Oh, how the mighty have fallen…
And look, I don’t get any joy out of watching somebody crumble before my eyes, and I’m not sure why anybody else would either. I mean, wouldn’t it be great if this kind of shit just didn’t happen in our society anymore?
But I must admit… this meme had me fucking howling.
In the past 48 hours or so, it’s no secret that Morgan Wallen has gone from being the biggest thing in country music to being completely ostracized from the industry. His label suspended him, radio dropped him, WME dropped him, playlists removed him, CMT, the CMA, and the ACMs all removed him from their platforms… they threw the kitchen sink at him.
And I’m not saying I feel sorry for him because I don’t, after all he’s still topping all the iTunes charts and probably will continue to top the charts.
Of course, members of the media have a zillion opinions, a select number of artists have said their piece, and social media continues to be the cesspool of commentary that it is, but now, Sturgill Simpson has weighed in on the topic.
And as always, I’m always interested in what he has to say:
“To anyone feeling bad for Morgan (which is absolutely nobody I know or talk to)…
Just remember that a lot of country singers over the years have had their music banned and completely ignored by country radio, ACM, CMA, & CMT for absolutely nothing.
And now that he’s been “suspended” by his label, if their actions are truly sincere I wonder if they would be willing to donate every single dime they’ve ever made off his albums to the Nashville Equity Alliance or the local NAACP chapter?
I also wonder if all the members of the press reaching out right now to the Margo’s, Jason’s, Tyler’s, Sturgill’s etc… for pull quotes realize that the opinions of a bunch of white liberal “jealous/bitter/angry” under the mainstream radar “Americana” artists will never change anything…
Instead they should be talking to all the mainstream “Country” artists and putting them in the #tastyquotemachine hot seat for a change… or more importantly, maybe they should be talking to all the black artists being ignored.
Not one person on this planet is without a single skeleton in their closet… But at the same time, I also understand its much easier to cancel one person on their worst day captured exhibiting their worst behavior than it is to hold an entire complicit industry accountable. And that is the real problem.
And shit, maybe we are angry sometimes…but it’s only because just like Fran Leibowitz said, we have so many ideas on how it could all be so much better… but we have no power to do anything about it. #howugetlostonthirtyacres #charlieprideisstilldead.”
Well said… and I’m going to start using “tasty quote machine” from now on.
Articulate, challenging, unapologetically honest, and he still found a way to make fun of Kane Brown getting lost in his own backyard while doing it. As much as he doesn’t like to participate in the tasty quote machine (and will probably delete this Instagram post soon) I wish he’d weigh in on the state of the genre more often.
And for those of you in Stu’s comments asking if that’s real… yes, he really did get lost on his own property (30 acres) and the police had to come find him.
Morgan has issued an apology on the matter, but it’s possible we’ll see a more substantial statement in the near future.
— CMA Country Music (@CountryMusic) February 3, 2021
For all the latest and breaking news on Morgan Wallen and the fallout, click here.
The ACM Awards Revoke Morgan Wallen’s Eligibility For This Year’s 56th Awards Show
“We have made his management team aware of the decision.”https://t.co/Ot0pOwVMRg
— Whiskey Riff (@WhiskeyRiff) February 3, 2021
Jason Isbell On Morgan Wallen: “Give That Spot To Somebody Who Deserves It, And Lots Of Black Artists Deserve It”
“Give that spot to somebody who deserves it, and there are lots of black artists who deserve it.”https://t.co/nS8WPVCq93
— Whiskey Riff (@WhiskeyRiff) February 3, 2021
Maren Morris Sounds Off On Morgan Wallen: “We Keep Them Rich & Protected At All Costs”
“It actually IS representative of our town.”https://t.co/RvsQzDbhAn
— Whiskey Riff (@WhiskeyRiff) February 3, 2021