A conservative Facebook friend recently posted this on his page:
“Gee, I wonder why Bad Bunny got so much exposure at the Grammy’s last night??”
The first response to that post:
“Politics?”
Behind those comments lurks an interesting assumption.
It assumes, of course, that Bad Bunny (who will be playing at this year’s Super Bowl half-time show) doesn’t deserve the attention simply because he’s a brilliant writer and performer and his winning Album of the Year was the first Spanish-language album ever to win that award.
But I get it. A portion of conservatives, in their new embrace of cancel culture, are all over social media whining about how political award shows have become.
How dare Bad Bunny dedicate his award to immigrants or talk about using love to fight the power.
Look, for the moment, the First Amendment is still a thing (or it should be), and performers have a long history of using award shows to share their thoughts on the state of America. Folks my age will remember Marlon Brando’s refusal to accept his Oscar for “The Godfather,” protesting Hollywood’s stereotypical portrayal of Native Americans as well as the Wounded Knee occupation.
What’s happening now in our country right now has gone beyond politics. Trump is now talking about “nationalizing” the next elections, so Republicans can ensure that the Right candidates win.
It reminds me of this great moment in the musical “Cabaret,” which was produced recently by Theatreworks.
When one of the characters notes that swastikas have started showing up at the Kit Kat Klub, another character says “I don’t get involved in politics.”
When people are being gunned down in the streets, it’s no longer politics. It’s a humanitarian crisis.
Time to wake up, people.
The Epstein Files is a regular Bulletin column featuring Warren Epstein’s take on politics, food, the arts and whatever else is on his mind. There will always be one mention of President Donald Trump as a confirmation that yes, Trump is in The Epstein Files. As Bulletin board chair, Epstein does not accept pay for his writing here.