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Why Rock And Morals Don't Mix

5:00 PM GMT 26/01/2010

Why Rock And Morals Don't Mix

You may have noticed in the news the calls to ban The Who from performing at the Super Bowl next month, on the grounds of guitarist Pete Townshend's "moral turpitude". Campaigners objected to The Who guitarist's arrest and caution for having viewed child pornography (but not possessing it) in 2003.

For the record, Townshend (himself a child abuse victim) claimed it was part of his research for a book, but whatever you think this says about the man's character, I fear it will be a very sad day when we let a phrase like 'moral turpitude' creep into our appreciation of rock'n'roll.

For one thing, if they were handing out performance licences to musicians on the basis of impeccable behaviour in their private lives, I think you could probably look forward to Miley Cyrus tap-dancing on a human face forever (although if she should happen to run over a squirrel in her humvee and fail to report it to the authorities, she's off the artistic roll call forever).

The Beatles? Sorry: adulterers, domestic-abusers (alleged by one of John Lennon's girlfriends, but no smoke without fire, eh?) and convicted drug smugglers. The Stones? There's that public "comfort break", the confectionary misuse... oh, and the everything else. Britney Spears? Who would imagine her a role model... apart from Lindsay Lohan?

In other words, if I cleansed my record collection of any artists guilty of unsavoury sentiments or behaviour, I'd be left with bare shelves. Remove jailbirds like Son House and Leadbelly from the ranks of the bluesmen, scatter sex offenders like Chuck Berry from the temple of rock'n'roll and those genres are immediately the poorer. Then there are those who have merely expressed deeply disagreeable views. Eric Clapton stands by his defence of far-right British politician Enoch Powell - should I burn my Cream albums?

I can understand why people need to feel their favourite musicians are kindred spirits, but rock'n'roll has always been an art form for outlaws, an anarchic arena where you can give vent to entirely unpalatable and socially unacceptable feelings, from wanting to get pissed and destroy to fantasizing an uzi-toting murder spree in Walmart. It's a home for unhinged, unrepentant mavericks and outright basket cases to say the unsayable, so if there's any art form where we leave our moral judgment at the door, it's this one.

Of course, the Townshend row is about an incident unrelated to music, but moral pontificators could just as easily get huffy about Who lyrics such as 5:15 ("Girls of 15, sexually knowing") or Doctor Jimmy ('Who is she? I'll rape it."). But if you're going to go there, there's a whole other issue of censorship in the arts at stake.

Ultimately though, if you want to get moral about music then there's one quote that suits perfectly, and it comes from a man much admired by moralists everywhere - a certain Jesus of Nazareth (the place, not the band):

"Let he who is without sin cast the first stone."

Johnny Sharp

Posted by Ross_Bennett at 5:00 PM GMT 26/01/2010

Related MOJO content:

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  • Yes indeed. Rock is by and for misfits. There's just no way that Iggy Pop and three-quarters of the Ramones could fit into mainstream society. Without music, John Lennon would have been a menacing ne'er-do-well, and Steve Jones a modern-day Kray brother.

    Posted by Alan Lord, Montreal at 3:50 AM GMT 27/01/2010 Report Abuse

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  • First of all, i have to remark that from one side: I am a Who fan since was12 (i'm 40 now), and in the other side: i played and watched football for several years, so you can't say that my opinion is not "informed", But I think that The Who shouldn't be performing at the superbowl, but not for "the moral reasons" that the "earth good-judges mention", They shouldn't perform there because Superbowl audiences doesn't deserve that honor!!... Pete Townsend and/or the Who belong to a higher status in any perspective. So please, ban The Who for being part of that circus. I beg you...

    Posted by joel gaona at 7:21 AM GMT 27/01/2010 Report Abuse

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  • RE: joel gaona

    The kids are alright playing the Super Bowl. They are as close as we get to rock royalty, but let's not put them up on a pedestal. Rock and roll is for everybody, and so are sports. Keep in mind that The Who have already sold their songs to be the themes for the CSI TV shows.

    I'd also like to see what Townshend and Daltry can possibly come up with to top Springsteen's "PUT DOWN THE CHICKEN FINGERS!" and kneeling slide into the camera. Townshend's witty banter (I was privileged to see him do a solo show once, and it was brilliant, for the storytelling as much as the music) doesn't work in such a bombastic environment, but some windmill strums and a lasso-swing of the microphone will do nicely.

    Posted by lonndoggie at 5:01 PM GMT 27/01/2010 Report Abuse

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  • Sorry, Miley's out…lest you forget her pole dance at the teen choice awards.

    And gospel musicians may as well be out too…how many of them start using their "gift for the lord" only to stand in line to exchange with the devil? Or, trade in their tired worn out souls for some moral cleansing?

