As IF Times

link Black Eyed Peas a glittering bore at Super Bowl – Soundcheck – The Orange County Register.

It’s a revelation  to see that others are just noticing for the first time what has been in front of them from the outset.  The  Black Eyed Peas are vastly overrated.  Sure they had a hit or two a while ago, but as entertainment, the sell by date happened shortly thereafter.  However, the point here is not to diss the group.  I’ll candidly admit that I”m not the demographic that they play to. 

The issue is the tiresome way in which ‘artistes’ feel compelled to make political commentary to a captive audience without their consent.  It’s as if there’s a clause in their contract somewhere that they have to slide in some  message as a means of legitimizing their position as cultural spokesmen rather than simply being the hired entertainment.   What if you hired a clown for your children’s birthday party and he slipped in a message mid-juggle about global warming or comment on the middle east?  The most famous recent crooner to incorporate politics into his act is of course, Bono.   No one can escape his ‘events’ without being lectured about world hunger or world peace.   This annoyance is practiced by many acts from Cher at one end to the likes of Elton John and the Eagles at the other end.   The most famous recent example of this was the formerly popular group, The Dixie Chicks when one of them very publicly insulted a sitting president.   They feel compelled to use their platform as entertainers to push whatever political or social message they happen to champion.  There are venues for this: write an editorial to the New York Times; go on Letterman.  It does not say on the handbills advertising their concert,  “Performing  their greatest hits and views on child poverty!”.   People pay to see their prodigious singing talent, not a musical version of Hardball with Chris Matthews.

At the Superbowl halftime, while melifluously belting out her catchy tunes, Fergie skillfully slipped in a message to President Obama,

‘…Obama, let’s get these kids educated / Create jobs so the country stays stimulated…’

Like most messages from liberal entertainers, this one, while sounding positive is actually negative.  The notion that it is up to political leaders to educate children falls into the same overflowing bin as all of the other delusional liberal ideas.  It is not the government’s job to look after every aspect of our lives.  In this case, the responsibility for children’s education lies squarely with parents, not with the state and not with the President.   Adults generally would know this, but the impressionable minds of the audience that The Peas may cater to will absorb the idea that “it’s the government’s job”, serving to indoctrinate another generation of entitlement sheep.  Thankfully, it’s likely nobody picked up this little social message because of the general cacophony of noise in the stadium.  

How about they just stick to the advice offered by the title of the last Dixie Chicks’ album;  Shut Up and Sing.

link Iran: Riots sign of Islamic awakening – Israel News, Ynetnews.

The most annoying thing about this article is not the rhetoric offered by the Supreme Religious poobah, because that kind of yada yada yada is expected from that camp.  What else is he going to say?  The virus of political upheaval has infected virtually all of the nations in the middle east beginning with Tunisia a month ago.  Apparently,  normally compliant citizens are spontaneously rising up as unruly mobs to throw off the yokes of dictatorial leaders who for years have kept them poor, oppressed and isolated from the outside world.   According to this Supreme Leader, the mobs want to make a change and would prefer to be oppressed, impoverished and isolated from the outside world by their version of Islamic fundamentalist leadership.  Not being a resident in that part of the world, it’s not that easy for me to differentiate between types of oppressive regimes.  This is not the absurdity that is amusing to me however.

The absurdity comes later on in the piece where it says that the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Mike Mullen,

“…told Jon Stewart’s “The Daily Show” on Comedy Central that he had spoken to his military counterparts in Egypt and was reassured they have no intention of firing on their own people…”

!!!!

Jon Stewart??? One of the most dangerous social  and political events of the past generation are unfolding before the world and the Admiral is interviewed by Jon Stewart??  Isn’t he a comic?  Wasn’t Stephen Colbert available? Is it not Stewarts’ job to amuse people?  For years, Stewart has been treating his loyal liberal audience with witty and biting ‘satire’ on the foibles of the political right.  When called on his outrageous comments, he smugly scurries back behind the screen of  “it’s comedy, you can’t take what I say seriously!”  There was a poll conducted a while ago in which it was determined that Jon Stewart was the most credible person representing the views of progressives in America.  This is alarming because Americans who follow and revere Stewart will think that clever irony and wit are more credible than genuine problem solving.  To a large extent,  this fantasy has gripped a large part of America today.  

Charisma and popularity are mistakenly confused with competence and experience.  That shortcoming is now obvious on the main political stage.  Social and political issues are real and they are complex.  When the opinions of actors, comedians and jugglers are more influential than those who actually have experience and knowledge in their fields, it can only lead to grief.  What if Admirals started doing stand up?  It’s very scary when people who purport to drive the discussions on the major issues of the day are on at 8pm, 7 central time.