American singer-songwriter Carrie Underwood will perform “America the Beautiful” at president-elect Donald Trump’s Jan. 20 inauguration.
Democrats are furious. They shouldn’t be.
Underwood, ideally, should be free to perform wherever she pleases, and to make music as she sees fit, without her audience or the wider public transforming her actions into a petty, partisan fight. To do so is a tiresome and near-vestigial remnant of the censorious, cancellation-addled culture that has defined our last decade. We are better than this.
Even Whoopi Goldberg, high priestess of woke indignation, has generously granted Underwood permission to perform on Jan. 20. “If I believe I have the right to make up my mind to go perform some place, I believe they have the same right. I have to support,” said Goldberg. (Let’s pause here, for a moment of silence, to appreciate the vast profundity of Goldberg’s realization that even those with whom she disagrees are entitled to the same rights and freedoms that she enjoys.)
On any given day, the finest art supersedes politics. But on days when we hold ceremonies to recognize the democratic election of American presidents, or any world leader, we should — however challenging it may feel — take extra pains to recognize this. The alternative would consist of marching propagandist toadies on stage to sing lavish praises for their dearly beloved leader. How very North Korea-esque that would be.
`Alas, no sooner had Trump’s upcoming inauguration program been released online this Monday than a volley of online anger rained down on 41-year-old Underwood, whose performance is set to be immediately followed by Trump’s presidential oath of office.
From boycott calls to churlish — and sometimes misogynistic — comments about Underwood, who is allegedly “tired of being respected and admired,” “twerking for Daddy Trump,” or part of a “flop music career to right-wing activist pipeline,” she received enough backlash that she issued a public response.
Underwood released a media statement on Monday that read: “I love our country and am honoured to have been asked to sing at the Inauguration and to be a small part of this historic event. I am humbled to answer the call at a time when we must all come together in the spirit of unity and looking to the future.”
The public can only speculate as to whether Underwood is a current, former, future or never-to-be supporter of Trump or the Republican party, as she has apparently never expressed where her allegiance lies. Besides, any and all speculation is not germane to the purpose of an inauguration ceremony.
The United States has a history of bringing famous artists and singers to these events. In 1969, for instance, James Brown performed “Say it Loud, I’m Black and Proud” to the crowd at Richard Nixon’s inauguration. Brown had publicly campaigned for Nixon’s Democratic opponent a year earlier. In 2001, George W. Bush had pop star Jessica Simpson sing at his. Through it all, the Earth has continued to rotate around the sun. And not a single citizen — to our knowledge — was strapped to a chair, their eyelids stretched open with mini speculums like we saw in that Clockwork Orange scene, forced to endure a joyous celebration of democracy.
Should any of my best-loved artists perform at some future and (to my tastes) despicable American president’s inauguration — let’s say Doja Cat for Kamala Harris — I shall bite my tongue, perhaps hard enough to draw blood — and recall the argument I’ve made here. Art, country and democracy: all vastly more important than partisan bickering.
“O beautiful, for heroes proved, in liberating strife, who more than self, their country loved — and mercy more than life,” go the 1895 lyrics (originally a poem) of “America the Beautiful” by Katharine Lee Bates.
Belt it out, Underwood.
National Post