    Posted by Ruth, Kentucky: USA at 4:24 PM GMT 29/01/2010 Report Abuse

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  • …oh and as far as the Who playing the SuperBowl? Really!? Didn't the retire? Again? and Again?

    Posted by Ruth, Kentucky: USA at 4:27 PM GMT 29/01/2010 Report Abuse

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  • Um, b'also? The website from which he was arrested for allegedly downloading kiddie porn? Well, here's the rub: It didn't HOST kiddie porn!

    And, well, you know, charges were dropped.

    Posted by RJB at 5:50 AM GMT 04/02/2010 Report Abuse

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  • Thank you for the help.
    Great Audio info, i'm bookmarking the page for the great content.

    Posted by Install Audio Software at 3:01 AM GMT 07/02/2010 Report Abuse

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  • Wasn't Townshend supposed to be reasearching for a book. Does it exist? Surely that would prove him correct it it does. Sounds more like PR than reality.

    Posted by Dave at 5:03 AM GMT 07/02/2010 Report Abuse

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  • As a rock and roll fan for thirty years already and a parent, I have learned to teach my children exactly what this blog says: "Just because you like their music, that doesn't mean that they are an example to follow."

    This attitude has allowed me to enjoy the likes of Hole, Rammstein, Ministry and other rascals without trying to emulate them (and the health concerns it would have carried).

    At the same time, this has caused me problems with other less realistic parents, such as when going to see the Jonas' Brothers, I told my children (and their friends who were coming with us) that before the show started they were smoking marijuana.

    Posted by Chilango Power at 8:51 PM GMT 09/02/2010 Report Abuse

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  • ...wait a minute...isn't this the same sport whose athletes take steroids and participate in illegal dog-fighting rings?...morals?...gimme a break!...

    Posted by Syd, Canada at 6:05 PM GMT 19/02/2010 Report Abuse

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  • I completly disagree with what the author of this article says. I am a Christian (save by the Lord), I have been for a year and a half, but rock music is by far, my favorite music genre. I'm not a "misfit". I'm a junior, a 3.0 student at my high school, involved in multiple sports, go to the morning and evening services at my church. I am in God's word every day. My favorite band is a a heavy metal band called SlipKnoT. They are in no way a christian band. Are you people saying that a person can not like rock music and be a Christian. Somebody tell me why not.

    Posted by Austin G. at 7:08 PM GMT 27/02/2010 Report Abuse

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  • I completly disagree with what the author of this article says. I am a Christian (save by the Lord), I have been for a year and a half, but rock music is by far, my favorite music genre. I'm not a "misfit". I'm a junior, a 3.0 student at my high school, involved in multiple sports, go to the morning and evening services at my church. I am in God's word every day. My favorite band is a a heavy metal band called SlipKnoT. They are in no way a christian band. Are you people saying that a person can not like rock music and be a Christian. Somebody tell me why not.

    Posted by Austin G. at 7:09 PM GMT 27/02/2010 Report Abuse

    Reply to this post

  • I completly disagree with what the author of this article says. I am a Christian (save by the Lord), I have been for a year and a half, but rock music is by far, my favorite music genre. I'm not a "misfit". I'm a junior, a 3.0 student at my high school, involved in multiple sports, go to the morning and evening services at my church. I am in God's word every day. My favorite band is a a heavy metal band called SlipKnoT. They are in no way a christian band. Are you people saying that a person can not like rock music and be a Christian. Somebody tell me why not.

    Posted by Austin G. at 7:09 PM GMT 27/02/2010 Report Abuse

    Reply to this post

  • I completly disagree with what the author of this article says. I am a Christian (save by the Lord), I have been for a year and a half, but rock music is by far, my favorite music genre. I'm not a "misfit". I'm a junior, a 3.0 student at my high school, involved in multiple sports, go to the morning and evening services at my church. I am in God's word every day. My favorite band is a a heavy metal band called SlipKnoT. They are in no way a christian band. Are you people saying that a person can not like rock music and be a Christian. Somebody tell me why not.

    Posted by Austin, Iowa at 7:10 PM GMT 27/02/2010 Report Abuse

    Reply to this post

  • I completly disagree with what the author of this article says. I am a Christian (save by the Lord), I have been for a year and a half, but rock music is by far, my favorite music genre. I'm not a "misfit". I'm a junior, a 3.0 student at my high school, involved in multiple sports, go to the morning and evening services at my church. I am in God's word every day. My favorite band is a a heavy metal band called SlipKnoT. They are in no way a christian band. Are you people saying that a person can not like rock music and be a Christian. Somebody tell me why not.

    Posted by Austin, Iowa at 7:10 PM GMT 27/02/2010 Report Abuse

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