Why have the guys been so quiet politically?

musicismylife78musicismylife78 Posts: 6,116
edited March 2008 in The Porch
Its surprising how little the guys have been involved in speaking about Election 2008 or even speaking about the war and the environment etc… in the last few months.

They recorded a song, minus Ed. The Body of War soundtrack as well, but it seems like that movie and song was ages ago! And Into the Wild the movie and the soundtrack could and probably should be considered political as well, but the band hasn’t done much else in terms of speaking about who they want for president at least this election cycle.

Its most surprising how little Ed has said. He didn’t participate in the Rock around Barack song, so I assume that means the Mike, Matt, Stone, Jeff and Boom support Barack and that Ed doesn’t.

Why do you think its been so quiet politically on the PJ front? This is an election year!
Its surprising not to see Ed out speaking against the status quo and speaking against the 2 party system.

Whats up?
Post edited by Unknown User on
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Comments

  • FahkaFahka Posts: 3,187
    Maybe theres just nothing to be said?....
  • maybe my signature says it all.......
    PEARL JAM~Lubbock, TX. 10~18~00
    PEARL JAM~San Antonio, TX. 4~5~03
    INCUBUS~Houston, TX. 1~19~07
    INCUBUS~Denver, CO. 2~8~07
    Lollapalooza~Chicago, IL. 8~5~07
    INCUBUS~Austin, TX. 9~3~07
    Bonnaroo~Manchester, TN 6~14~08
  • mohomoho Posts: 541
    Maybe they just want to get away from the spotlight, especially Ed, beacause they have been busy for a few years and probably need to take a step back into family life for a while before they begin the whole hectic cycle of studio - album - press - tour again.
    JUST PLAY THE F***ING NOTE!!!
  • Maybe Ed just wants to wait and see who'll be the Democratic nominee. It's gonna be a long summer. They'll be there.
  • acoustic guyacoustic guy Posts: 3,770
    Maybe he feels the same way I do.
    I don't like any of them.
    I got no dog in the hunt.
    Get em a Body Bag Yeeeeeaaaaa!
    Sweep the Leg Johnny.
  • I heard they were banned from politics because of "Rock Around Barack"
    "Don't lose your inner heat...ever" - EV 5/13/06
  • acoustic guyacoustic guy Posts: 3,770
    I heard they were banned from politics because of "Rock Around Barack"

    LOL :D
    That song does suck
    Get em a Body Bag Yeeeeeaaaaa!
    Sweep the Leg Johnny.
  • nuzpapernuzpaper Posts: 211
    Bush is on his way out. Nothing more to say
    Toronto 96, Barrie 98, Toronto 00, Toronto 03, Ottawa 05, Toronto 05, Toronto 06, Toronto 06, Denver 06, Denver 06, Chicago 07, New York 08, New York 08...I'm just getting started
  • 4Powers204Powers20 Posts: 1,227
    When McCain wins there will be plenty for Eddie to complain about. And he WILL win.


    "We're running out of beer, too?" EV 6/19/08

  • bernmodibernmodi Posts: 631
    I'm sure the silence will be broken during the April fools tour.
  • LedbetterusLedbetterus Posts: 592
    Probably because Nader is back, and Ed knows that Nader has 0% chance of winning but a 100% chance of making the Democrats lose votes. Ed
    s probably conflicted.. support his buddy Nader, or help out the country.
    Abraham Lincoln once said, "If you are a racist, I will attack you with the North."
  • maybe my signature says it all.......

    You might have a point there. Maybe he's done some maturing as far as his political involvement is concerned and has grown disenchanted about the whole process.

    Have they actually "endorsed" specific candidates in the past or rather spoken out about specific issues (e.g. Iraq)?
    Well, do you need a lot of what you've got to survive?
  • DanimalDanimal Posts: 2,000
    They better break their silence soon I need to know who to vote for...
    "I don't believe in PJ fans but I believe there is something, not too sure what." - Thoughts_Arrive


  • acutejamacutejam Posts: 1,433
    I'm pretty sure they checked their resumes, saw they had zero experience in public office and correctly figured out that America doesn't need celebrities or rock stars to tell us how to vote.

