[klaatumail] Re: Fwd: Fw: How Big is Walmart?
- From: Edward Martin III <edwardmartiniii@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: klaatumail@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 2 May 2011 12:42:42 -0700
A somewhat more complete picture of the whole Cat Stevens And His
Amazing Mouth Noises Issue:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_Stevens%27_comments_about_Salman_Rushdie
Somewhat entertaining reading -- I hadn't recognized the literary
connection between CS and the character in SR's book. THAT'S gotta
feel funny in the money!
If I had to interpret this sequence of events (if, for example, a
rabid grizzly bear was demanding me to do so), I would say that it
seems evident that, as a newbie, he said some pretty stupid things,
and then tried backpedaling a bit and respinning it when he found out
it really DID have an effect on his reputation and income.
Whoopsie! Who could have guessed?
He also managed a pretty strong reputation-repair campaign, but no
one's really heard of it, because, well, let's face it, it's easier to
say "ZOMG -- CAT STEVENS IS TEH TERRORIST! NO MORE JUICE ALLOWED ON
PLANES!"
One can take this a variety of ways, though. Maybe he was just a
dumbass when he opened his mouth and he's trying to make up for it
(and who among us have not had to do the same thing?). Or maybe he
was an actual murder-in-the-name-of-imaginary-friends jerk, and has
subsequently been trying to soft-pedal himself so no one suspects that
at his core he's Evil Incarnate.
Myself, based on this, tend to suspect the former -- that he just said
dumbass things, and has been trying to recover his reputation. I
think he's doing so clumsily and in a little bit of a drama-queenish
way, but hey, nobody's perfect*. If I had a nickel for every person
I've met who suddenly "discovers" Christianity and insists that the
world is 6000 years old and made by a magical sky-guy, I could afford
to waste some serious dosh on PowerBall tickets, cocaine, and a couple
of well-trained hookers to help me tell the difference.
The fact that it appears as if his money is not going to the same
place his mouth was helps a lot, I think **.
Now, if it is uncovered that he's actually ponied up hard moola for a
known terrorist organization***, then that's something different.
Cheers,
Edward
* I mean, how hard can it be to say "Yeah, I said that, but maaaaan,
was I ever being a dumbass at the time. Sorry." By trying to
retrobullshit what he actually said, he just makes himself look more
weaselly.
** http://www.vh1.com/thewire/content/news/1449391.jhtml and
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2005/mar/29/usa.tsunami2004 among
others.
*** Allegations he's supported Hamas, for example, have not (to my
knowledge) been proven, but again, he used some pretty weaselly words
when defending himself. I suspect he's just kinda clueless, but hey,
maybe someday someone'll draw a hard link and then we can all feel
better about not listening to Tea for the Tillerman (because "I'm
kinda grown-up and not so emo now" isn't a good enough reason?!).
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