Final Word from Friday, October 15, 2004
Bruce Springsteen is known not only for his singing, but also for his social conscience, and he's putting both to use to support John Kerry. In The Mansion on the Hill, Fred Goodman argues that Springsteen's politics are more spin than reality. Springsteen was apolitical until his manager, Jon Landau, and his biographer, Dave Marsh (whose wife worked with Landau), started crafting a myth of activism around him. In the CR, pop stars Karel Gott and Helena Vondráčková are singing for ČSSD in campaign concerts, although they aren't ČSSD supporters. MFD devoted a full page to the paradox today, and the two singers risk getting the image of "whores" who'll sing for anyone for a quick crown. Gott and Vondráčková are rich in Czech terms, but apparently not rich enough to afford a manager who, like Landau, knows what's best for his client over the long term. rally campaign