# Linda Rondstat thrown out of casino for supporting Michael Moore!

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/linda-rondstat-thrown-out-of-casino-for-supporting-michael-moore/255915>\
**Category:** The BBQ Pit\
**Created:** [July 20, 2004, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/linda-rondstat-thrown-out-of-casino-for-supporting-michael-moore/255915 "2004-07-20T01:13:22Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\
**Post date:** [July 20, 2004, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/linda-rondstat-thrown-out-of-casino-for-supporting-michael-moore/255915/21 "2004-07-20T02:55:41Z")

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> [@Machetero](#):
>
> You’d probably get your ass kicked. 😃 Besides TK unlike Rondstat is popular because, in part, of his jingoistic stuff. And I never excused the drink spillers and poster tearers. That shit is stupid. Like Rondstat’s seemingly intentional actions of pissing off her audience and employer were.

well it seemed odd to me that you gave a pass to the actual vandals to condem the object of their scorn.

and it seems to me to be an absurd position that an entertainer has to figure out the political leanings of **all** of their audiences and make sure not to offend those sensabilities. (there was one quarter of the audience who was offended).

Almost as odd to me as the position of those who usually cry about "poliical correctness’ wqhere some audience members are offended, and here they are taking the position that the entertainer _mustn’t_ offend some small segment of their audience, who are misbehaving.

again. the people who were the absolute assholes here were the vandals who intentionally caused damage. well, and those excusing the behavior by asigning blame to the entertainer.

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**Author:** ![Apos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@Apos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apos)\
**Post date:** [July 20, 2004, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/linda-rondstat-thrown-out-of-casino-for-supporting-michael-moore/255915/22 "2004-07-20T03:02:21Z")

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Was it in her contract that she couldn’t mention that she liked MM’s 9/11? Personally, I don’t see that as something that should start a riot. It’s something you might roll your eyes at, but I don’t see how it’s a breach of contract or even incitement.

Do Republicans even have a sense of irony or proportion anymore? They’re trained by hate radio to go into fits of anti-liberal frothing whenever wrong views are expressed, but then unerringly switch into complaining how negative liberals are.

I just a few days ago listened to a guy from the Cato Institute and the Club for Growth chuckling about an anti-Dean ad that was basically just a string of invective about liberals (Volvo driving, New York wearing, blah blah blah). And then he switched right into how outrageous it is that Michael Moore hates Bush. Then he switches over into bitching about the liberal “elite” who don’t think they know better than everyone else but it quickly became obvious that this definition wasn’t based on anything other than ideology: wealthly think-tank babies like him don’t count.

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**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\
**Post date:** [July 20, 2004, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/linda-rondstat-thrown-out-of-casino-for-supporting-michael-moore/255915/23 "2004-07-20T03:03:14Z")

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> [@Equipoise](#):
>
> And she gets thrown out! I’ll bet the people who went batshit didn’t get thrown out.

Entertainer who pisses off customers who combined paid probably close to $50K for their show tickets, fired, promptly removed. Whats so weird about that? Not many people in the world get to royally piss off customers and keep their jobs.

If any well known performer does something that seems horribly out of charachter, they should plan on losing money/gigs. Would you expect a Weird Al performance to turn into a black tie ballroom dance or Margaret Cho to start trashing overweight homosexuals?

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**Author:** ![Unregistered\_Bull](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3da27b/32.png) [@Unregistered\_Bull](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unregistered_Bull)\
**Post date:** [July 20, 2004, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/linda-rondstat-thrown-out-of-casino-for-supporting-michael-moore/255915/24 "2004-07-20T03:07:32Z")

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wring,

I didn’t excuse their behaviour.

She pissed off bunch customers. Maybe even intentionally.

The assholes are Rondstat, the vandals, the management, and the folks that think that she got a too raw of deal.

Any fucking moron, even a leftwing one, ought to know that the lying sack of shit known as Michael Moore is not a well liked guy. I bet alot of the complainers weren’t even Republicans.

