Boot Billie
Don't call yourself an American, and then stomp across a stage draped in an Australian flag in front of 37,000 fans in Australia and bash your President. That's exactly what Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day did last Saturday night on foreign soil.
To me there is a fine line between freedom of speech and unpatriotic behavior and Billie Joe crossed that line by bashing America's highest public office on foreign soil. Regardless of how you feel about President Bush, don't disrespect the office.
Frankly, I have a hard time understanding how we as Americans tolerate celebrities who take issue with America overseas and then return to enjoy the freedoms that so many patriots have died to protect. I also have a hard time understanding how 37,000 fans in Australia had no issue with chanting American hate along with Billy Joe, but somehow let go the fact that their national symbol (Australia's flag) was being desecrated in public - not by an Australian, but by an American. Is this a person you want winning AOL's Male Music Artist of the Year? I hope not.
I guess we can all rest easy knowing that the real inspiration for Green Day's last album, "American Idiot," was Billie Joe himself.
To me there is a fine line between freedom of speech and unpatriotic behavior and Billie Joe crossed that line by bashing America's highest public office on foreign soil. Regardless of how you feel about President Bush, don't disrespect the office.
Frankly, I have a hard time understanding how we as Americans tolerate celebrities who take issue with America overseas and then return to enjoy the freedoms that so many patriots have died to protect. I also have a hard time understanding how 37,000 fans in Australia had no issue with chanting American hate along with Billy Joe, but somehow let go the fact that their national symbol (Australia's flag) was being desecrated in public - not by an Australian, but by an American. Is this a person you want winning AOL's Male Music Artist of the Year? I hope not.
I guess we can all rest easy knowing that the real inspiration for Green Day's last album, "American Idiot," was Billie Joe himself.
posted by Chowda at 12:50 PM
1 Comments:
I'm so glad you posted this. At one point I was going to post about how Green Day was the worst band I've ever heard (who was a major label artist). My hatred of them has nothing to do with politics either. I just can't stand their sound, and even worse is all the copiers they've spawned (Blink 182, Simple Plan, etc. etc. etc. ad nauseum). I hate them.
Now I hate them even more. Also, I urge people to boycott them - they can say whatever they want without fear of reprisal from the government. However, they are not immune from our condemnation.
KH
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