Pink Floyd
Or, you can become rich, forget that it was the tough times that made you what you are, become self centered and completely lose your edge- Metallica
This article seems, at best, to be uninformed. It tries to show the hipocracy of someone whom the author percieves to be on the left. This is the type of reporting we expect from the left. I realise that it may be a matter of opinion, but I think Dylan is the best poet/songwriter alive today. Pam, maybe in the future, you should do more investigative research before you trash someone wrongly or use them to prove a wrongly held opinion. Dylans constantly on tour, he resides in two other locations and more than likely he just heard of this commode problem in the news like the rest of us. Give the guy a break.
Another link to learn more of Dylan and his politics.
http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Protected/A...
And apparently you can't say anything that refers to that certain group of human beings who subscribe to the Old Testament, many of whom live in Israel today. It seems like anything I write that has a capital j in it ends up in moderation, frequently gone forever.
I’m not a big Dylan fan, but I thank him for, “The Band!”
Other than his born again period of roughly 1978 to 1980, Bob Dylan has never been overly preachy as far as I can tell. And a born again Christian that doesn't preach is sort of like a stripper that doesn't take her clothes off – what's the point? As with nearly all his work, Maggie's Farm is open to interpretation. It's not his fault that a bored, witless generation mistook him for a prophet and insist on finding meanings that may or may not really be there. If Dylan had been born just ten years earlier he would have been an obscure drifter and alcoholic. As it is, he's a very famous drifter and alcoholic.
I've had the same problem, but strangely — not always. It must be some combination of words. Right now, it looks like my Joe C. comment will never appear. Man, it was brilliant! If only I could remember it! Ha ha ha.
I can roll with "anti-establishment." Maybe I should re-examine his catalog.
I had the same thing happen with the same 4 letter combination while trying to refer to houseboys and Bill Schulz's favorite bar yesterday. It was fairly amusing, but I can't remember what it was anymore either.
And Lawhawk, concerning the group of humans starting with a J of whom many live in Israel today being problematic to post too, well that one I haven't come up with a good replacement for yet either.
I had the same thing happen with the same 4 letter combination while trying to refer to houseboys and Bill Schulz's favorite bar yesterday. It was fairly amusing, but I can't remember what it was anymore either.
And Lawhawk, concerning the group of humans starting with a J of whom many live in Israel today being problematic to post too, well that one I haven't come up with a good, short replacement for yet either.
"Every Empire that's enslaved him is gone, Egypt and Rome even the Great Babylon.." Somehow I don't think Joan Baez will be singing Neighborhood Bully at Bob's Memorial Service. Well stated Mr. Cavanaugh.
Well, wckdmssngr, that's our Zimmerman–obtuse and contradictory.
(To tell the truth, I like Dylan's music. I'm 55 years old, though, and tired of it. Heck, I'm tired of most of the music I grew up with–35-45 years of it is enough. If I never heard another Beatles song again I wouldn't miss it. That's why I listen to mostly Classical and Jazz now.)
Back to the subject at hand. It doesn't matter if his neighbors are chronic complainers. It doesn't matter what his politics are. Dylan should do right by the people working for him. A port-a-potty? For over half a year? That's just wrong.
Nice article, you make a very good point. I always thought the hippies were largely a huge group of hypocrites. Nothing shows this more clearly than how their heroes don't walk the walk.
I believe that music BMI's (copyright) last around 30 yrs after the song is released. At that point the artist can't stop the songs from being used. They still get paid but it's not necessarily with the artist approval. I think I have it basically right.
I changed the J word to Hindu and my post was removed from moderation. I think that comes from I dare not mention his name our anti-Semite troll, “Rexter,” yuk.
never understood surfing near malibu. i'd get out of the ocean and just start to itch.
half the locals live in beach houses with fifty year old septic systems. and use every bureaucratic maneuver possible to keep from having to upgrade. at one point some environmentalist group had a plan to DNA test the raw sewage that washes up in hopes of tracing it back to the point of origin.