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**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\
**Post date:** [July 20, 2004, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/linda-rondstat-thrown-out-of-casino-for-supporting-michael-moore/255915/25 "2004-07-20T03:09:47Z")

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> [@Otto](#):
>
> Are you fucking kidding?
> 
> Tearing down posters and deliberately spilling drinks: vandalism  
> Dedicating a song to a left-wing filmmaker: not vandalism

Spilled drinks and torn posters/signage: Cost money to clean up and fix  
Putting the casino in the position of refunding 1,000 pissed customers: Costs money to clean up and fix.

If she intentionally made inflammatory statements with the intent of getting fired from this gig she should and IIRC can be held accountable for the damages/loss of revenues.

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**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\
**Post date:** [July 20, 2004, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/linda-rondstat-thrown-out-of-casino-for-supporting-michael-moore/255915/26 "2004-07-20T03:10:06Z")

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> [@dre2xl](#):
>
> And you wouldn’t have walked out of a concert if the performer started gushing about Ann Coulter. Yeah right.

I can only speak for myself, but I sure as hell wouldn’t, unless the performer were gushing to the exclusion of performing. I judge the art, not the artist. Fuck, I even went to see _The Pianist_ in the theaters, and Roman Polanski has done a lot worse in his life than disagree with me politically.

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**Author:** ![Unregistered\_Bull](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3da27b/32.png) [@Unregistered\_Bull](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unregistered_Bull)\
**Post date:** [July 20, 2004, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/linda-rondstat-thrown-out-of-casino-for-supporting-michael-moore/255915/27 "2004-07-20T03:11:25Z")

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> [@Machetero](#):
>
> The assholes are Rondstat, the vandals, the management, and the folks that think that she got a too raw of deal.

The “management” part wasn’t supposed to be there. :smack:

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**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\
**Post date:** [July 20, 2004, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/linda-rondstat-thrown-out-of-casino-for-supporting-michael-moore/255915/28 "2004-07-20T03:16:25Z")

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> [@wring](#):
>
> the people who were the absolute assholes here were the vandals who intentionally caused damage.

Heh. That seems to me to be something properly left between the casino’s owners and the customers. As it happens, the casino’s owners (controlled by noted non-Republican Robert Earl of Hard Rock Cafe and Planet Hollywood fame) plan to pretty much tear the joint apart themselves come Labor Day to turn it into a Planet Hollywood. For all we know, they’ve got signs up begging people to do the demolotion work for them.

More likely, given a promoter like Earl, is that the whole thing was exaggerated from start to finish to gain some publicity in hopes that someone actually tries to navigate the famously unfindable entrance to the casino to see what happened. At this point, I wouldn’t be inclined to believe much beyond “Ms. Ronstadt behaved in a way calculated to get her not asked back,” and "she indeed will not be asked back (at least until it’s a PH and they can have an equally notorious reconciliation and a five-week engagement.) The “vandalism,” the “quite a scene at the box office,” the “escorted out,” etc.? I’d want to see some confirmation from third parties.

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**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\
**Post date:** [July 20, 2004, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/linda-rondstat-thrown-out-of-casino-for-supporting-michael-moore/255915/29 "2004-07-20T03:26:51Z")

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simply amazing.

we cannot, apparently, trust the account of vandalism, and ‘escorted out’, but we’re to trust the same damn account for attributation of her motives.

and just as amazing is the raft of folks willing to overlook, excuse, or simply not comment on, poor behavior of destructive patrons.

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**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\
**Post date:** [July 20, 2004, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/linda-rondstat-thrown-out-of-casino-for-supporting-michael-moore/255915/30 "2004-07-20T03:37:41Z")

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Actually, no, I’m relying on Ms. Ronstadt’s _direct fucking quote_ as to her motives, and even then I’m allowing for the possibility that it was fabricated for mutual publicity. But feel free to continue to attribute false motives to me.

