First it was Howard Stern turning against Bush. Steve Earle told us the "revolution was now." Then, Bruce Springsteen and a whole crew of aging rockers. This morning, I got an email from Patty Larkin and Dar Williams, two of my favorite singer-songwriters, urging a vote for Kerry. (Signers of their missive included Catie Curtis, John Gorka, Janis Ian, Lucy Kaplansky, and Christine Lavin, more faves of mine.)
I saw Bruce play one of his MoveOnPac concerts in New Jersey and he was terrific, especially when he spoke about his ideals for America. But, let's face it, these are old fogies trying to relight a flame among an older generation that already pretty much knows what it thinks. (Well, maybe Stern can influence young men.) When the Springsteen tour was announced, I remember a newspaper story where a reporter talked to students in Rutgers, NJ who didn't even know who he was.
When it comes to reaching young people, none of these cultural stars can hold a candle to Marshall Mathers, aka Eminem. Run, do not walk, to watch his new music video, "Eminem's Mosh." It's an eloquent blast against racism, fear, militarism, and most of all, Bush.
UPDATE: Voting at MTV's website (prompted by bloggers like my friend Doug Ireland, who first alerted me to the significance of Eminem's video) have put it at #1. A friend with contacts at the Internet Archive reports more than 100,000 downloads of the video as of Tuesday night. And if you want to ponder more interpretation of its imagery and lyrics, check out this essay by DailyKos diarist kid oakland.
Posted by msifry at October 27, 2004 05:30 PM