In her current column she has the audacity to lecture Bob Dylan on what he is playing and what he should be playing in relation to his Vietnam/China concert(s).
NOBODY TELLS "HIS BOB-NESS" WHAT TO DO!
Not columnists, not governments, not politicians, not friends, not fans, and not enemies. He's an American singer-songwriter, poet, and painter. He has been a major figure in music for five decades. He will play what he wants to play when he wants to play it. He always does what he wants, displaying his independence and ignoring pressure and coercion. This is the man who showed up at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965 and dared to play electric when he was just anointed acoustic Folk Icon for a generation. This is a man who walks his own path. This is not some air-headed pop star looking for approval. He approves himself. That's all he needs.
Lecturing Bob Dylan is like telling God he made a spelling error in the ten commandments. It's "who the *&^%$ are you to tell me anything!". Hell they threw Woodstock in upstate New York so Bob would show up. He didn't. If an audience of 500,000 doesn't pressure you to stop by, it proves he's his own man in every way. What he plays and when he plays is his business and not subject to the political correctness of some liberal harpy columnist over reaching and overstepping her talents and expertise.
One comment from Bob Dylan about fans. He once indicated that he doesn't understand fans. They listen to my music, hear my lyrics, and for some reason think that somehow they now own me and can tell me what to do. Nobody tells me what to do!
Throughout Bob Dylan's career pop culture critics have tried to label him acoustic folk god, an anti-war leader, genius lyrical songwriter, a leader of radical jesters and jokers, the front man of a thundering herd of theatrical minstrels and musicians, a religious zealot, an evolving musical force, and a renaissance man for the ages. He's complicated, candid, unpretentious, brutally honest, laid back, loves what he does, plays well with others, and plays great solo. His body of work is extensive over a 50 year career, top quality, original, and will be enjoyed long after we are all gone. His works are lyrically stylish, unique, complex, and worthy of closer examination. His melodies are enticing, enjoyable, and demonstrate a natural simplicity that is addictive to his listeners.
Please, write about the petty childish liberal nonsense of the progressive left, or something else you know about, and leave the creative geniuses alone. Save your tart tongue for the redundant political tides, and avoid lecturing those that do just fine without your advice.
