Ted Nugent at the AMP
Saturday, April 21, 2012 at 10:57AM We would like to thank everyone who has expressed an opinion regarding the upcoming performance by Ted Nugent at the Arkansas Music Pavilion (AMP).
We are aware of Mr. Nugent's recent comments, and comments he's made in the past. Here is a link to the most recent news about these comments.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_PEOPLE_TED_NUGENT?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
As an entertainment presenter, and owner of the AMP, we take into account our wide and diverse audiences when booking shows. However, there is a lot of discussion going on internally about this concert, and we want to assure everyone that we are listening to your feedback and comments and taking them into account.
Many of you have asked us if we intend to cancel Mr. Nugent's performance. Cancellation, though rare, may happen because of weather issues, sales or scheduling conflicts, and we work closely with our performers' management to make such decisions. Walton Arts Center does not have a policy of cancelling shows based on a performer's political statements or opinion; we evaluate each show on a case-by-case basis.
As an arts and entertainment presenter, we are grateful for the opportunity to engage in dialogue with our community about issues such as this, and we welcome your comments and feedback.
Reader Comments (14)
To trivialize Ted Nugent's incitement to assassinate the President of the United States by summing this up as a 'political statement or opinion' is not only a disservice to this community, but is a dangerous precedent. Does WAC really want to be associated with this kind of terroristic threatening?
The previous poster is right. Mr. Nugent was not expressing a political opinion or theory. He was advocating violence against the President.Words have consequences. Does the WAC condone this sort of expression of advocating for violence?
I'm a strong believer in freedom of both speech and commerce: Ted Nugent is entitled to air his opinions, but by that same token I am entitled to take my entertainment dollars elsewhere. Hasta la vista, WAC.
http://entertainment.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/04/21/11324499-military-cancels-ted-nugent-show-citing-anti-obama-comments
So, WAC is okay with someone indicating they are going to assinate the President of the US as well as violate game and fish laws. Thank you for clearing that up. My money walks. Mr, Nugent, please feel free to use the AMP stage to embarass and humilate the WAC and Fayetteville with your violent, extremist views.
Mr. Elie Weisel, The WAC may have allowed you use of its stage but it did not listen to one word you said.
I am quite saddened to read this. To equate this to simply a "political stance" is to negate the true violence and intent behind his words. Not only his words in the initial speech, but the fact that he has publicly continued to "stand by my words."
One article I read stated that the GOP paid him $15,000.00 for his appearance that day. How much will he cost the WAC in lost ticket sales and our community as a whole in the eyes of our citizens, tourists and potential residents that see us as being complicit with his vile conduct as evidenced by his illegal hunting activities and making threats against our President?
I will have a difficult time spending any of my hard earned money with the WAC if you go ahead with this concert. I think many will share my views.
While I do not agree with Mr. Nugent's views about our president, I do believe in free speech.
That free speech extends to our response. We can challenge the WAC, sure. But the WAC has a contract. Let them honor that contract.
I wonder if we can organize some local musicians to donate their time to a counter-concert. Admission, dignity, respect and a Ted Nugent ticket. That's right, we buy out the Ted Nugent concert.
He's going to get paid regardless. His contract will require him to play regardless of how many people show up. If we buy out the concert, no one will be there. Imagine our counter concert in the parking lot with the empty AMP in the background and Ted playing to no one!
Let's turn this into an opportunity to support our ideals and make a statement about free speech and tasteless speech!
Who's with me?
Brent Robinson
@Brent: While I love your idea of an alternative peace-promoting concert, the WAC CAN cancel for lack of sales! So please, if you don't want this concert to happen, DON'T buy tickets...
The value of free speech cannot be measured because it's priceless and while I applaud the WAC for supporting this right, maybe we could reflect for a moment on what happened to Dixie Chicks when they expressed their thoughts about former President Bush. To wit, via wikipedia:
"During a London concert ten days before the 2003 invasion of Iraq, lead vocalist Maines said "we don't want this war, this violence, and we're ashamed that the President of the United States (George W. Bush) is from Texas". The statement offended many country music fans, who thought it rude and unpatriotic, and the ensuing controversy fanned by politicians and mass media led to the eventual cancellation of their American tour that year. The incident led to hate mail, death threats, and the public destruction of their albums in protest."
