THE ARTS and THE SILENCE OF THE SHEEPLE

So What's It All About--Daisy? (thoughts for all the artists and performers left behind)

Sometime musings need a soundtrack; this one keeps looping in my mind so read on below and feel free to listen to this oldie-but-goodie where many of the lyrics resonate with me today…

LOVE seems to be the only answer when there are things we truly cannot fathom—human things. Enjoy Cilla Black herewith, singing a truly GREAT Burt Bacharach song and read-on below—for more…

I know there's something much more
Something even non-believers can believe in
I believe in love, Alfie (Daisy…)
Without true love we just exist, Alfie (Daisy…)

For those of ya’s just stopping by for the first time, I started writing this Substack because I was fit to be tied-frustrated with our entire family (especially my younger daughter, a dancer/actress/singer kid) being banned from all connection with the “ARTS” in NYC due to not wanting to partake of the experimental injection insanity… nor wantin’ to stay home or stay masked or get tested or keep distanced or be tracked and traced… All Of It.  For wanting to be HUMAN we’ve been (more or less) punished.

For sparing ourselves the aforementioned medically unsound traumas and indignities (not to mention the long term side effects), it regrettably means we've been full-out excluded from polite society and from the entire world of performing arts—-both as participants in and spectators of all those arts which so uniquely characterized our city and our connection to it, our connection the New York that was formerly a one-of-a-kind place where creativity could thrive (skipping for the moment the sorry and slow suburbanization of NYC to big box blandness…a foul trend that long preceeded the plandemic).  SCRATCHIN’ my head (and tail) to make sense of all of this, I began to write…

The tinpot topper I wear has much a’brewin’ inside nowadays but first and foremost something said that I should be speaking of this city that used to feel like home but of which, for the past two years, has felt like purgatory, and giving voice to specific harms done SPECIFICALLY to those of us in the ARTS who do not comply—for these harms are not well known.

Americans now know plenty about kids missing out on team sports and proms—but for some kids, hard-working dedicated ones indeed—tap class and the ballet recital and the chance to take lessons at Julliard or perform in Shrek Junior…are pretty important too. We know some of these kids who have been shut out--my daughter is not alone by far--but we have no NUMBERS.  So I'll tell our story--and maybe in the comments, some of ya's can tell yours....

Before the plandemic Daisy's younger daughter here (same gal you heard on the Turd-O track from my last posting) in fact sang at Carnegie Hall and danced onstage at Lincoln Center and performed at other purdy well known city venues; now it's a lucky break that Bitchute and Brighteon and Odyssey are still up and running and spare a wee spot for our humble little videos “(again, see the last posting).  Best we can do—it’s something… but it’s not a replacement for what they / we LOST.

Most parents (or shunned artists for that matter) cannot even remotely replicate the far more professional opportunities lost—anything we do now to “make do” serves as a crappy bandaid that doesn’t stick right —as a wishful IOU for later when things turn sunny, hoping The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow… but worried it may not if Bill Gates gets his way. (So far, he is.)

To us opter-outers, everyone says , well, it’s your CHOICE nobody forced you our your kid to take the shots and it’s YOUR own fault for making them miss out. Sort of … Human sacrifice doesn’t seem to be a fair “choice” for some of us—so there is damage done on BOTH SIDES of this equation… even from those who dare to dodge the needle. 

Honestly, it's not just mainstream media missing THIS tragic story completely but also ALT. MEDIA doesn't really go there either.  Truly, madly, even in the alt. media we see and hear coverage ONLY about people who cannot EAT out, WORK out, CHEER-on their favorite team or PLAY in Little League, get their HAIR done or WORSHIP in person.  All indeed legit examples and shamefully now a new low in our American History but still…NOTHING on "them AHRTS" nor on the folks, kids especially, now BANNED.

Think about the tween girls about to start pointe (a ballet thing) and couldn’t; they are now a few years behind (and nope, you can’t just quickly make up that lost time nor can your muscles). Kids like mine who not only missed pointe but stood by and watched her jabbed peers audition and get roles—while her own resume stayed and yet stays blank—are at a huge disadvantage if things ever return to semi-normal again..  (Will they?)