I figured as much from my days of observing He of the Shifting Screen Names yet having an oddly consistent message about certain people whose name beings with a J, while I was still a lurker and not yet a poster.
It's vaguely annoying having to go through mental gymnastics to come up with a replacement for a simple 3 letter word though because of people like that though. I understand it, but it feels a little like letting people hijack the language. The troll that is, not the moderators.
And the world will never find out my views on the vast chewish conspiracy.
Yeah, trolls suck, ha! I might be totally wrong, but it seems that the Filters (moderators) could stop the troll not the conversation, silly me huh…
That's funny!
Yeah. Whatever happened to Rictus? Maybe there was a major rockslide.
That’s blithering hyperbole the point is not to have a point, as if conservatives don’t need to drink or breath, liberal logic, eh…gad!
We haven't heard from olf Rex in quite some time now have we?
In fact, our trolling activity seems to be going down as well. Maybe they realized that no one here was taking them seriously? Or they're ashamed of Obama too!
Like the Wookie? LOL!!
Good riddance! We talked about this on an earlier post the policy of DFTT is best, but some time just damn, it’s fun to toy with’em. Rex was a myopic bore. But, one tenacious SOB, Ha!
Rightwing Bob is a fascinating site–it makes a pretty compelling case that Dylan and and his work transcends any political pigeonholing.
Oh man, tell me about it. Or Modern English's "Melt With You" for crackers… or a bazillion more. I can't stand that.
Maybe you should have called him Joe Putzer.
I know that just ignoring them is the best policy but sometimes they just set themselves up SO BEAUTIFULLY that I just can't resist.
One thing for sure though, I never take them seriously. It's always the same old uninformed garbage, combined with silly personal attacks. You'll never get a rise out of me that way.
Born again Christian is redundant and "what's the point?" C'mon, you're not really that ignorant, are you?
Just had another comment go into the moderation rabbit hole, and this time I used a parenthetic phrase to avoid using the word that triggers the filter. So like your "disappeared" brilliant comment earlier, you may never get my brilliant take on the AIG bailout money.
I think a strong case could be made that the born again experience is not a universal one within the church body. If one is to claim it is redundant, then one has to have either a very broad definition of born again or a very narrow definition of Christian. That is to say either there are people who are born again and are not aware of it or there are people who are not Christians who think they are.
I'm not clear what your second criticism is (perhaps you could clarify) but if it is that I am wrong in implying that the first duty of every Christian is to spread the Gospel then we simply disagree. Perhaps if we persue this line we can find out how relatively ignorant each of us is.
Al Gore will be furious when he finds out about the huge carbon print caused by the foul emanations from Dylan's toilet. Repent of your carbon sins, Bob!
For the record, I listen to Dylan's weekly show on satellite radio, and whenever he talks about politics or history he's quite balanced, and very often sympathetic to Republicans.
Recall Dylan once telling a glowing anecdote about Ronald Reagan's banning the import of Kruggerands from South Africa, ending it with:
"Ronald Reagan: friend of the black man; striking a blow for world justice."
Indeed, he mentioned it the other night. Obliquely mind you, but he did mention it.
I was shocked to the core of my being.
Now that made me laugh. LOL
"… Malibu riff raff."
Malibu Riff Raff would be a great name for a band. Perhaps Zimmerman could use it. ;^)
I don't mind the young turks venting their spleens and working off excess testosterone in song – Lord knows I did it – but for the ones who become rich and famous like Bob to vainly cling to their youthful politics-ignoramus is really pathetic when you think about it. If he said something like, "Hey, I was young, it was the 60's, but I've grown up now" I'd have a lot of respect for him, actually. I mean, for crying out loud, the guy has been doing Cadillac commercials!
But no, and his shabby lack of regard for his employees and neighbors speaks of a deeper moral deficiency that has evidently been present all the while. Pity. Virtually all of the musicians I idolized as a kid have now been shown to have feet of clay.
