For those of a certain age, it’s a bit of a “back to the future” moment – or perhaps a “there’s nothing new under the sun” moment.
Eric Clapton really is kind of morally erratic.
If you’re of that certain age, you may remember the controversy about Clapton either “being way ahead of the curve on immigration” or “being a corrosive racist”, depending on your ponit of view, in the seventies, as he approached bottoming out on booze, coke and heroin. It led to him, with a nod to Laura Ingraham, “shutting up and singing” for most of the last five decades or so.
Oh, he had his moment of grace during Covid…
…until his anti-lockdown and COVID vaccine statements and his singing on a Van Morrison-penned song, “Stand and Deliver.”
These gestures infuriated many on the left, and in 2021, flamewars raged in guitar forums over Clapton’s statement, and of course, the Enoch Powell rant resurfaced from those who were pro-lockdown, given its being reprinted in numerous American newspaper columns about Clapton, and from those wishing to cancel him on social media.
But it seems that Clapton, now 78, is in the “I’ll say what I want and I don’t care” phase of life:
But now Clapton has outdone himself when it comes to displaying his own antisemitism, moral bankruptcy and hypocrisy. In an interview with The Real Music Observer YouTube channel, he criticizes the Senate hearings into antisemitism on US college campuses, while stating that Israel is running the world (a clear antisemitic trope). At the same time, he fawns over Putin, Russia, and China – who he claims are all unfairly demonized – while expressing the desire to play there with his “brother” Roger Waters:
I’ve always observed the adage “love the art, ignore the artist”. It really doesn’t matter whether I agree with the artist (or can find reasons that the artist agrees with me whether they like it or not) or don’t.
And I’ll keep doing that.
Sorry, Eric. Shut up and play the guitar:
Personally, I would love to hear his views on pasture management in Mongolia. I mean, call it the Paul Krugman effect, if a guy is really, really good at one thing, it must mean that he is really good at everything else.
I’ve tried to ignore political statements by any artist/ musician/author with varying success. Clapton seemed to have steered clear for the most part. He was a pretty stalwart anti-covid vaxxer, which was interesting. This latest bit saddens me but it’s his opinion. I’ve always been a huge Clapton fan. Back in 1981, he collapsed while on tour in the US and ended up being treated for a bleeding ulcer at United Hospital in St Paul. I was still in my medical residency and set to begin a two month rotation at, you guessed it, United Hospital. Unfortunately for my fan boy aspirations, he was discharged two weeks before I started there. I did learn from a source on staff that in addition to alcohol, he self medicated with codeine for the ulcer pain. I’ve alway admired him for going straight and remaining sober. The path was a pretty crooked one. So his idiocy on Israel gets a pass.
Third best guitarist in the Yardbirds says what?
He suffered an incredible tragedy when his four year old son accidentally fell 53 floors from a window that was inadvertently left open. Although he had been clean and sober for three years by then, he credits that incident for staying the course on sobriety instead of relapsing. You all are probably aware of the fact that his song “Tears in Heaven”, was a tribute to his son.
An old gay colleague of mine said he would never go to Texas because of their treatment of gays. Now as a conservative, if I used a similar yardstick and wouldn’t enter blue state, go to movies or listen to music by progressive artists I wouldn’t be doing anything at all. So generally I’m pretty easy.
But there is one artist’s work that I have refused to patronize since the late 60s. I won’t go to her movies, I won’t buy her workout videos or clothes. Yes, you know who it is — Jane Fonda. I draw the line on treasonous b***ches.
It has to be that way with 98% of the artists and actors/actresses out there.
One of my favorite artists (Weird Al) has thankfully remained publicly apolitical. I’m sure he’s at least a mild lefty, but I have never heard nor read of him making any sort of political statement or endorsement.