PANNING AND BANNING

What sticks in my craw is that the last two years have shown mama Daisy here that some artists are more equal than others. Two jabs good, three jabs BETTER.

It appears that the entertainment-world concensus is that unjabbed artists (the few who dare to even question…) should be denounced and shunned, “deplatformed” and “defunded.”

AmeriKa (taking the mass media lead), followed by other sycophant nations, seems now to only recognize the legitimacy of those in full accord with the approved (covid) goose steps du jour—those virtue signaling, posting bizarre images of their buff be-jabbed upper arms (bicep porn?), pushing the prescribed protocols while panning & banning those vocally opting out and also those choosing to be vocally grateful for the proscribed protocols (like “Iver-mecca”).

Today we see too many talents who shamefully use their craft (acting or singing chops) and social media / fanbase platforms to foment the fear and encourage blind compliance, offering canned platitudes of solidarity (are we really all in this together?) and nothing but truly mean-spiritied mockery and derision to those who buck the trend or opt out.  (Bette Midler, this means YOU! Rob Reiner, this means YOU. Stephen Colbert, whore of JabbaLon, I have no words for THIS.) But really you fellow performers, Where Is The Love?

Que Pasa? + WHERE IS THE LOVE?????

Few know just how many people in the arts are losing work by “opting out” (I sure as heck don’t) but given the harsh backlash I have witnessed, I guess I’m not surprised that people of already-sensitive egos (some don’t even read their own reviews!) are too dang AFRAID to say BOO (afraid of losing work, of losing their reputations, of being attacked or canceled…for good).

Now that I think of it… saying no to the jabs and masks and testing and distancing seems to be more taboo than it used to be for stars to mention if they had AIDS (Rock Hudson may have hesitated BUT today mentioning HIV+ status seems to be a bizarre banner of “kool” for some like Billy Porter). But being unjabbed? Just Saying No…? That’ll get you fired from the set or shoved off the stage for sure…

NOW we do see big numbers of brave pilots and soldiers and hospital workers opting out and doing so vocally, but we have no stats for performers en masse or singly—normally the proverbial the loudmouths of the world… Ironic, no?…

In a few cases the public does find out and so far it’s been THORNY.

The BREATHTAKING singer Victory Boyd was unceremoniously DUMPED for opting out (in this case it was the NFL who dunnit, the dumping I mean) and thankfully she got some much-deserved press for sticking to her convictions. Her “Victory” was bittersweet though as sadly she sang the national anthem alone in her apartment instead of to a crowd of thousands, as would and should have been the plan. Shame to all who have taken part in this great PANNING and BANNING (and SCANNING too for that matter….QR-style).

Meanwhile, the “Excelsior” Pass here in NY reaches ever lower into the depths of oppression and compliance…, thank goodness it stunk (gotta be grateful for the smallest of blessings, right).

But as I was saying, for some of us, our particular sanctuary is (or at least was) the STAGE …and being barred from this realm is a great loss for many of us. 

So here I am a’ complainin' and I don't mean to sound like some Ranting Rita or Bitter BettyLou here—but to put it Daisy-style, "It t'aint right, t'aint fair." (Jed, do sumthin'  and iffin ya don't, I will!)

SILENCE OF THE SHEEPLE…
WHY WON’T ANYONE SPEAK OUT
’cept maybe Van Morrison?

Where are the directors and producers and the artistic directors who once loved ALL “their people?” 

Where are those in charge of SO many theaters in NYC—on Broadway, Off Broadway, Off Off and Off Off Off… the cabaret venue proprietors?  The concert hall directors?  The Nederlanders and Shuberts (I’m appalled at the Jewish run venues banning those without "Stars on Thars"—to reference The Sneeches…such a shonda, a disgrace!, as my late bubbie would have said!). What about MET Opera and Peter fucking Gelb pardon my French (who just banned brilliant soprano Anna Natrebko just for being Russian and not disavowing her native country—shame on your Peter!) not to mention banning not only the unvaxxed but also the unboosted?! 

WHO are these people?!?  (Sufferin’ Succotash! Daisy here mostly doesn't curse but some things just git her goat!)

Does nobody in the ARTS see this is WRONG?