Hey Lawhawk, still gonna hold that Stanford thing over my head are ya? ;-P
I like a couple Dylan songs, but I've never really followed his career. I just know that he's one of the guys the liberals like to point to when they talk about their folk/hippie heroes. I had NO idea he supported Goldwater. That must have gone over like a Led balloon with the left.
I still don't understand why Dylan is so important to the 1960s. From what people are saying it doesn't sound like he was any sort of movement leader.
Golani: Are you telling me that Bill has been "borrowing" Greg's houseboys?
I've been checking in on this blog a lot since its inception, and there's a lot to like (particularly anything by Iowahawk – man that guy's classic!) But this blog post is extremely disappointing. The writer has NO concept about Bob Dylan, what he believes or stands for. Her entire analysis of Bob Dylan's belief system is built on two paragraphs of some person's opinion of his lyrics, which are very much insipid, by the way. "Maggie's Farm" is, like the vast majority of Bob's songs, about his difficulties getting along with a lover. "It's Alright Ma" is certainly a dramatically political song, but one that's very even-handed, having as much meaning during, say, the Nixon years as it did during the Clinton years.
It may be hard to believe for the shallow thinkers who assume that because Bob was of the '60s that he's automatically a "hippie." (Whatever that means.) But that's just the kind of lazy thinking I wouldn't expect from someone who claims to be conservative. Bob has always kept his politics to himself, never supported a candidate (and no, he did not ENDORSE Obama – his public comments were pure Bob vagueness; he cannot be pinned down). As someone who leans to the right, I really appreciate that from him.
Great point about the Hurricane support. His only real political misstep. (That and perhaps penning "George Jackson.") Note he hasn't played "Hurricane" since 1976, even though it's one of his most popular songs. He's also not made any public comment about Hurricane since then, that I'm aware of.
Suzanne, I'm as skeptical of "rotten leftists" as you apparently are. Upon what basis, however, do you think Bob Dylan is a "rotten leftist" who has an "ideology" that he has gotten his fans to "buy into." How do you know that Bob Dylan isn't more than happy being a capitalist?
If all you're going on is this terribly conceived blog post, then you're just as gullible as you claim his "followers" to be. I'm a huge Dylan fan, have been for almost 20 years, and am a political and social conservative. Bob Dylan has one of the most diverse fanbases in music. Anyone who has scrutinized Bob and his career moves over the years knows he's generally apolitical in his writing, performing and public demeanor. I'm sure he's got his personal beliefs, but he does an incredible job keeping them to himself – a trait I wish more of his brethren would share.
Again, it's a wild leap to suggest that Bob Dylan "hates capitalism." This is superficial thinking. He most certainly doesn't.
I'm extremely disappointed by this thread. You're right, mace. It is embarrassing. Sounds like you have more than a superficial understanding of Bob. It's the typical "Oh, he was the voice of the generation, he was a hippie peacenik" blather, which is just pure laziness. The blog writer would, given just a little research, surely come to be professionally embarrassed about her many wild assertions about Bob Dylan's character and beliefs.
What's possibly more disturbing is the people willing to endorse it and then build arguments off of it. I love most of what I've read off of Big Hollywood so far (give me more Iowahawk and Jonah Goldberg!) But this is the kind of lame, inarticulate post you'd see on Huffington Post – except from the right.
Now this is more like it. People not ready to just slander a guy because some blog post misinforms them. Bob's work since about 1984 (after his conversion to a kind of fundamental Christianity waned and he seemingly returned to his Jewish roots) has been about many things: at times, pure songcraft and chasing then-modern production trends (Empire Burlesque/Knocked Out Loaded), plumbing American history through stripped down, acoustic folk (Good As I Been To You/World Gone Wrong), and a series of albums where the politics have all been personal (Oh Mercy/Time Out Of Mind/Love and Theft). These are often dark ruminations on life and love, with stark looks at coming mortality. But there's also humorous fare with a light, poetic touch…lots of Tin Pan Alley and Cole Porter-esque jazz touches mixed in with the spooky rock and roll.
