.jpg?1305035296)
To begin with, do not feel bad for not knowing who Moe Tucker is. I wasn’t particularly familiar with the woman until a few weeks ago, myself: it turns out that she was the archtypical, ground-breaking drummer for The Velvet Underground . . . which is a band that most people have heard of, but apparently not all that many have actually listened to. I don’t really mean that to be dismissive: it was once said of the group that while one of its albums only sold five hundred copies, every person that did buy one started a band. It had Lou Reed in it, too, and yeah, everybody’s heard of Lou Reed.
So. She’s a founding member of a legendary band with a cult following, and she did some experimental musical stuff, and she played the drums standing up. This las is the epitome of cool among a surprisingly large percentage of self-described cultural elites, apparently; which is why many of them were so despondent to hear that there was a Maureen Tucker spotted at… at… at… A TEA PARTY. In Georgia. But perhaps it was a different Maureen/Moe Tucker…
Nope. I will not attempt to diminish Ms. Tucker’s epic rant by selectively quoting from it; suffice it to say that if there’s an infuriating thing that the government’s done since the Democrats have taken it over, odds are that Moe Tucker agrees with you on it (my personal favorite was when she fulminated against that execrable delta smelt). She still considers herself a Democrat, too . . . not that I care what Ms. Tucker calls herself when she casts her vote against the Democratic slate in a week and a half. In short, she’s pretty much your average Tea Partier: she knows exactly what’s aggravating her about our current government, and she isn’t shy in the slightest about going on about it, loudly and in precise detail.
Only . . . Moe Tucker is a founding member of a legendary band with a cult following and she played the drums standing up. And a Tea Partier. And a founding member of a legendary band with a cult following and she played the drums standing up. And a Tea Partier. And a founding member of a legendary band with a cult following and she played the drums standing up. And a Tea Partier . . .
Those who were born conservative may be forgiven at this point for being confused about the idea that one might have trouble with this--there are artists whom you like as artists, while still objecting to their political views. So? After all, cradle conservatives typically have to come to grips with the concept while still in their teens, given the way Hollywood’s corporate mindset defaults to ‘boutique leftist.’ Speaking as somebody who transitioned to conservatism well after adulthood, I can tell you: it’s a bit of a shock to deal with the idea that suddenly you’re one of the them--those whom your favorites like to rail against. Of course, I got over it--that’s what adults do--but it was still something I had to get my head around first. Not that I’m sympathetic to the folks ripped up inside that Moe Tucker isn’t ecstatic at the way that our current ruling party is running/ruining the country. Self-absorption never appealed to me (unless, um, I’m the one engaged in it), and there’s a distinct flavor of rampant narcissism running through the Moe Tucker narrative. “How could she do this?” is the common sentiment . . . with a silent “. . . to ME?” tacked on at the end.
And the answer – “Actually, you were not part of her decision-making process at all” – is unlikely to appeal to such individuals.
Take your eyes off the mirror, please. Use your brain.
Editor's Note: Mickey Kaus has more on Moe Tucker, and makes the point that Tucker is--or was--a Democrat's Democrat. So what went wrong? Find out.
