And Then A Ted Nugent Song Came On…

A personal perspective on art and the purveyor

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I was in the car the other night driving home from a somewhat long and trying day at work. In such cases, I usually want to listen to some ‘self-care’ music to help me unwind. And for me that is usually the guitar-driven rock & roll that I grew up with. It just takes me back… takes me away… and soothes my soul. The perfect escapism. I was listening to Classic Rewind on Sirius/XM, jamming out to the likes of longtime favs: Rush, Cheap Trick, Foreigner—it was as if it were 1982 and I was driving home from school in my black Trans Am. (Yep. I was very cool then.) Not a care in the world. Perfect.

Then… on came Cat Scratch Fever by Ted Nugent—a staple of rock radio back in the day (And owned the album of the same name)—and… I immediately turned to another channel.

This is not a political post, (and I’m sure people on all sides go through this) but I immediately thought of the ‘recent’ Ted Nugent. And I just didn’t want to listen. (If you don’t know the ‘recent’ Ted Nugent, you can look him up. He has very strong opinions, many of which I don’t agree with. Again, not just political.) Part of me was dismissive, maybe a little angry. Part of me didn’t want to support the one ‘play’ he would get on satellite radio, and yeah, part of me was also feeling, admittedly, a little holier than thou. Like, I’m above his bullshit. I’m better than that.

I mean, that song is perfect in that genre. That song was a staple of my youthful listening, part of my teenage angst and wanting to play rock & roll guitar. If music shapes you in your teens, that song helped shape me. And at that time, Ted Nugent and I probably shared some of the same values - long haired (yes, in the 80s) rebellions of authority. Turn up the rock & roll and everyone can just F-off. But in this recent moment, as an adult living in this hyper-emotional, divided, social-media driven world, I just could not separate the art, or the artist, from the person.

Now, I know that this is not a new subject. But this specific incident was new for me. I don’t ever remember just turning something off because I felt all of the things that I was feeling. And part of me was angry at myself, like, now I’m ‘pulled in’ to all of the division on another level. Now with… art and creativity! And it just made me think… wonder… ponder…

First of all, if we are to really look at all artists, there may only be a handful that we are fully in-line with regarding values and stances and such. On the other hand, famous artists do have a platform and can promote their ideals, (some do, some don’t) so, is supporting their art supporting their ideals? And what harm would it have done to just keep listening to that song in that moment? On a pure aesthetics level it was a perfect part of my driving home feeling youthful and carefree soundtrack. Where do we draw the line? Perhaps there is a spectrum, but why do we generally seem to accept some (Michael Jackson?) and, perhaps, not others (Woody Allen?)

It's one thing if the ‘art’ was purposefully making a statement. If the art is supporting something that does not align with our values, or is spewing hate, homophobia, racism, etc, then there is no conflict in not listening, watching, or supporting. But what about art that is outside of all that? What if the ‘art’ is just that, art, (and you like it) but the purveyor has ‘issues’ that you don’t agree with? What if you suddenly found out that your favorite band’s front man was arrested for, said something, aligned with… fill in the blank… in their personal life that has nothing to do with their music but you strongly disagree with? Would that change things? Would you stop listening? Where do we draw the line?

And in my recent case, what about art that was created well before the artist seemingly ‘went off the rails’? (Well… I guess one could argue that Ted Nugent was always off the rails but you know what I mean.) Is that art okay because it was before all of ‘that’ but anything new is now is off limits? And when do you become somewhat hypocritical? I certainly don’t agree with government banning books, of any kind. I agree with freedom of expression. Especially through art! I don’t turn off Michael Jackson songs and have recently watched a Woody Allen movie. So who’s the hypocrite now? And what am I? The ‘morals’ police?

Should we just appreciate all art for what it is… art, or do we hand pick our art and stay in our little sheltered comfort zones?

I know that we all have our own comfort levels with what we consume, and that is the way it should be. No one should be forced to consume any art that they don’t like or feel uncomfortable with. Art is subjective and that’s the great thing about it. But this particular ‘incident’ really made me think. It made me look into myself and my own ideas and prejudices. And really… isn’t that what art is supposed to do? Make you think? Make you feel something? Sometimes make you feel uncomfortable. Even if you don’t agree with everything that comes with it?

I’m curious. What do you think? Let me know in the comments below. I love hearing from you.

Raymond Leone, MMT, MT-BC is a board-certified music therapist based in Northern Virginia and writes extensively about music and wellness.