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Joy Behar Thinks Kenny Chesney Has An “American Obligation” To Speak On Politics
Can’t we have any escape from politics? Not according to Joy Behar, apparently.
Our society is so hyper-politicized these days that it seems like there’s nowhere to go to escape from the constant political debate. Whether it’s the news, social media, sports or entertainment, politics has seemingly managed to creep into everything we do and everything we consume.
Of course there are plenty of people who like it that way: Politicians want to create a deeper divide between the two sides because it’s harder to get votes from people who are in the middle, and cable news media’s entire business model centers around speaking to those who already agree with them.
For entertainers though, it can be a tricky situation when deciding whether or not to get political. The vast, vast majority of people aren’t going to a concert because of an artist’s politics: They’re hoping to be entertained, and for the most part couldn’t care less how an artist votes. And for an artist, speaking out on politics risks alienating half your fanbase and turning off people who otherwise would listen to your music.
Sure, there are plenty of artists who are outspoken about politics, and others who speak up when they feel the need to, but there are plenty more who have decided to stay out of politics altogether – including Kenny Chesney.
The leader of “No Shoes Nation” recently joined Bill Maher for an episode of his Club Random podcast, where he discussed his reasoning for not bringing politics into his music:
“I’ve just never felt like it was my place. There’s a certain ego that lives in there, a certain box inside your head and your soul that you have to check for some reason to think that you can make a difference. And I (just don’t know)…
I’ve never saw it to be my place, and use my stage or platform, no matter where I’m playing, to tell people how to think or how to vote. They hear that and get that everywhere else. On every device, on every network. They are there as an escape from all of that stuff.”
Perfectly reasonable, right? There’s no doubt that Kenny has fans on both sides of the aisle, and his brand has never been one that particularly aligned with either political party. He’s all about good vibes, relaxing, and getting along: I mean, he literally has a song called “Get Along.”
But for some reason, even his decision not to speak on politics apparently rubbed some people the wrong way.
The geniuses on The View discussed Kenny’s recent comments today, and while the majority of the panel seemed to respect and agree with his decision, Joy Behar took issue with it and seems to believe that Kenny has an “obligation” to get political:
“Bruce Springsteen walks the walk. He talks about politics, he’s a great talent. He can afford it.
I think that when you can afford you certainly should speak up. It’s an American obligation, in a way.”
Even Whoopi Goldberg pushed back on Behar’s assertion that Kenny has an obligation to speak on politics:
“It’s not for everybody. It’s not everybody’s ability. … Not everybody talks about politics. Not everybody wants to, and not everybody should.”
And co-host Sara Haines said she appreciates having an escape from politics:
“I like to be able to check out of something and not have it be politics. It is a 24/7 news cycle. It’s all I consume. I need comedy, I need music.”
Sunny Hostin pointed out that she’s good friends with Kenny Chesney, and that the two text and hang out frequently, but that he’s never mentioned politics – because it’s just not his thing:
“I think what he said is absolutely accurate. He doesn’t feel the need to talk about it. He doesn’t feel that it’s his place. And that is who he is.”
Goldberg, surprisingly, also made one of the best points of the conversation:
“You shouldn’t expect it from anyone, unless they offer it to you. … If you’re going in looking for it and waiting for it and getting mad that they’re not doing it, it’s pointless, because every individual has the right to make their own mind up.”
Now, I know nothing about Kenny’s politics (kinda refreshing, honestly), but I have a feeling that Behar would change her mind on whether he has an “obligation” to speak up if it turned out he was on the opposite side of the aisle.
The post Joy Behar Thinks Kenny Chesney Has An “American Obligation” To Speak On Politics first appeared on Whiskey Riff.
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