Protest Pop

I actually sat through the PBS documentary "Get Up Stand Up" hosted by Chuck D. This was a sucky doc. It was supposed to be about the rich history of protest in pop music. I'm sorry, but just because Madonna sang "Get Into the Groove" at Live Aid does not make it a protest song. You could spend two hours on the impact of "We Shall Overcome", "This Land is Your Land", "The Times They Are A-Changin'", or Bob Marley's entire career, take your pick- but giving me an hour of early 20th Century folk into the Civil Rights movement followed by an hour of the impact of Bob Geldoff and Bono is really...uninspiring. As far as their examples of modern "protest pop" Paul McCartney's slap dash "Freedom" does not hold a candle to Neil Young's "Ohio". "smells like teen spirit" is not a protest song. Protesting what? Stupid young 'uns? And even though it was hosted by Chuck D it completely whitewashed (pun intended) the impact and importance of rap and hip hop as a form of social and political protest. They spent much more time on punk in the 70's than on rap and hip hop.

I feel totally unsatisfied. I was looking to get riled. Now I am going to have to stay up past my bedtime to break out some Bob Dylan and maybe play a little Last American Poets on the turn table, or at least some Sly and the Family Stone. It's so frustrating. Missing a date with a muse is like that orgasm you were about to have but you got distracted and the moment passed and you can't ever get that moment back. But you try. Oh God do you try!