Linda Rondstat thrown out of casino for supporting Michael Moore!

[Liberal]

@Maltavia

Remaining blissfully ignorant of the fact that you’ve handed the country over to a bunch of self-serving rich men who could [sic] care less about your piddly little problems.

You mean like Ted Kennedy?

Wearing a flag pin and maintaining that every U.S. soldier is “fighting for our freedom”, even when they’re burning up children and firing at wedding parties who really aren’t jeopardizing our freedom in the first place.

You make authoritarianism, complete with a drugged and lobotomized populace, seem almost pallatable.

[Starving_Artist]

@Larry Mudd

“Michael Moore is un-American because he says bad things about George Bush,” is every bit as much of an un-American sentiment, because it’s totally contrary to the principles that the United States represent.

First of all, I never said Moore was un-American (thanks, I never was comfortable with that unAmerican thing). lissener said to me that to call Moore un-American is un-American. He was apparently speaking of some of Moore’s critics.

However, if it were me, I probably wouldn’t say he’s un-American; I’d probably be more inclined to say he’s anti-American. Have you seen his comments about America and Americans abroad?

[Equipoise]

@Saltire

In what way were Rhonstadt’s comments out of character? She’s been on the left since she first became famous in the Sixties. She may not make the papers much lately, but I haven’t seen any reason to think she’s become politically conservative.

I have to wonder who it was the conservatives in the audience thought they were coming to see. I would certainly have expected a political comment or two from LR, and they should have as well. It almost seems like they went to the show just to give themselves an excuse to get angry, like the people who attend rallies just to make a point by walking out when a particular speaker walks onto the dais.

No kidding! She had a long-standing thing going with Gov. Jerry Brown. She also makes regular Campaign contributions to the Dems.
At this time (I don’t know how long it will last) if you go to http://www.ronstadt-linda.com/ (not an official site, apparently she doesn’t have one) you get immediately routed to http://www.michaelmoore.com/ with a “Thank you Linda Rondstat” on the front page. This is annoying, because you can’t check any tour dates or anything else that’s on Linda’s page. There should just be a link.

Here are her upcoming tour dates that I managed to copy before the MM link took over:

July 18, 2004 - Humphrey’s By the Bay - San Diego, California
July 20, 2004 - Universal Amphitheatre - Universal City, California
July 22, 2004 - Wente Concerts at the Vineyard - Livermore, California
July 23, 2004 - Villa Montalvo Center for the Arts - Saratoga, California
July 24, 2004 - Marin Veterans Memorial Auditorium - San Rafael, California
July 25, 2004 - Konocti Harbor Resort & Spa - Kelseyville, California
July 27, 2004 - Summer Nights at the Pier - Seattle, Washington
September 14, 2004 - Bass Performance Hall - Fort Worth, Texas
September 15, 2004 - Bass Performance Hall - Fort Worth, Texas
September 17, 2004 - Walton Performing Arts Center - Fayetteville, Arkansas
September 18, 2004 - Walton Performing Arts Center - Fayetteville, Arkansas

If she were coming to the Chicago area I’d go support her.
Michael Moore posted a letter he wrote to Bill Timmins on his web site:

July 19th, 2004 9:05 pm
Open Letter to Bill Timmins, President Aladdin Casino and Hotel
Bill Timmins
President
Aladdin Casino and Hotel
Las Vegas, NV

July 20, 2004

Dear Mr. Timmins:

I understand from the news reports I’ve read that, after Linda Ronstadt, one of America’s greatest singers, dedicated a song to me from your stage on Saturday night, you instructed your security guards to remove her from the Aladdin, which they did.

What country do you live in? Last time I checked, Las Vegas is still in the United States. And in the United States, we have something called “The First Amendment.” This constitutional right gives everyone here the right to say whatever they want to say. All Americans hold this right as sacred. Many of our young people put on a uniform and risk their lives to defend it. My film is all about asking the questions that should have been asked before those brave soldiers were sent into harms way.