So, when a group of women say they are embarrassed by their President, the hue, the cry and the cancellations were enormous...when a male quasi-rock star implies that he wants to shoot the President, it's okay? I think it's perfectly legit for the WAC to say "no thank you" to this kind of hate speech and either cancel his show or put our best foot forward by inviting all of the environmental/peace-oriented groups in our community to table at the show for free.
:)
Melissa,
What the right wing did to the Dixie Chicks was wrong. It was wrong then and it is wrong now.
Freedom of speech is freedom of speech, whether we agree with what they are say or not. What he said was worse than what she said - they are both Americans and have the right to speak.
"The men who had hated [the book (or song or rightwing radio nut)], and had not particularly loved Helvétius, flocked round him now. Voltaire forgave him all injuries, intentional or unintentional. 'What a fuss about an omelette!' he had exclaimed when he heard of the burning. How abominably unjust to persecute a man for such an airy trifle as that! 'I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it,' was his attitude now." S. G. Tallentyre, referring to Voltaire.
So here we are presented with a lightening rod hate monger cracking eggs and everyone is getting upset. We have our opinions about what he has said and we disagree. We have the WAC stuck in the middle.
Let's take the WAC out of this and make it about Freedom of Speech. True freedom of speech. Not just what we think is okay but what both sides have to say. Let's encourage dialogue and discourse, not character assassinations and mud slinging.
Let Nugent rave. Let him rant. Let him play. Heck, let him bring the national press... when we announce we are countering his message with a positive message. Let's challenge our local musicians and maybe temp some big performance with like minds to come to our little protest and show solidarity. Let's speak about our freedoms too.
Let's make enough noise we get Rachel Maddow and The Daily Show and, heck, FOX News to fly in a cover ole Nugent playing to no one while we raise money for local causes and praise our neighbors with a positive message of love and tolerance and acceptance.
I cannot control the crazy things those people might say. I can control how I respond to their words.
Let's choose how we respond today. Let's not respond by using the same tactics the right used against us. Let's respond by demonstrating on a world stage where Nugent can spout anger and hatred and we can sing of amazement and inspiration.
Consider it.
Brent Robinson
I hear what you're saying Brent and totally agree with your Voltaire quote. That said, opinions are one thing, threats are another. Threatening to assassinate the POTUS is not an opinion, it's a threat and should not be condoned, even by affiliation. Maybe he won't sell enough tickets and it won't even matter.
I assume folks at Walton Arts Center who used our scarce entertainment dollars to hire Ted Nugent never evaluated how violent and threatening speech works its way into horrific public acts. Do you suppose it is just an accident that Hitler blamed all problems on “the Jews”? The claims in Texas and especially in Dallas that President John Kennedy was a traitor provided heroic opportunity in the confused mind of his eventual assassin. Similar heated and threatening rhetoric in an Arizona political race was directed at Congress woman Gabrielle Giffords. This violent rhetoric landed in the bewildered mind of a kid who knew nothing about her, with deadly results. There is absolutely nothing wrong with Ted Nugent having partisan political opinions, and expressing them, but there is something very wrong when so public a figure fails to understand that extreme language easily leads to extreme reactions in bewildered minds. I am ashamed we are providing a public forum to a famous musician who is tone deaf when it comes to recognizing that dangerous acts may flow from violent comments like his April ”I will be dead or in jail” jab at President Obama’s reelection bid. My message to WAC management: Your actions speak loudly about your enterprise.
Because they are supporting Ted Nugent I will no longer be donating money to WAC.
Ted Nugent is a mentally unstable man. He makes a habit of wearing concealed weapons at concerts. He advocates killing pet dogs and pet cats, and claims to do both on a regular basis. He claims to enjoy the killing more when it takes them a few minutes to die while dancing around like "an insane clown posse." He believes all cats should be shot. He believes that killing animals has made his music "better." Basically, this moron advocates killing on a grand scale. The only reason he doesn't kill humans is that he would be jailed. He's a sick person and he has sick fans, most of whom unfortunately are gun nuts. When you combine his irrational and evil messages and the fact that his fans are mostly gun-toting subhumans, it spells danger. If Walton Arts Center holds this concert, I will only have very negative things to say about Walton Arts Center from this point on, and I will most definitely never, ever attend any events held there in the future. The directors should be very ashamed, and we should hold them accountable by encouraging all our friends, family, and acquaintances to not attend any future events held there. This is a completely avoidable and inexcusable act.