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**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\
**Post date:** [July 20, 2004, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/linda-rondstat-thrown-out-of-casino-for-supporting-michael-moore/255915/31 "2004-07-20T03:39:32Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> **drachillix** : Not many people in the world get to royally piss off customers and keep their jobs.

Her contract was only for the one night. The management was probably probably protecting itself by having her escorted out. They wouldn’t want a popular celebrity attacked and injured on their property.

Singers can dedicate their performances to whomever they want to. I am not interested in policing their thoughts or censoring a tribute. I didn’t like some of the things that John Wayne used to say but I loved the old coot and his movies anyway.

Those who blame Ronstadt for their acts of vandalism are playing an old game called “See What You Made Me Do.” I assume they no longer _really_ believe in freedom of speech. A little hissing and booing would have made their point just fine.

But I was rather pleased to know that only 1/4 left. (Some of them may have chosen to exit because things were getting ugly – not for political reasons.)

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**Author:** ![Raygun99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Raygun99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raygun99)\
**Post date:** [July 20, 2004, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/linda-rondstat-thrown-out-of-casino-for-supporting-michael-moore/255915/32 "2004-07-20T03:42:11Z")

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> [@manhattan](#):
>
> Heh. That seems to me to be something properly left between the casino’s owners and the customers. As it happens, the casino’s owners (controlled by noted non-Republican Robert Earl of Hard Rock Cafe and Planet Hollywood fame) plan to pretty much tear the joint apart themselves come Labor Day to turn it into a Planet Hollywood. For all we know, they’ve got signs up begging people to do the demolotion work for them.

Well, then it’s all right then, huh? I bet that was on the ticket. “Please destroy something on the way out.”

I agree that we’re probably not hearing the whole story but I would tend to lay greater fault at the feet of the people who started throwing drinks than the person who dedicated a song.

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**Author:** ![Baldwin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baldwin/32/7264_2.png) [@Baldwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baldwin)\
**Post date:** [July 20, 2004, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/linda-rondstat-thrown-out-of-casino-for-supporting-michael-moore/255915/33 "2004-07-20T03:50:17Z")

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_Posted by Brutus:_

> [@](#):
>
> While you partisan hacks keep babbling about whatever it is you are babbling about, you are missing the more important story here:
> 
> Linda Rondstat was paid to sing. And people voluntarily showed up to listen.

That was probably because she’s an excellent singer in two languages, with a distinctive style. Thanks for being so _consistently_ a schmuck.

Unless Ms. Rondstadt’s contract included specific limitations on whom she could dedicate a song to, she did nothing wrong, either ethically or artistically. Apparently the Aladdin’s patrons include a number of irrational fools with no respect for the property or rights of others.

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**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\
**Post date:** [July 20, 2004, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/linda-rondstat-thrown-out-of-casino-for-supporting-michael-moore/255915/34 "2004-07-20T04:21:50Z")

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Here’s a more amazing one:

A conference hired Margaret Cho as their act, but partway through her sketch they yanked her mike and hustled her off stage because they were pissed that she ranted against Bush.

_Margaret Cho!_ What the fuck did they think she was going to talk about? The weather?

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**Author:** ![thirdwarning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecccb3/32.png) [@thirdwarning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdwarning)\
**Post date:** [July 20, 2004, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/linda-rondstat-thrown-out-of-casino-for-supporting-michael-moore/255915/35 "2004-07-20T04:22:20Z")

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I sure wish there were some real information in that article. So far, this is what I have:  
Linda Ronstadt wanted to annoy the people who hired her, so she wouldn’t be invited back.  
She dedicated a song to Michael Moore.  
(Nothing said about how that was done, or what she said.)  
That dedication angered people, some of whom committed vandalism on the venue.  
(No indication of how many people were actually involved in this.)  
A fairly large number of people walked out on the performance.  
After the performance, she was escorted out of the casino.  
(No indication of why this was done, might have been for her own safety, might have been because they were ticked off at her).  
She won’t be invited back.