For you to throw Linda Ronstadt off the premises because she dared to say a few words in support of me and my film, is simply stupid and Un-American. Frankly, I have never heard of such a thing happening. I read that you wouldn’t even let her go back up to her room at your hotel! Are you crazy? For crying out loud, it was a song DEDICATION! To “Desperado!” Every American loves that song! Sure, some people didn’t like the dedication, and that’s their right. But neither they nor you have the right to remove her from your building when all she did was exercise her AMERICAN right to speak her mind.

Of all the things that go on in Las Vegas, this is what creates the need for serious action? What about the other half of the crowd at the Aladdin who, according to the Las Vegas Sun, cheered her when she made her remarks? Did you throw them out, too?

I think you owe Ms. Ronstadt an apology. And I have an idea how you can make it up to her – and to the millions of Americans you have offended. Invite her back and I’ll join her in singing “America the Beautiful” on your stage. Then I will show “Fahrenheit 9/11” free of charge to all your guests and anyone else in Las Vegas who wants to see it.

Mr. Timmins, as the song “Desperado” says – “Come to your senses!” How can you refuse this offer? I await your reply.

Yours,
Michael Moore
Director, “Fahrenheit 9/11”

I don’t agree with him in that anyone has the right to throw anyone out of a building they own. Otherwise, I agree.

@lissener

I was born in Texas, went to school in Illinois (outside of Chicago) and Wisconsin. I often say I grew up in Chicago, because living in a suburb, and then downtown, and then in a suburb again, and then downtown again, the city of which your 'burb is a sub- is kind of the geographical ground zero of all regional activity. When people ask me where I grew up, nine times out of ten I say Chicago, because I spent 26 of 40 years there. If I ever make a documentary, I’ll make sure, though, instead of saying I grew up in Chicago, to say, “Oh, you’re from Chicago? What a coincidence! I was born in Dallas lived in Richardson lived for a year in DC and moved to Wheaton Illinois went to highschool in Wisconsin lived in Palatine for three years lived in Skokie for one year then back to Palatine then spent a few years in Chicago then moved back to Wheaton for a while then moved to Highland Park and then moved to Seattle! I’m sorry, what were we talking about?”

HAHAHA! That’s great!

@Machetero

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.

Any fucking moron would know that this is a fucking moronic statement to make unless you accidentally left off the “…by right-wing zombies” in which case you’d be correct.

Besides not being a lying sack of shit, his little movie about Bush is nearing the $100 million dollar mark. That’s an awful lot of people.

I also just read this very interesting tidbit. In case anyone else missed it:

Majority of Adults Expect to See Fahrenheit 9/11

GALLUP NEWS SERVICE

PRINCETON, NJ – According to the most recent Gallup survey, more than half of all American adults (56%) either have seen or expect, at some time, to see Michael Moore’s controversial movie, Fahrenheit 9/11, a highly critical look at the Bush administration’s decision to fight a war in Iraq. The poll was conducted July 8-11. At the time, 8% of Americans said they have already seen the movie, 18% expected to see it in the theater, and 30% expected to watch the video. Among all Americans, more people have an unfavorable than favorable impression of the movie, but those who have seen it are overwhelmingly favorable.

Intentions to see the film are highly related to people’s political party orientation, but the survey shows that even a significant number of Republicans – 38% – have seen or plan to see the documentary despite its critical stance toward Bush. More than 7 in 10 Democrats (71%) and 6 in 10 independents (60%) also have seen or expect to see the film, with about half of each of these groups planning to see it in a theater and the other half on video.

[Graph chart]

In addition to partisan orientation, age is highly related to intentions to see the movie. Three-quarters of people under 30 (75%) have seen or plan to see it, compared with 60% of the 30 to 49 age group, 52% of the 50 to 64 age group, and 32% of the oldest age group (65 and older).

[Graph chart]

Typically, younger people are more likely to see films than are older people, especially in movie theaters.

Rating of Fahrenheit 9/11 Related to Intentions to See Film, Party Affiliation, and Age

Among people who have already seen the movie, 85% express a favorable opinion of it, including 42% who say “very” favorable. Another 13% have an unfavorable view. Among people who plan to see the movie, 55% have a favorable impression of it based on what they have heard or read. Another 24% of future viewers have a negative opinion (but plan to see it anyway) and 21% do not currently have an opinion.

