Thursday, October 06, 2011

And once again it comes down the grammar

I don't know if anyone else is following this story (if you heard the Two-Way blog on NPR, you've seen the posts about it), but ESPN will no longer being playing a Hank Williams Jr. song to open Monday night football.  This is due to a Hank Williams Jr. comparing Obama to Hitler and then calling both Obama and Biden the enemy when talking about the golf game between Obama, Biden, Speaker of the House Baynor, and I think the fourth person was the Governor of Ohio (but I'm not sure).  So EPSN pulled the song and then Williams Jr. released these statements:
"Some of us have strong opinions and are often misunderstood. My analogy was extreme — but it was to make a point. I was simply trying to explain how stupid it seemed to me — how ludicrous that pairing was. They're polar opposites and it made no sense. They don't see eye-to-eye and never will. I have always respected the office of the President.
"Every time the media brings up the tea party it's painted as racist and extremists — but there's never a backlash — no outrage to those comparisons... Working class people are hurting — and it doesn't seem like anybody cares. When both sides are high-fiving it on the ninth hole when everybody else is without a job – it makes a whole lot of us angry. Something has to change. The policies have to change."
"I have always been very passionate about Politics and Sports and this time it got the Best or Worst of me. The thought of the Leaders of both Parties Jukin and High Fiven on a Golf course, while so many Families are Struggling to get by simply made me Boil over and make a Dumb statement and I am very Sorry if it Offended anyone. I would like to Thank all my supporters. This was Not written by some Publicist."
And this is my response: It is unnecessary to say that this was not written by "some Publicist" because I would hope that a publicist, who by the very nature of the job needs to be careful about what is being said, would know when to and when not to capitalize words.   And later he said this:

"After reading hundreds of e-mails, I have made MY decision. By pulling my opening Oct 3rd, You (ESPN) stepped on the Toes of The First Amendment, Freedom of Speech, so therefore Me, My Song, and All My Rowdy Friends are OUT OF HERE. It's been a great run."

Again, what is up with the crazy capitalization?  He is protected by the First Amendment (and all of it's toes), but there is no reason to not follow grammatical rules. 

3 comments:

Lise M. said...

Yes, I suppose his freedom of speech is protected, but ESPN hired him (or paid for the rights to use his song) and ESPN has the right to it's opinion and can fire an employee (or his song). It also makes me sad and mad that a celebrity's opinion is any more important than yours - or mine! Or should I have written it "MINE"?
His STATEMENT is SO bad, it WAS lauGHable!

elizabeth said...

I can't stand it when people think the First Amendment protects them from losing their job. Or their friends. Or people's opinion of them. What an idiot. On the other hand, this post made me laugh out loud, so thanks for that.

Catherine said...

I agree Elizabeth. ESPN did not censor him, they reacted to what he had already said which is completely in their rights. Hank Williams Jr. could not have possibly thought there would be no fall out from comparing someone to Hitler. Unless you are comparing genocidal dictators, don't compare someone to Hitler.