Member Since: 4/4/2014
Posts: 1,381
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TIME Drags Taylor & Nicki After Orlando
Quote:
While some have spoken out in solidarity, others have been conspicuously silent.
In the days since the shootings at Pulse in Orlando, many celebrities have expressed their condolences, their fears, and their general sense of concern both for the dead and for the nation at large. While public figures of all stripes have weighed in, musicians have been among the most vocal. The nature of the attack (at a gay club’s Latin night, an event centered around music and celebration) has naturally engendered a moving response from many.
Or, well, some. Katy Perry has tweeted in support of Pride celebrations and Lady Gaga read the names of the fallen at a California vigil. Even Beyoncé and Britney Spears, neither known for engaging directly with the news cycle, sent support via Instagram.
Meanwhile, Taylor Swift’s last social media updates were about a wedding she “crashed” as a publicity stunt. Nicki Minaj, another superstar with a massive gay following, has been similarly quiet on the issue.
It’s ungracious to keep score, but these stars are so vocal about so many other issues that it’s a bit striking to see silence here. Swift, for instance, was widely interpreted (including by me) as existing at the vanguard of gay-friendly pop stars for including the lyric “boys and boys and girls and girls” on her last album. And both Swift and Minaj were outspoken about demographic issues around the nominations for last year’s Video Music Awards—a political cause that was easy to take, given that it directly benefited both figures’ careers.
Obviously, nothing a pop star says is going to make it possible to take back a tragedy; nothing they say is even going to do much to assuage a national sense of hurt. But musicians, bearing the special connection they do with fans and in particular the sort of fans who might frequent gay clubs, can do something. Surely someone has felt less alone thanks to their idol expressing concern in the wake of Orlando’s mass shooting—what more can one ask?
It’s reasonable to expect people to be a little more forgiving of the likes of Jonas and Musgraves, public figures who may not be cut out to be public speakers and who are as lost for words as all of us. Maybe a bit more forgiveness would encourage more openness across the board. But it’s also reasonable for gay fans to be a bit spurious the next time Swift breaks her silence on what she considers meaningful issues—for instance, awards-show hosts joking about her. Stars don’t owe us anything, but nor do we owe them anything. Fans might find it more appealing to engage with stars who seem engaged with the world.
http://time.com/4368629/orlando-shoo...alflow_twitter
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NO LIES DETECTED.
Coincidentally, exactly a year ago when gay marriage was legalized in all 50 states, Nicki also had nothing to say. Where's Macklemore too? The LGBT icon, who capitalized off the community with his groundbreaking song/video.
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