[bolding mine]

[Graph chart]

Among the people who plan not to see the movie, most (68%) say their impression of the movie is unfavorable, while only 10% say they have a favorable view and 22% express no view.

The movie’s rating is also related to party affiliation and age. Republicans are overwhelmingly negative toward the film, with only 12% giving it a favorable rating and 72% an unfavorable rating.

[Graph chart]

Independents tend to be slightly more positive than negative (39% favorable to 36% unfavorable), while Democrats are highly positive (63% favorable to 15% unfavorable).

Apart from partisanship, older people give less favorable ratings than do younger people. Among the under-30 age group, the favorable ratings outnumber the unfavorable 57% to 27%. That ratio declines with each age group. People 65 and older are more likely to give an unfavorable rating than a favorable one, 47% to 26%.

[Graph chart]

This relationship between age and the movie’s rating is found even among the partisan groups. Going from the youngest to the oldest among Democrats, the favorable rating goes from 78% to 43%. Among independents, the rating declines from 62% among the youngest to 24% among the oldest. And among Republicans, 23% of the youngest group and just 4% of the two oldest groups (ages 50 to 64 and 65 and older), give the movie a favorable rating.

[Survey methods, Questions]

[matt_mcl]

@Jodi

Just STFU and sing.

With what?

[malkavia]

@Liberal

You mean like Ted Kennedy?

Bah. Every political party has a joke.

At least ours isn’t in the White House.

[elucidator]

Aha! Further proof of Mr. Moore’s status as a Perfidious Liar [sup]TM[/sup] !

“…All Americans hold this right as sacred…”

Liar! The Shining One, who’s presence graces the Oval Office, and Mr. Ashcroft, the Paladin of Political Purity, hold this so called “amendment” to have approximately the value of a guideline, of modest importance and subject to such restrictions as needed to protect Americas virtue from the Godless Heathen!

“…Every American loves that song!..”

Liar! Such outstanding Americans as Wayne Newton and Pat Boone have never so much as hummed this tune, despite the misdirection of the band’s faux-patriotic name. Eagles, indeed!

Really, what more proof do you “Moore-ons” need?

[EddyTeddyFreddy]

@Starving Artist

Well, I’ve already spoken to my distaste for celebrity proselytizing although clearly they have a right to do so (and to reap whatever consequences they may). But having said that, there’s still a time and place for everything, and in my opinion she chose the wrong time and place to espouse her views. It was a betrayal of her employers and an insult to many in her audience.

I don’t think anyone is saying she didn’t have a right to do what she did, but having the right to do something does not necessarily make it the right thing to do.

Cheers.

Well, my fine dumpling, here’s a scenario for you: You’re at a concert by an artist whose singing you enjoy. There’s a large crowd gathered. The singer, after getting off some humorous but barbed zingers about Ted Kennedy and John Kerry, dedicates a song to George Bush. The audience reacts, half with applause, half with boos. Do you:

1. Denounce those who boo, because the singer is free to express his/her beliefs, no matter the personal consequences?

2. Denounce those who applaud, because the singer has no business making political statements during an entertainment?

3. Laugh at the zingers and applaud?

Be honest, now!

[Larry_Mudd]

@Starving Artist

First of all, I never said Moore was un-American…

No worries, I never had the impression that you did, I was only on about your characterization of the remark as “the epitome of American,” when it seems so contrary to American values.

However, if it were me, I probably wouldn’t say he’s un-American; I’d probably be more inclined to say he’s anti-American. Have you seen his comments about America and Americans abroad?

