Isralicious • Popalicious

Elvis Costello is a Dunderhead

15 years ago
14 Comments
by ck
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…and he sucks

This interview took place 2 weeks before Elvis Costello announced the cancelation of his shows in Israel. He told Channel 2 TV in Israel that he believes in cultural dialogue and that an artist should perform anywhere except for in totalitarian states which would censor the words in his songs. Of course he is entitled to change his mind, as he apparently did when, in explaining why he cancelled his shows in Israel he wrote:

Then there are occasions when merely having your name added to a concert schedule may be interpreted as a political act that resonates more than anything that might be sung and it may be assumed that one has no mind for the suffering of the innocent.

Lior Ben-Ami of MidEastTruth.com noted:

From his words, it’s obvious that by performing in the US and UK, he supports the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, where tens of thousands of innocent people have been killed. He also supports the detaining of terrorists in Guantanamo Bay – without a trial – and is against gay marriage… Hypocrite Costello will also perform in Spain, as we learn from his schedule, which means – according to his argument – that he supports Spanish policy towards the Basques; if his planned concert in Turkey will take place, we’ll know that he supports the occupation in Cyprus, the oppression of the Kurds and the Turkish denial of the Armenian genocide.

OK, not the smoothest argument ever, but essentially right, no?

ck
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ck

Founder and Publisher of Jewlicious, David Abitbol lives in Jerusalem with his wife, newborn daughter and toddler son. Blogging as "ck" he's been blocked on twitter by the right and the left, so he's doing something right.

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14 Comments

  • WHY DOZENT HE RETIRE TO SYRIA AND BECOME A GOOD WILL AMBASSADOR THERE…HOW DOEZ MR ELVIS HELP ANYBODY BY NOT PLAYING IN TEL AVIV ….PLEASE TELL ME …

  • Listen I know you Jews have been through a lot over the past 4000 years but seriously you’re blind unconditional support for Israel is getting pathetic. Comparing the Basque nation being part of Spain (BTW it has a huge amount of autonomy) to Israel’s treatment of Palestine and it’s people during its occupation is truly disgraceful.
    Jews throughout the world need to tell their friends and relatives in Israel that they have to stop electing far-right governments and start treating the Palestinians as people.
    Please before the situation gets even worse

    • Yeah, you’re right. All the terrorism Israel has had to live with since 1948 shouldn’t bother them. You’re an ignorant a$$hole. Maybe one of your neighbors will start murdering your family. Your mentally deficient self will maybe then begin to understand israel’s position. Now it’s time for you to GO TO BED!

  • Steve, it’s worse because he seems like a pretty unpolitical guy who is simply knuckling under to pressure. But your question is about aesthetics, really, and it’s a good one. I’d say, he isn’t less talented but he’s now less enjoyable. After Woody Allen took up with a person he should have seen as a stepdaughter, I couldn’t enjoy watching him crush on Hemingway in Manhattan anymore. I’ll never listen to Costello again without seeing him caving in and getting onboard.

  • I guess one boycott deserves another. It’s a shame. I liked him.

  • Uncle Joe: If I wanted to listen to bluegrass, I’d check out actual bluegrass musicians. You know, like folks from the Appalachians or from Kentucky, not some faded British “rock star” taking a stab at musical relevance. I wonder what JD Crowe, Earl Scruggs, Del McCoury or Bill Monroe would have to say about an Englishman playing their music?

  • uh…elvis is having probs selling out venues in the states…seems his core fans aint diggin the blue grass stuff he is playing.

    20 years ago, elvis was doing some really cool stuff. going on tour with a 5 piece brass orchestra (one of the best concerts i have ever been to) then reforming attractions (love steve naive), etc.

    recently, he has just been acting his age…which is cool…but i dont like being reminded of mine when i go to a rock concert…its why i wouldnt shell out the dough to see sir paul….ive seen the tv shows of the doo wop groups reunions on pbs, and i dont wanna be that crowd.

    elvis wrote great protest songs. anti war, anti death penalty, anti british colonialism, anti corporate tv and radio….and never had a problem voicing his opinion.

    he couldve used his voice…he chose not to.

    instead, he has chosen to be a pawn in a game he appears to know nothing about. he is now being used as the “anti apartheid” poster boy….bully for him.

    its really too bad. he couldve done his shows in israel, and then done a free one in nablus….that will never happen now.

    pity

    but i really dont like people belittling his music or his talent…cuz he has both