Opinion: Yesterday Justine Sachs and Nadia Abu-Shanab penned an open letter urging Lorde to cancel her concert scheduled for next June in Tel Aviv. Here Dane Giraud, a member of the NZ Jewish community, offers a counterview.
Dear Lorde,
I’m not often asked to be the mouthpiece for political movements. Funny that. Not really. Who’d want a schmuck like me to front anything? I can’t relate to the pressure you no doubt find yourself in constantly – with demands to endorse this and condemn that. What doesn’t help is that in this new age of social media, activism seems inescapably tied up with celebrity brands. Hell, I’m starting to think that the old days when sex was used to sell everything from Coca-Cola to bicycle pumps was a more innocent time. Today it’s a commitment to “causes” and artists like yourself don’t just have to take a position, you’re told to take the correct position.
Here’s what it comes down to: you’re being asked not to sing in front of a stadium full of Jews. Sounds pretty crappy when put that way. And, of course, Arabs, too. Israel has over 1.5 million Arabs – many of whom are no doubt fans of yours. Who isn’t a fan of yours? All right, my 80-year-old mother is a bit mystified by your success, but don’t let that get you down; Steven Seagal is her favourite actor.
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