Assuming you mean the “dumbest people on the planet,” remark that was quoted so extensively in the blogosphere, I don’t read it as anti-American. Look at the context:

"We Americans suffer from an enforced ignorance. We don’t know about anything that’s happening outside our country. Our stupidity is embarrassing. National Geographic produced a survey which showed that 60 per cent of 18-25 year olds don’t know where Great Britain is on a map. And 92 per cent of us don’t own a passport. […]

[Speaking of his mother, Veronica] “She inspired me on so many levels. I’m just a high-school boy. She was the one who educated me. She was taking me to the library when I was four. She taught me and my sisters to read and write before we went to school,” says Moore who lives in New York with his wife and producer Kathleen Glynn.

“She taught us from an early age that knowledge was the dragon-slayer. And the dragon is ignorance and fear, all those things that are caused by a lack of knowledge and information.”

This is not a man who feels that Americans share some innate stupidity. He’s talking about systemic problems in education and news delivery, and he’s certainly not first or only person to point out the perils that these problem pose for American society. (Not to say that we’re doing that much better up here – the gap is narrowing.) “Americans are the dumbest people on the planet!” is a good attention-getter, and he used it to draw attention to his ensuing remarks. Unfortunately, it backfired for two reasons. 1) He was talking to one of the dumbest papers on the planet, and they neglected to print the drier stuff and emphasised the sensational. 2) Most people who were exposed to the meme got it through right-wing bloggers who quoted the “insulting” part by itself, excluding the contextual remarks, with lots of commentary like this, which is just sad:

If Mr Moore is so anti-American why doesn’t he change his citizenship? This would do a much bigger service to our country then his pontificating all over the world about American ignorance; of which he seems to be the CHEIF perpatrator!!

:smack:

[Starving_Artist]

@ZombiesAteMyBrain

Is this what happens when you elect a president who proclaims himself to be ‘a uniter, not a divider’ - and people think he actually means it?

I don’t think you can accurately blame Bush for the current polarization in the U.S. Basically, there has been a culture war going on for decades. IMHO, it started in the sixties, advanced slowly in the severties, really started to take off in the eighties, became getting rabid in the nineties, and is reaching its zenith now. There are lots of reasons for all this, from hippiedom to juducial activism to media bias to Rush Limbaugh, etc., plus many more too numerous to mention. The polarization in this country was already pretty much in its current state by the time Bush came into office.

[Liberal]

@Michael Shit-for-Brains Moore

What country do you live in? Last time I checked, Las Vegas is still in the United States. And in the United States, we have something called “The First Amendment.” This constitutional right gives everyone here the right to say whatever they want to say.

What a fucking lard-headed idiot.

[malkavia]

@EddyTeddyFreddy

There’s a large crowd gathered. The singer, after getting off some humorous but barbed zingers about Ted Kennedy and John Kerry, dedicates a song to George Bush. The audience reacts, half with applause, half with boos. Do you:

1. Denounce those who boo, because the singer is free to express his/her beliefs, no matter the personal consequences?

2. Denounce those who applaud, because the singer has no business making political statements during an entertainment?

3. Laugh at the zingers and applaud?

Be honest, now!

Can we add this option?

4. Roll your eyes and possibly decide not to see this performer in concert again.
   Because honestly, I don’t think I’m the only person who would’ve picked that option.

[Yeticus_Rex]

“Desperado” is by far and away my favorite Eagles song.

From now on, everytime I hear it, I won’t think about a cowboy who has not requited his love (with such sweet melodic prose), now I’ll end up thinking of a recalcitrant fading lounge singer incorrectly dedicating this lovely work of art to a political activist when the song itself is totally devoid of any political motivation. Thoughts will enter my mind of drunken (or just pissed-off) patrons reacting like teenage soccer hooligans…not to mention virtually every poster here bitching from either side about who’s right and who’s wrong, free speach, fulfilling an entertainment contract, past political affiliations of the singer, whether a movie is factual or fast-n-loose with the facts, etc., etc., etc…

Fuck You All.

[lieu]

In her own words…

“It’s a real conflict for me when I go to a concert and find out somebody in the audience is a Republican or fundamental Christian. It can cloud my enjoyment. I’d rather not know.”
Hmmmmm… I guess one good thing is that someone else is driving her bus.

[Starving_Artist]

@Yeticus Rex

Fuck You All.

