Original_To:  ALLM
Original_cc:  OLIVOTTO
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.allmusic
Date:         Mon, 12 Oct 1992 12:36:00 N
From:         "OUT,
              OUT - YOU'LL NOT FEEL THE FALL-OUT..." <OLIVOTTO@ITNCISCA.BITNET>
Subject:      Sinead & the pope - haven't we all seen this before?

From: Dave Hall <USTS060@UABDPO.DPO.UAB.EDU>
Subject: RE: Irish music/religion

>     You know it's kinda funny.  When I saw Sinead's act I was so stunned
>I wasn't sure how to react.  One doesn't expect such blatant examples of
>dissatisfaction and political outspokeness on TV.  (It's kinda ironic
>because at its conception SNL was itself a very political show).  Like

        Yes, Dave - but I still think that the basic idea behind the rip-up
show is that of money-money-money. The history of popular music is so full
of examples that one may write a 500-page book.
        Think of The Rolling Stones. "Let's Spend The Night Together" was
banned in 1967 - the chorus was "too explicit" of course. Since the radio
didn't play the record, their sales went skyrocketing. And it's funny,
because verses such as "I'm going red and my tongue's getting tied - but I
try try try oh my" were possibly more offensive than the chorus. But nobody
really thought about chastising them.
        I recently saw an old video with a US show of that era: Jagger did
sing "let's spend some time together", actually, but his face when he said
"time" was so allusive that he soon had young girls screaming in excitement
for the underlying, obvious, straightforward meaning. And more sales, of
course.
        Or take Sex Pistols: they signed to EMI, and then started to behave
so badly that EMI dropped them, having to pay some big big bucks to rip up
the contract. And this made Virgin's fortune, of course.
        Only the money...

>Perhaps we need more Sineads (regardless of their views and why they do these
>things) to shake us out of our comfortable little lives.

        Possibly, but since we claim our intelligence, we might even think
whatever we want with our own heads instead of having preachers or anti-prea-
chers aiming at our own brains. I really don't mind what my neighbour thinks
about the Pope, but there is little doubt that Catholic Church, in a possibly
distorted and unpleasant way, states some very strong points about respect
for each other. The real enemy? Then what about the neo-nazist feelings revam-
ping all over the world? The crack dealers? Does it make sense? Is there any
sense, if ever?
        If you take this to the extreme, then you may even agree with the
writing which appeared a week ago on the Synagogue in Rome: "Toaff, you are
a soap-piece we failed to bake". Toaf is the Synagogue chief, of course.
The writer was just speaking his mind - let the writing lie there, it's his
word! Or not...?
        Sinead or whoever can come up and even spit on God's face, but
a basic idea of liberty should include that of *other people's* liberty. And
I guess we should be free not to be offended by anyone in any way - regardless
of our own ideologies.
        Mrs O'Connors may have the right ideas, I don't know, but she states
them the wrong way, IMHO. And makes money too.

        Ciao, Marco
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