    But I could be wrong....
    [sic] happens
  • Get_RightGet_Right Posts: 13,146
    You might have a point there. Maybe he's done some maturing as far as his political involvement is concerned and has grown disenchanted about the whole process.

    no chance of that
    activism is a huge part of both EV and the band's philosphy

    just too early in the process for them to start spewing
  • 12345AGNST112345AGNST1 Posts: 4,906
    well considering we don't even know who ed is voting for, that probably means he is unsure of who will be the better president. so he is keeping his mouth shut by not rooting for anyone until he knows the president is good/bad. i highly doubt with all of his political banter that he wants to say "go obama" only to find out he sucks. (im not saying he will suck) hilary and obama are complete changes if either one is elected, they're new to the game, (well not really hilary i guess) so Ed probably isnt having much hope of them.
    5/28/06, 6/27/08, 10/28/09, 5/18/10, 5/21/10
    8/7/08, 6/9/09
  • I dispute the premise of your question--I think they have been active--but will offer two tidbits:

    1. The Dem nominee has yet to be selected
    2. George Bush isn't running
  • Get_Right wrote:
    no chance of that
    activism is a huge part of both EV and the band's philosphy

    just too early in the process for them to start spewing

    Yeah, but I always thought it was the "get the vote out" or "get our troops home" kinda activism. not the candidate 1 over candidate 2 kinda activism.
    Well, do you need a lot of what you've got to survive?
  • Get_RightGet_Right Posts: 13,146
    Yeah, but I always thought it was the "get the vote out" or "get our troops home" kinda activism. not the candidate 1 over candidate 2 kinda activism.

    that is right
    except for EV endorsing Nader back in 2000

    in time, EV will speak on the matter

    the speech at bonnaroo should be interesting

    the bigger the crowd, the more I expect EV to say something
  • simplemansimpleman Posts: 425
    maybe, just maybe their to busy making new music....
    this thread sucks.
    " Jump from a cliff to fly, not to fall..."
  • Maybe because he has finally woken up and realizes this country is full of dubbed down idiots who don't know dick about who really controls things and are too stupid to even realize the whole voting process has been compromised...and ALL the candidates are boot-licking whores with the same agenda,regardless of political party.
  • simplemansimpleman Posts: 425
    Maybe because he has finally woken up and realizes this country is full of dubbed down idiots who don't know dick about who really controls things and are too stupid to even realize the whole voting process has been compromised...and ALL the candidates are boot-licking whores with the same agenda,regardless of political party.

    I think this thread can now end. Thank you.
    " Jump from a cliff to fly, not to fall..."
  • simpleman wrote:
    I think this thread can now end. Thank you.


    sorry!

    to the average person i sound like a cynical asshole,but i assure you that's not the case.

    ok,now it can end :)
  • FifthelementFifthelement Posts: 6,961
    acutejam wrote:
    I'm pretty sure they checked their resumes, saw they had zero experience in public office and correctly figured out that America doesn't need celebrities or rock stars to tell us how to vote.

    But I could be wrong....


    Why is it that Americans, as soon as they achieve some kind of fame, are no longer allowed to voice an opinion about politics, the environment, etc.?

    I thought America was supposed to be the poster child for "democracy"?
    I'm not saying this to slag America or Americans, it's just something that I have always wondered. The backlash against the Dixie Chicks was the most frightening example of this kind of intolerance. I've even seen it on this board recently in regards to Ed. Basically it was "shut up and sing."

    Aren't people who have achieved some success or fame responsible, if they chose to be, to raise awareness of social or political problems. I'm not saying that they're right, but at least they can spark interest and maybe in some small way make a difference in this large, scary and interesting world.

    Cheers!
    "What the CANUCK happened?!? - Esquimalt Barber Shop
  • simplemansimpleman Posts: 425
    Why is it that Americans, as soon as they achieve some kind of fame, are no longer allowed to voice an opinion about politics, the environment, etc.?

    I thought America was supposed to be the poster child for "democracy"?
    I'm not saying this to slag America or Americans, it's just something that I have always wondered. The backlash against the Dixie Chicks was the most frightening example of this kind of intolerance. I've even seen it on this board recently in regards to Ed. Basically it was "shut up and sing."

    Aren't people who have achieved some success or fame responsible, if they chose to be, to raise awareness of social or political problems. I'm not saying that they're right, but at least they can spark interest and maybe in some small way make a difference in this large, scary and interesting world.

