I try to separate the artists from the art. Looking to entertainers for serious thoughts on political issues is like asking your accountant how to fix your boiler. I have a little more trouble when the art itself is so political, and, of course in a way that I find personally objectionable, I might get to the point where I dismiss the artist and their repertoire entirely. I have done so for a handful of artists.
Politics and Music
The Trumpets of Jericho
Beethoven and Napoleon
Wagner and the Nazis
"Ohio" and the Vietnam War
"Imagine" and consumerism
The Dixie Chicks
Countless examples illustrate the intersection of Music and Politics. Jerry Garcia referenced his group as "just a dance band." Always pondered how we react to our choices of music. Divorce it entirely from the controversies of the day and merely enjoy the artistry or allow it to change the way in which we view the world. Transformative, escapism, nostalgia, intellectual profundity, cultural discovery. Large questions. Your thoughts?