His much publicized "endorsement" of Obama was nothing of the sort. As is typical of Dylan, his words are inscrutable, a misdirect. He never said he supported Obama. He very well may, but his public comment was a total goof on his bass player, who was wearing an Obama button.
Amen. I'd like to see some sort of mea culpa from the author.
Good reply. Personally, I think it's hilarious. All those poor limosine Liberals having to deal with the stench of the great unwashed just makes me smile.
I see no hypocrisy. Dylan was pretty left wing as a callow youth, (sound familiar?), but soon realized (at Newport) that he didn't want to be the spokesman for a bunch of brain dead folkies. He backed away from politics, eventually embracing christianity, And got stinking rich by selling a product people wanted to buy. I see no point in accusing him of selling out principles he hasn't held for decades. Dylan is a good capitalist, don't lump him in with the stereotyped leftie rock star crowd.
John_R1 knows the truth!
Ok, that was funny!
I'm a firm believer in keeping an open mind because you never know when you're wrong.
I've never had any dislike for Dylan personally, I just never considered him. I've heard liberals talk about him like a hippie God, so I never bothered to look. But I've heard enough here to make me think that. He sounds pretty interesting in fact.
As for his music, I liked his some of his early stuff, but not enough to make me want to keep track of him. But that may just be because I assumed it was just a continuation of the old stuff. I'll take a listen to it now.
I agree with Eddie's first question. It's entirely possible his neighbors are overstating things. But I'll have you know I'm a "righty" who is very concerned about the environment, I'm just not a frantic chicken little about it.
And yes, correllating Dylan and Ayers to prove an insipid point is drivel, but if she's a Michelle Malkin wannabe it's because Michelle is actually good at what she does most of the time.
He abandoned the "Christianity" schtick long ago.
I guess that's why he endorsed Barack Obama this time 'round, huh?
This is just lame right-wing populist smack and shows that the author has no clue about Dylan. Shame because even know-it-all right-wing populists can receive deep enrichment from Dylan's work. Comparing him to criminal left-winger Bill Ayers is just out of order. If Dylan deserves his lumps then bring it on, but the notion that he was ever devoted to "tearing down society" is beyond outrageous and says more about the ignorance of the author and the lameness of this blog than it does Dylan.
Maybe.
Either way, it's not like there was a Reagan-caliber alternative.
Here's a long article I wrote in the WEEKLY STANDARD January 1, 2001 about Bob Dylan's career and why he is worth your time. Money quote: "Bob Dylan’s work is art because it does what art should do: edify and entertain, provoke thought, promote truth, extol beauty. … If we believe character cannot be divorced from the nature of what is produced—that the heart of a man appears in his creations—then the music of Bob Dylan tells us that he is a man of integrity and character, a worker for beauty and truth and good."
Link: http://whwg.com/thefirm/sample.php/80/Michael__Lo...
I'm a huge fan. If you are a conservative or libertarian who appreciates thoughtful, independent-hearted artists and you're not yet a Dylan fan, you may be about to discover something wonderful.
P.S. Love Floyd — have all their albums. Just had to say that.
When I was in high school I was hugely into Metallica, got to college and they dropped the Black Album on us, we thought it was a mediocre followup to "And Justice For All" at the time, in retrospect it was the last decent thing that they did.
And yes you cannot go wrong with Pink Floyd either. Brilliant musicians.
If I recall correctly, Dylan's son Jacob was organizing a pro-Obama concert months ago. Bob's name was floated then quietly dropped. One of the few rockers who didn't make left-wing speeches during their concerts. I think Dylan tired of politics forty years ago and nothing has changed since. He may have a smelly portatoilet for his guards but how does this invalidate his 45-year music career? If you think he can't sing fine, if you think his songs suck, fine, but this article is just dumb.