    Cheers!
    good points, but you don't have to achieve success or fame to voice an opinion. Ed's opinion shouldn't matter any more than yours or mine does...
    " Jump from a cliff to fly, not to fall..."
  • Ledbetterman10Ledbetterman10 Posts: 16,882
    Why do you think its been so quiet politically on the PJ front? This is an election year!
    Its surprising not to see Ed out speaking against the status quo and speaking against the 2 party system.

    Whats up?

    well let's see.

    2000: Pearl Jam supported Ralph Nader. Nader got 97,000 votes in Florida, the decisive state. Bush defeated Gore by 540 votes in Florida, thus winning the electoral college vote and the presidency.

    2004: Pearl Jam and others including Dave Matthews and Bruce Springsteen embark on the vote for change tour. unfortunately, they fail to rock Ohio, the decisive state this time around, hard enough and Bush takes the state, and again the electoral college.

    2008: Stone Gossard, jealous of the recent golden globe win of you know who, sings lead on an abomination called 'Rock Around Barack' in which they play 'Rock Around the Clock' note for note, word for word but substituting 'Barack' for 'the clock.' Weird Al would smack him upside the head if he ever heard that bushleague attempt.

    so yeah, "No Bush '92" on SNL was nice and all but they should probably keep away from politics. they'd be better off taking on ticketmaster again.
    2000: Camden 1, 2003: Philly, State College, Camden 1, MSG 2, Hershey, 2004: Reading, 2005: Philly, 2006: Camden 1, 2, East Rutherford 1, 2007: Lollapalooza, 2008: Camden 1, Washington D.C., MSG 1, 2, 2009: Philly 1, 2, 3, 4, 2010: Bristol, MSG 2, 2011: PJ20 1, 2, 2012: Made In America, 2013: Brooklyn 2, Philly 2, 2014: Denver, 2015: Global Citizen Festival, 2016: Philly 2, Fenway 1, 2018: Fenway 1, 2, 2021: Sea. Hear. Now. 2022: Camden, 2024Philly 2

    Pearl Jam bootlegs:
    http://wegotshit.blogspot.com
  • FifthelementFifthelement Posts: 6,961
    simpleman wrote:
    good points, but you don't have to achieve success or fame to voice an opinion. Ed's opinion shouldn't matter any more than yours or mine does...

    That's what I meant, I'm sorry that it did not come across that way. Just because a person becomes famous doesn't mean that their opinion is any more or less valid than any other persons. It just seems that when one does become famous, especially in the States, that they're told to shut up, like their fame will be too much for the 'ordinary' human being to handle, that they would/could have too much influence on the course of events especially in politics.

    Cheers!
    "What the CANUCK happened?!? - Esquimalt Barber Shop
  • xkevvxxkevvx Posts: 348
    Danimal wrote:
    They better break their silence soon I need to know who to vote for...


    Haha. That's great.
  • I see it this way

    1 Ed offers up food for thought,eat if you choose


    2 He is passionate about his freedom (as i hope you all are) and worked hard at his craft and uses the forum that all his hard work created for him,to speak his mind (a right we all have but most lack the forum i.e. millions of listeners)


    3 Sadly in this day and age people know more about sports/movies/bullshit more than they do about what's going on with their own government(patriot act,military commission act,Rex 84 etc.) so it's a good thing when Ed rattles cages and hopefully inspires you to maybe give two fucks about the future of this country
  • acutejamacutejam Posts: 1,433
    Why is it that Americans, as soon as they achieve some kind of fame, are no longer allowed to voice an opinion about politics, the environment, etc.?

    If only that were true.... Unfortunately the opposite is almost universally true: achieve fame and grab a megaphone on your issue of the day! I say unfortunately because a career of acting, singing or sports does literally nothing to qualify you to "inform" ... you are qualified to "entertain." Debating, teaching, educating are very different art forms from entertaining, imo.

    Now that's just broad brush strokes -- there are certainly those with the passion and intelligence to thoroughly educate themselves on their issues and provide a rational debate. PJ seems to be one of those exceptions for the most part, they serve as a conduit for exceedingly informed folks to enage us.

    But let me just make a case in point: Tom Cruise.
    Should I listen to him about post-partum depression? He's done educated himself on the issue as he done went and told Matt Lauer all about!
    [sic] happens
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