They say that crisis reveals character, and if that is the case, we are definitely being exposed to the ugly interior of some of the musicians we deal with. While there have been scores of them promoting safety, and raising money for the members of their crews who aren't able to work, we've also had more than a few who are proudly putting themselves in the basket of deplorables.
Our Top Story: Shinedown made waves when they announced their plans to get their summer tour back into gear at the end of July. Their meandering statements said that they are "not afraid to play for you", and that they want to follow all safety and medical advice, despite no one saying concerts packed with fans will be a good idea at any time this year as of yet. But that contradiction was not the worst part of it, as frontman Brent Smith went on to say "you can't stay inside forever. Your immune system and everything about this virus, I want people to understand this, is that if you shelter at home for too long, it's going to deplete your immune system."
This non-scientist is saying that he doesn't want to risk anyone's health, but he wants you to pack into an arena with thousands of non-tested people to watch him sing. He will listen to all safety advice, but he won't take any of it to heart. He has bought into a conspiracy theory that staying home for a few months to avoid possibly dying is going to kill you anyway because you won't be able to fight off even a common cold.
It's disturbing, and someone freak out and told him to clean up the mess he made. Shinedown 'clarified' things by saying they will only play when it's safe. That is a clear and obvious attempt to put his stupidity back in the bottle, which is sadly going to work. People want to geat their butt-rock favorites, and they will indeed pack the shows when they start up, completely forgiving their hero for being an idiot who pretty much said fans should risk their lives to watch Shinedown. Shinedown is not worth dying.
In Other News: Shinedown are not the only musicians who don't care if you live or die, as long as they get your money. Joe Bonamassa went on a rant about California's new mask policy, mandating their use for the time being anytime someone is outside or in public. What should be a minor inconvenience to make sure the virus spreads as little as possible is instead being greeted by people like Joe as an infringing on their rights. Joe tries to make himself look more tolerant by saying he wears a mask when he goes to a store, so what is he upset about?
There is this nebulous idea of 'freedom' that populates certain segments of America, wherein it is believed that freedom means being able to do anything you want. People like Joe refuse to admit there is a social contract, where we all realize that society could not exist as it is without everyone agreeing to look out for our best interests. Putting on a mask is a small action that can save lives. 90,000 Americans have already died as a result of this virus, and we have Joe acting as if he is the one suffering the most. Life in a society is a trade-off. You can't do anything you want. You have freedom, but limited by a responsibility to help protect others. Just like you can't yell fire in a crowded theater, or own a personal nuclear weapon, for a little while you can't throw droplets of virus-spit into the air. Big f'n deal.
Joe Bonamassa doesn't care that the people transporting his multi-million dollar gear arsenal from show to show are being forced to wear seat belts. He doesn't care that the venues he plays in are forced to be up to building code. Those are abridging their freedoms too, but they benefit Joe, so he doesn't give a damn. It's only now that something very slightly irritates his daily life that he's on the FREEDOM! train, showing himself as an asshole who thinks himself more important than the lives of the people who live around him.
We should remember in the future that Bonamassa is one of those people who said it's worth you having a higher risk of getting sick just so he doesn't have to look stupid when he's walking around in public. That's the man we're dealing with. He's not a guitar hero, he's a schmuck.
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