Some of them are great songs when sung by someone else.
I don´t know. Their best album to me was Meddle. Roger Waters and his narcissistic, misanthropic whining killed Pink Floyd. I couldn´t stand The Wall. And Waters giving that big concert in Berlin – that was they height of opportunism when the wall in his music has nothing to do with the wall that came down in 1989. But the rest of Pink Floyd hasn´t done anything remarkable either since then.
Or check out the fine article "Ibsen and His Discontents" by Theodore Dalrymple. Never mind the misspelling in the url, it´s here:
http://www.city-journal.org/html/15_3_urbanities-...
While it would be nice if Dylan provided decent facilities to people working for him, he is not exactly a poster child for cookie-cutter liberalism, as many commenters here stated so eloquently. May I present a better target?
"It's a scandal — 'Mr. Civil Rights' is killing our civil rights," said David Emminger, whose home is directly behind the toilet — which is apparently intended for use by employees of the entertainer best known for his 1960s-era protest songs.
It´s a civil right to be free of unpleasent smells? I guess that makes him a Rosa Parks for our times? And that portable toilet is a veritable Tuskegee experiment, right? How full of yourself can you be? How long until he brings up the Holocaust?
Defining everything that happens to be in your interest as a "right", even a "civil right", is one of the great idiocies of our time and it´s a liberal thing. The constant search for heroic victimhood is a cancer in our society and it´s a liberal thing.
I enjoyed your article, and shared a link to it on our Bob Dylan message board.
Let Bobby have the last word:
They say prayer has the power to help
So pray from the mother
In the human heart an evil spirit can dwell
I'm trying to love my neighbor and do good unto others
But oh, mother, things ain't going well
— Bob Dylan
Face it folks, rocknroll has been marketed like cheap beer ever since Tom Parker took over Elvis. Presented as "Stickin It To The Man" (i.e., "Annoying Your Parents), rocknroll is about as countercultural as U.S. Steel.
Wotta shuck.
They'll stone you when your outhouse starts to stink
What do you think? Because you become an establishment icon you don't get stoned?
I would not feel so all alone
Everybody must get stoned
Even the writer of this zit of an article
Lefties tearing down the man?
Is the author in favor of the things the folks were protesting against?
Integration? McCarthyism?
That America doesn't exist anymore, sweetie.
Only in your mind
Which sadly is lost
I appreciate the article's general indictment against 1960's era social activists who do not recognize their own hypocrisy, this particular case just does not seem to fit the general stereotype. The first clue is that the author's assertion of what "Maggies Farm" means was taken from a lib professor's interpretation – there was no indication that Dylan agreed with these pretentious interpretations by the "Dylan scholars."
Dylan is routinely categorized by others – his critics and fans alike – and yet, with the same consistency, he also breaks the categorization with a new incarnation. Perhaps the real "Dylan secret" is that Dylan has always been a musician first, and a social influence second – perhaps even unintentional.
This flap about the outhouse is more sensational than news-worthy. People love to catch folks at hypocrisy – the left frequently seeks to "out" conservatives for any sexual scandal (while ignoring similar habits among the left). This time, apparently, conservatives get to "out" a liberal. There are a lot better examples of hypocrisy than this. The blanket categorization of Dylan as some kind of environmentalist-Marxist-Anarchist just because he inspires environmentalist-Marxist-Anarchists is fallacious.
Yes… I know he said nice things about Obama… but does that taint him as a diehard liberal? Dylan also made fantastic Christian albums in the late 1970s/early 1980s – how do they fit in? Dylan does not talk much about his politics, so the assertion of political hypocrisy is a little tenuous.
Not to sound overly radical but …. is it possible that the outhouse is a temporary problem that will be fixed by some – as yet unknown – longer term solution already in the works?
"If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals." —Sirius Black
"A person who is nice to you, but rude to the waiter, is not a nice person." —Dave Barry
Bob Dylan is a god and he can have a smelly porta potty if he wants… get over it.
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