So, thrown out, fired, anything like that, would be a bit more than is actually said here, especially since the engagement was only for one night in the first place.

Likewise, the implication that large numbers of the disgruntled participated in the vandalism is unfounded. Obviously, too many, since one would be too many, but it just doesn’t say.

Other than that, a performer did something during a concert that audience members didn’t like or felt was inappropriate and they expressed their dislike by leaving.

I think I need more info before I have much of an opinion at all, really, except about the vandals, and they were wrong all the way.

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**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\
**Post date:** [July 20, 2004, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/linda-rondstat-thrown-out-of-casino-for-supporting-michael-moore/255915/36 "2004-07-20T04:33:25Z")

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> [@matt\_mcl](#):
>
> _Margaret Cho!_ What the fuck did they think she was going to talk about? The weather?

But those Sweet Asian Girls are usually so _polite!_ 😃

(Maybe the organisers just thought _All-American Girl_ looked good on her resume?)

I want to bear Margaret Cho’s children, incidentally.

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**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\
**Post date:** [July 20, 2004, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/linda-rondstat-thrown-out-of-casino-for-supporting-michael-moore/255915/37 "2004-07-20T04:39:25Z")

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> [@wring](#):
>
> and it seems to me to be an absurd position that an entertainer has to figure out the political leanings of **all** of their audiences and make sure not to offend those sensabilities.

Jiminy Cricket. You have a performer who gets up in front of the sort of crowd that goes to see “entertainment” in those places, decides to make a political statement by dedicating a song to someone as controversial as Michael Moore, and you think she could possibly be shocked and surprised that a large segment of the audience gets upset? That was the whole point, most likely.

"Linda Rondstadt, persecuted by Vegas uglies for her political courage, is available to sing at YOUR venue! Call NOW (bookings are going FAST)!

For some reason, the crowd reaction reminds me of that old Martin Mull blues number:

"I woke up this afternoon  
Both cars were gone  
I woke up this afternoon (Lawd)  
Both cars were gone

I felt so low-down deep inside  
I threw my drink across the lawn

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**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\
**Post date:** [July 20, 2004, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/linda-rondstat-thrown-out-of-casino-for-supporting-michael-moore/255915/38 "2004-07-20T04:56:50Z")

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> [@Baldwin](#):
>
> Unless Ms. Rondstadt’s contract included specific limitations on whom she could dedicate a song to, she did nothing wrong, either ethically or artistically.

Her contract probably didn’t say that she couldn’t strip naked and take a shit on stage either. She knew that what she was doing would piss off a lot of the patrons. Her remarks afterwards are proof of that. She was being paid to entertain the patrons. She failed to do that by antagonizing a significant portion of them. I don’t have a clue about artisitically but she mislead her client (the casino) and that was ethically wrong.

That doesn’t excuse the vandals in the audience.

Margaret Cho is another story altogether. When you go to see her, you should expect something controversial.

Haj

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**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\
**Post date:** [July 20, 2004, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/linda-rondstat-thrown-out-of-casino-for-supporting-michael-moore/255915/39 "2004-07-20T05:01:29Z")

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> [@Jackmannii](#):
>
> For some reason, the crowd reaction reminds me of that old Martin Mull blues number:
> 
> "I woke up this afternoon  
> Both cars were gone  
> I woke up this afternoon (Lawd)  
> Both cars were gone
> 
> I felt so low-down deep inside  
> I threw my drink across the lawn

Did he make a recording? I love his song DO The Nothing

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**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\
**Post date:** [July 20, 2004, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/linda-rondstat-thrown-out-of-casino-for-supporting-michael-moore/255915/40 "2004-07-20T05:03:19Z")

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> [@hajario](#):
>
> Her contract probably didn’t say that she couldn’t strip naked and take a shit on stage either.  
> Haj

Some would prefer that to Moore, I’ll bet!

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