White Stripes singer angered after Trump aide shares social media post using clip of band’s hit Seven Nation Army
The White Stripes singer Jack White called Donald Trump’s campaign “fascists” and threatened to sue after an aide apparently used a clip of the band’s hit Seven Nation Army on a pro-Trump social media post.
Trump’s deputy director of communications, Margo Martin, shared a brief 10-second video clip of Trump boarding a plane to campaign events with the music as a background soundtrack.
The move clearly angered White, who rapidly became the latest in a long line of musicians to take umbrage at their art being used as a soundtrack to Trump’s bid to retake the White House.
On Instagram White wrote: “Don’t even think about using my music you fascists. Law suit coming from my lawyers about this (to add to your 5 thousand others.) Have a great day at work today Margo Martin.’
I saw part of the DNC where they went to representatives of each state and territory to have them announce their votes. For each and every one the DJ played a popular song associated with that region. I’m guessing they had to try to clear all of those. It was a kind of annoying and tedious procedure, but I feel like it was a big flex on conservatives. It seems like artists are rebuking the usage of their music by conservatives for political events on a regular basis.
I know that you can't just assume things, but I've always found it telling that 95% of the people who make all the beautiful, and even just amusing, art in the world all seem to be left of center in their particular countries.
If the most sensitive among us, attuned to the human condition, almost universally trend one way, and so do the teachers and the scientists, maybe, I dunno, they're onto something.
I think its mostly that the other side is just so much More radical. I still refuse to believe half the americans would vote for Trump again after all that has happened
I forget where I read this (Jonathan Haidt maybe?) but someone said that conservatism is focused on in-groups whereas liberalism is broader, which requires more empathy. Empathy is also very useful when creating art, which is why there are so few conservative artists and the few who do exist tend to do very literal/realistic works.
I imagine most artist being seen as dead-weight weirdos for a regular fascist unless they already achieved their respect or\and came from the right background. Excluding the effect of what consuming and making art for decades makes to a person, the one who does it is rarely seen and appreciated as a part of the machine. Taking the funny political compass meme as a framework, we see that from a capitalistic angle good art is the one that sells, and from an authoritarian - it's the one that serves some utilitarian purpose. These limits are too tight for self expression and they don't inspire creativity, but reproduction and continuation of something that works in either direction. Innovation and provocation that make art get written into history books are threats to what fascism implies, and it fears it unless it's something on Wagner or Riefenstahl level they can coopt. Artists themselves can start or become fascists easily, and channel their hatred into words and strokes, but they are mostly either too 'normal' to be really invested in art and got somehow remembered (see nazi punks) or too weird to fit in the world they themselves wish (see Lovecraft and his dog).
It’s another custom that’s bound people only by the fear of constant public shame and ridicule that trump has shambled through like a toddler through a spiderweb.
On Instagram White wrote: “Don’t even think about using my music you fascists. Law suit coming from my lawyers about this (to add to your 5 thousand others.) Have a great day at work today Margo Martin.’
It looks like “threatens a lawsuit” is being used here because “sues” would be inaccurate (since the suit has not been filed).
I don’t know why or how this keeps coming up. All musicians who want or don’t want their music used by a politician or political party should be on a list. If the song is on the banned list and it’s used, instant fine.
It's a civil issue which means the aggrieved party needs to file a suit.
It's obviously just easier and cheaper for trumps team to do it this way. There's no back and forth asking for permission (that would be declined anyway). They just do it, then pay a few grand to settle later
It’s easy to just reach out to the artist and request permission. They have agents for that sort of thing, the campaigns have staff that can do that sort of thing. It’s gotta be better than making assumptions with your blanket license and then getting bad PR and lawsuits after the fact.
Not just the white stripes, Jack is one of the most prolific artists of this generation. The Raconteurs, Dead Weather, and his solo efforts are all amazing too.
Jack White is one of the most influential musicians of his era (his heyday would have been 2003 or so when Elephant by the White Stripes was released).