Prince

I don’t dote over stars, singers and actors/actresses just because they’re famous. I see it that their chosen profession to be an entertainer instead of a network engineer such as myself. Fame is a misnomer and I’ve never heralded somebody simply because they sing, dance, act or are famous.

The only times I break this unwritten policy is when someone famous uses their name or their money or more importantly themselves to unselfishly advance a person, cause or issue. When that issue is pushed into the lime light for the greater good of humanity, then they have earned more than just my respect and I will pay homage to the person taking such undeniable actions.

How does Prince fit into this subject? I’m so glad you asked, because for many years Prince has been a master song writer, singer, composer and actor. As I reviewed many of the songs that Prince is so famous for, I found an under lying theme that made me think twice about writing this blogg. Price incorporates love and respect in most of the songs he writes and sings. This realization entices me more as an interested listener when I can make a connection with the artist. It also makes me wary of my actions when the music I enjoy is spreading love rather than hate with every note.

That is why in 2002 I was astounded when I witnessed in the Ottawa Ontario Canada Prince concert what changed my admiration and respect for the man that until that time warranted such admiration. I bought tickets for the Montreal concert and then was given tickets for the Ottawa concert, which was presented first. I was looking forward to the concert and his music.

Prince came on stage singing several of his new songs and I liked what I was hearing. I was planning to buy the new CD at the concert upon my departure. He started speaking to the audience and as the concert moved forward, in his one-sided conversation; he started bashing the United States Record industry. Without knowing the details, I understood that Prince suffered greatly at the hands of the recording industry and was partially the reason for his absence in the industry. What moved me from annoyance over his words against the recording industry to anger was that he changed very rapidly from vandalizing the recording industry to verbally assaulting the United States as a whole. Prince moved into a verbal assault on President Bush as he started receiving boisterous raves from the audience. I am no fan of President Bush and stand against many of the things this President does, but Prince continued with his tirade. The audience’s enjoyment and agreement of his words seemed to spur on his continued soliloquy. The gaining momentum built as the audience was in a very favorable applauds and then moved most people into a standing ovation.

To paraphrase what Prince was undulating on stage; he started to demolish the stance on the then, war in Afghanistan against Terrorism and our very own President Bush. I am no fan of President Bush and will say openly that I disagreed with many of the things President Bush says and does including our invasion of Afghanistan and then Iraqi, but those are my comments with friends and family, not on a stage with thousands of people hanging on every word I say. Following 9/11 was the first invasions in to Afghanistan and most of the world stood against President Bush on his decisions to destroy the country, so bashing our President was not what infuriated me. I don’t fault the man for speaking his mind against President Bush and I don’t even fault him for his stance against the United States Recording industry, but I do draw the line at bashing the country you come from and its citizens. Until the moment when Prince carried his speech into saying how he should move to Canada and why the United States had become a bad place to live was when I lost my respect for this once great artist.

Prior to that night, I had always admired Prince because he came from meager means and made something of himself against most odds. Anytime a man does that, no matter what they do for a living, they deserve respect from me. However, if you don’t like the situations in your own country, work to make changes, use the stage presence you have to push positive changes outwards, instead of speaking despairingly about the country you reside in and your fellow countrymen. Comments coming from a man of influence and money such as Prince can affect great change if he wants them too, but that night he was more on a destructive path rather than a positive one.

But I draw the line at ridiculing the country and those who inhabit it. If you don’t like the country, then change it or get out. The comments made by Prince or anyone else for that matter, is counter to what his music has stood for time and time again. If you live inside our boarders and things are bad; work to make them better. If you cannot make things better, you always have the option of relocating to a country where you feel things are much better.

Prince went from a position of great respect to one who fed off of the crowd’s hostilities towards the United States. He drew more rage from the audience and it fueled his anger incrementally. The problem was that he was the man stirring the pot to a boil. He stood on stage and ranted about how bad the United States and its residence are and even teased about moving to Canada. I have no problem with Canada and love our neighbors to the north, but if Prince doesn’t like living inside our boarders, get out and don’t come back.

Prince again likes the fame and the opportunities we’ve granted him as well as the millions he once made and is again making off those very US citizens he ridiculed during his concert. The problem I have is that he is garnering this untold fortune off those very Citizens he put down while on stage in Ottawa. You are happy with the awards and fame that those very people are giving you. So don’t put them down when you think no one is listening as you reclaim your title as singer and song writer extraordinaire. If those very people disgusted you while you were on stage in Ottawa than they should disgust you enough not to sell or write music for them. Stop accepting their accolades and gifts and stop cashing the checks made to you by those same disgusting people.

I was enraged at the show for the lack of national pride Prince displayed. I absolutely expected better of the man than I received at that concert. Out of curiosity I went to the Montreal show to see if this was, as I had expected a spontaneous event or if this was a part of the Prince show. Prince verbalized a very similar rampage against the United States at the Montreal show too, so I could only conclude that it was a part of the show or he incorporated in the show after Ottawa. I never saw the remainder of the Montreal show, but it took very little for me to break everyone of my Prince CDs.

I refuse to support a man who gives so little support to the country he calls home. I am vehemently against any person who incites such a rage within others because of the anger towards their own country with no question of their conscience on the matter. I choose to deny support for such an outburst of support against what we know to be dear and true to us. While I can understand being angry with President Bush and even things happening within our boarders, I see my opportunity to affect positive change by getting involved instead of a prologs that I should be ashamed of later.