Unknown teachers and everyday nurses speak up about not being allowed to work and about their unfair treatment and firing. Bar and restaurant owners and gym proprietors have spoken up and even opened their doors. But ARTISTS are SLIENT. MOST known OR even unknown actors or dancers or musicians—with literally two or three exceptions—are saying squat and diddly squat. Nobody with a MOUTH? In NEW YORK at least you’a think someone would have a mouth! We performers are talkers, extroverts (at least in public) and very VOCAL people. Why so mum now?

Voices used to projecting, voices mic'd and amplified—those used to making loud notes or big sounds or big speeches—are eerily silent on this point for some reason.

If they turned on the Nagra you’d just get “room tone.” (Or crickets in the park…)

Are those in the Arts really living in mortal fear of all actors not jabbed or boosted?  Did they drink the lousy Kool-Aid or is it speaking up that scares them more than being in a room with uninjected symptom-free humans? (I truly DO NOT KNOW—maybe it’s both?)

Does opting out and NOT protecting a theoretical ancient grandma (based on a flimsy theory that was proven to be false) make you worthy of such covidian condemnation by a jury of your former performing peers? Seems so…

NOBODY in the arts with an audience today has anything but censure (catty or otherwise) for those who have not complied…nobody. WTF?

Meanwhile I wonder if Sondheim died from the jab… (he may have gotten his in Roxbury, C.T. home…there, less saline maybe?)

I also wonder, did MOST of the NYC theater folks indeed get saline or very attenuated doses? FAR fewer New Yorkers are in the funny papers with sudden and premature deaths…

Did the Devil Doktors spare much of New York City so that paid puppets (like Colbert and Maddow) could mouth off with impunity because nobody THEY knew was harmed by the jab (and so/thus they’d shame-force it on everyone)?

COMPLY, DO OR DIE….   The story would surely be different in a red state, we know THIS…

I wonder…are there some well-known performers or talents that are just laying low and not letting the rest of us know that they too are banned and unemployed due to not complying? Perhaps they are hoping nobody will notice and indeed nobody has…IF these folks are out there. Surely some may exist in the creative cosmos (or within the 5 boroughs)—but none are speaking out.  (Kudos to bold Brits Van Morrison and Eric Clapton though—sadly nobody this well-known seems to have joined them stateside…) 

OR has Broadway secretly made some exceptions for certain injection rejections for super "heavy hitter" peformers and kept MUM about it? Who got the real? Who got the MOCK?  Did some get special guaranteed-to-be-saline jabs (possibly like Turd-O himself or did he take the spike)?  Inquiring minds wanna know…

Whatever the case…. we the non-compliant are HERE! singers who cannot sing, actors who cannot act, dancers who cannot dance, violin players who cannot play, comics who can't stand up or stay seated… and on and on. 

Folks, shout it out: NEW YORK CITY (still) HATES (unvaccinated) ARTISTS.  
NYC BLAMES US for their MISERY (we were all told that if the unjabbed would just roll up the sleeves EVERYTHING would get back to NORMAL and there would be ZERO covid).  Remember that?  Well, we didn’t comply—WE didn’t bend over (forwards OR backwards OR sideways) nor did we let the experts flatten that imaginary curve by flattening US.  And so--we are STILL blamed for this fictional "pandemic of the unvaxxinated"... Sheesh.

SPREAD THE WORD that there are trapped artists trying to swim inside this here cement pond… Glug. We are doin’ the dog paddle, many of us leavin’ the pool but worried we won’t be allowed to swim ever again…

If someone (an angel!) sets up an alternate world where arts can flourish without mandates, masks, QR codes and digital IDS, tracing, testing and most importantly—without fear, well, please let us all know as that would be more welcome than Spring — finer than a pair of sunny side up eggs on well-buttered toast for those who once were "Art-Full," once nourished by their craft which fed the soul. 

Truly, there isn't an easy substitute for this formerly "Wonderful Town" and that makes the loss all the more painful… we may leave (Daisy n’ Kin are doing so fer sure…), we may find a place where (at least more) freedom rings… But it won’t be quite the same… It won’t be New York City… that crazy quilt that Broadway Jack built…

Yers in figgerin’ out WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT…
Shakin’ my head but always fightin’,
Daisy