Perhaps you would be kind enough to point out which of us posters held a gun to your head and made you read all this. :dubious:

[Starving_Artist]

@EddyTeddyFreddy

Be honest, now!

Aw, crap…do I have to?

Okay, then…three! (But only because the other side has been doing it more and longer.)

There, are you happy now?

[EddyTeddyFreddy]

@malkavia

Can we add this option?

4. Roll your eyes and possibly decide not to see this performer in concert again.
   Because honestly, I don’t think I’m the only person who would’ve picked that option.

Yeh, I thought of that one after I’d hit Submit (sigh). In fact, Starving Artist, ol’ buddy, you can pick number 4, if you’d like. So, which is it: 1, 2, 3, or 4? Or a two-for-one special?

[elucidator]

@Starving Artist

…(But only because the other side has been doing it more and longer.)…

We pretty much always do it more and longer. Eat your heart out.

…There, are you happy now?..

Sure! Now you know why.

[asterion]

@Liberal

@ichael Shit-for-Brains Moore

What country do you live in? Last time I checked, Las Vegas is still in the United States. And in the United States, we have something called “The First Amendment.” This constitutional right gives everyone here the right to say whatever they want to say.

What a fucking lard-headed idiot.

This right here is one of my major problems with a lot of people all over the political spectrum. Yes, there is the First Amendment. Yes, the First Amendment protects various freedoms. NO, IT DOES NOT APPLY TO PRIVATE PARTIES. It applies to the freaking GOVERNMENT. Sure, you can say anything you want in the public square (within generally reasonable limits), but that doesn’t mean anyone has to listen. They don’t have to care what you say. They can say something against what you said, they can concievably take any action that is not illegal against what you have said, but you don’t get the first, last, and only word. People, please get it through your thick skulls about what the First Amendment actually does. Now, we can debate how much the First Amendment should ideally apply to private parties as well as public, but this is not a First Amendment issue.

[wring]

been offline since last night or I would have responded to manny’s polite comment before now.

No, you misunderstand - the single source listed at the time I posted included all of the following:

1. a quote from Linda
2. statement re: vandalism
3. statement re: her being led out.

You chose to believe that #1 was absolutely correct, but wanted to ‘see more evidence’ re: #2, and #3.

Since all three things came from the same source, my issue is - why would you trust that the paper got the quote right (including if she’d said it sarcastically for example), but not the rest?

other random points that I think keep getting missed:

I keep hearing ‘crowds’ left - when it was reported “one fourth” left. Which means, 3/4’s stayed. So a relatively small group of fans got pissed off and left and that is sufficient? reminds me of the comment ‘how many cows does it take to stampeded - is one enough?’.

and it bears repeating that she’s got quite the history of being liberal, makes no secret of it. Consider - homosexuality can indeed be a poltical/controversial topic - would you hire Boy George to sing and then express outrage and shock that he dedicated a song to the love of his life, “John” (or whomever)?

wrt: the ‘dedication’ itself. What utter rot. She was hired to sing. She sang. SHe didn’t give a speech, she introduced a song. Do you really want to claim that an entertainer cannot introduce their material w/personal feelings? “I dedicate this song to my mom, apple pie and our brave boys at the war” .

I just find if fucking hilarious that the same contingency (essentially) that yell and scream about ‘oh, his widdle feewings were hurt’ when some one says something offensive are on the other side of the fence here. “Ohmygod - she admitted in public that she doesn’t like BUSH!!”. As a fun gesture, compare those complaining about Linda’s actions with those defending Dick C’s “fuck” in Congress, or Arnold’s “girlie men” (and let me note that Alladin’s hired Linda, but the citizens of California hired Arnold to govern their state, Dick C’s being paid to interact w/Congress etc.).

[Starving_Artist]

@elucidator

We pretty much always do it more and longer. Eat your heart out.

Sure! Now you know why.

Yeah, that’s right…rub it in!

With you liberals, it’s always about sex. (I wanna play, I wanna play!)

Oh, wait a minute! ::looks at tax bill::

Never mind. You all are screwing me already.