Sunday, July 25, 2004
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal
GETTING THE BOOT: Reacting to Ronstadt
Singer Linda Ronstadt sparked controversy when she dedicated "Desperado" to "Fahrenheit 9/11" director Michael Moore during a July 17 performance at the Aladdin. Casino officials said they escorted her off the property because crowd members were angry. The incident, which was first reported by Review-Journal columnist Norm Clarke, generated much discussion last week. A sampling is below:
First of all, I hate Las Vegas. Every time I go there I think, 'This is the end. I'm never going back again.' And I try to do something to make sure that I never get invited back.
LINDA RONSTADT
TUCSON CITIZEN, JULY 22
Seen any good movies lately?
LINDA RONSTADT
TO LOS ANGELES CROWD, JULY 21
The ones who are listening to Linda Ronstadt weren't necessarily Las Vegans. They were from all over the country and all over the world. And they had the opinion that you don't mix politics with entertainment. And that's a pretty darned good rule, to be quite frank with you.
MAYOR OSCAR GOODMAN
MSNBC, JULY 20
That had to be the best part of the concert. I read the reviews.
JOEL STEIN
TIME COLUMNIST ON MSNBC, JULY 21
Perhaps praising Moore, even at the very end of her show, did ruin the performance for some people. They have a right to disapprove and to voice their disapproval to express their opinion as Ronstadt expressed hers and to ask for a refund. But if their intemperate behavior begins to worry the management, then they are the ones who should be thrown out and told never to return, not Ronstadt, who threatened, after all, only to sing.
THE NEW YORK TIMES
EDITORIAL, JULY 21
Number one, I think it's a gross overreaction. If Linda Ronstadt wants to dedicate a song to Michael Moore, so what? I don't care. Nobody should care. If people were throwing drinks at her picture, they're dopes.
BILL O'REILLY
"THE O'REILLY FACTOR," JULY 20
Linda Ronstadt has been a has-been for at least twenty years; I literally can't remember a time when she wasn't a has-been.
There have been entire generations of musicians who have grown up, had careers, and become has-beens themselves during her career's long senescence.
Now she's a free-speech martyr, all because one guy at a casino -- a guy who's apparently on his way out, because the casino's been sold -- decided to make an issue of her encore. It's the best thing that's happened to her since she stopped dating Jerry Brown.
WAR LIBERAL
A WEB LOG, JULY 22
REPORTER: Scott, would you be at all surprised if the Democratic National Convention were to have as its speaker Ronald Reagan Jr., introduced by Linda Ronstadt? (Laughter.)
WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY SCOTT McCLELLAN: If you have recommendations that you want to make to the Democrats on their convention, I think you should forward those recommendations to the Democratic National Committee.
WHITE HOUSE PRESS BRIEFING
JULY 21
OK, not to be an extremist, but if the sleazy Aladdin hotel won't let a performer (Linda Ronstadt) express her views on stage, then I for one will not patronize any of the properties owned by Aladdin Gaming. Censorship and disrespect for the Bill of Rights has to carry some basic liabilities, don't you agree?
MOBY
MUSICIAN, WRITING ON HIS WEB SITE, JULY 21
BOB NOVAK: They want to be entertained. They don't want to be brainwashed with all of this left-wing claptrap. Can you understand that or are you just too much on the left, Bob?
ROBERT REICH: I think that I've listened to so much right-wing claptrap from talk radio and talk television that it seems to me it's appropriate that somebody counterbalance just a little bit in the entertainment industry.
CNN
JULY 20
Being fully informed in a wartime debate is a very American privilege, and I applaud Linda for using her star power to promote democracy in this way.
www.elektra.com/lindaronstadt/
ONE OF MORE THAN 3,000 MESSAGES POSTED ON THIS SITE
Linda is a Big Fat Stupid White Woman and a Liberal Moron. Yes, I realize that's redundant.
A CONTRARY VIEW, POSTED AT THE SAME SITE
I saw a movie recently about a camel and these people in Mongolia, and I relate to them better than people here in this country.
LINDA RONSTADT
SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, JULY 15
SHUT UP AND MOVE TO MONGOLIA.
LAURA INGRAHAM
CONSERVATIVE COMMENTATOR
Of all the things that go on in Las Vegas, this is what creates the need for serious action?
MICHAEL MOORE
LETTER TO ALADDIN PRESIDENT BILL TIMMINS, JULY 20
