Come Home Cardinal Pell

[stui magpie]

Tim Minchen has released this song

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHR39ez56RE

All profits go to assist some victims of child abuse from Catholic Church members to go to the vatican and face Pell while he gives evidence to the royal commission.

Thoughts?

I'm not a fan of celebrities preaching their views to the great unwashed, particularly actors. With them, I fall in the Paul Hogan camp that they're just adults doing what kids have been doing forever, playing dress up and make believe, and too many think that the amounts of money they earn somehow makes their opinions important.

However, musicians have been making political statements in their music as long as music has been around, and Tim Minchen is an extraordinary talent, even if he always makes me think he should be in a sequel to Beetlejuice or committed.

So, personally, I actually like it.

Firstly, the tune is really catchy

Secondly, it's not preachy, he's careful to be putting his opinion across. He uses the words a few times "I think..." rather than making statements of supposed fact, I like that approach.

Thirdly, I think it's a good cause and he's bringing attention to it that was missing. He's not jumping on the bandwagon per se, he's putting a new motor in it and giving it a push start.

So, what's your thoughts about the song and about celebrities pushing social causes? Lets not get into a diatribe about the church too much, pretty sure that's been done to death, but about this song in particular and celebs pushing social causes in general.

Ptiddy, any references to the oil economy in a post in this thread and I push the blue button.

[Dave The Man]

The Creep Pell won't comeback as he most likely go to Jail. As he Should

[Mugwump]

Anyone's entitled to their opinion, and to use whatever public attention they can command to push that opinion. If the public are silly enough to listen to people who have no relevant experience, then shame on the public. I suspect that it is only the young who allow themselves to be influenced by luvvies and musos.

Minchin is indeed a great talent. He is artistically rather gifted, but also (that increasingly rare thing) an intellect which is capable of grasping nuance and accepting uncertainty.

[Morrigu]

[Bruce Gonsalves]

Not a great fan of Minchin and this song may well be hilarious, but it could possibly jepordize dialogue between victims and the church. I can only count ourselves lucky that my kids weren't abused by Kevin O'Donnell. I count Christine and Anthony Foster as friends, with my kids in the same classes at Sacred Heart Oakleigh. He was a fucxxn monster.

[Dave The Man]

This paints the Catholic Church supporting Pedophile

[David]

I haven't followed this closely or really been clear on the extent of Pell's involvement (whether he actively participated in cover-ups of sexual abuse or just happens to be head guy and the place where the buck stops). So, few opinions on whether he should face the commission in person or not � modern video tech is sophisticated enough to do the trick, isn't it? Or maybe there's something symbolically important about having him there in the same room as victims?

As for Stui's actual question, I generally have pretty low tolerance for artists and entertainers lecturing us about politics. I mean, part of their job (in many cases) is to express their views, but the reason they're famous and the reason we're interested in what they have to say is that they express their views artistically. That's more or less what Minchin is doing here (i.e. this is exactly what he's famous for ��writing and performing tongue-in-cheek songs about various subjects), so I have no real issue with this particular song.

What doesn't sit quite as well is when, for instance, a stand-up comedian takes a break from their set to make some really simplistic political point. It sort of feels like exploiting their position, in a way ��using the fact they have a platform and a microphone to say what they like without pushback.

A case in point is this interview:

http://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/oct/23/gareth-liddiard-of-the-drones-its-time-leftwingers-grew-some-balls

Now, I love this guy's music. He's one of the most eloquent and poetic lyricists in this country, and many of his songs carry deep and complex political ideas (the song they're discussing notwithstanding ��it's a long way from his best work). But the thing that comes across to me is that he's just having a bit of a rant in this interview, and it's not really all that edifying or coherent. That's at least partially the interviewer's fault � why not ask him more about his music? � but also I think there's an expectation that some people like this have, that, if they have a soapbox, they need to use it. Hence we get Madonna's views on international politics, Justin Bieber's views on climate change and 100 stand-up comedians writing a petition to the government to allow the asylum seeker babies to remain in Australia. How is this any more interesting than hearing what some guy down at the pub (or *cough* Victoria Park Tavern ) has to say? It's just some random person's half-informed opinions that supposedly carry more weight because that person is famous for doing something completely unrelated.

So, basically, my stance is this: if you're a comedian and want to make a point, make it funny. If you're a musician, write a decent song. If you're an author, write a good book that explores those themes. That's why you have a platform, and that's what your platform is for. Pure didactic soapboxing of the kind that has nothing to do with your art, on the other kind, just comes across as self-indulgent.

[swoop42]

Minchen might be a talent in other areas but I don't find him funny at all generally.

[Mugwump]

[npalm]

I like Tim Minchin. I don't particularly like Pell. I definitely don't like musos using their celebrity to preach a party political line.
But it's perfectly valid for a musician or comedian (Minchin is both) to express his opinions in his performance. It's what he does. Take it or leave it.

BUT having said all that... I think he has crossed a line with this song. He calls Pell scum and a coward. Unless he knows for certain that Pell is well enough to travel then this is going too far.

[David]

^ He might possibly be referring to his character generally. Not that that necessarily makes it appropriate. I don't know enough about Pell or what he's accused of to say (whether one should refer to anyone in such terms is a separate question again).

[think positive]

[pietillidie]

[regan is true fullback]

[regan is true fullback]

Why does Jose Sisson, the Bob Santamaria of the Philippines, hate sex so much?

Because God, the old meanie, won't give him access to Immaculate Conception

Why doesn't the Catholic Right believe in sex education?

because we have celibacy and Immaculate Conception, why mess with perfection.