Rapper Common: Should he be disinvited from Obama poetry event?
Should President Obama have invited the rapper Common to perform at Wednesday鈥檚 White House poetry event? Some people are upset that he鈥檚 scheduled to appear. Common, that is, not Mr. Obama 鈥� it鈥檚 OK for the nation鈥檚 chief executive to go despite the fact someone may speak in (gasp!) iambic tetrameter.
The event is titled 鈥�,鈥� and it鈥檚 part of a White House series of cultural evenings loosely structured around music. The series has already included performances devoted to country, classical, and Motown.
Common 鈥� aka Lonnie Rashid Lynn Jr. 鈥� is a Chicago native who is kind of a rising thing in hip hop, but his lyrics aren鈥檛 always of the 鈥� must think it queer/To stop without a farmhouse near鈥� variety.
In particular, his reference to the most recent GOP president has some Republicans riled.
鈥淏urn a Bush cos鈥� for peace he no push no button/Killing over oil and grease/no weapons of destruction鈥� goes the Common work in question.
Possible GOP 2012 presidential candidates have weighed in condemning the Common choice. OK, one of them has, at least: Sarah Palin.
鈥淥h lovely, White House,鈥� the former Alaska governor tweeted earlier this week.
Speaking as a former English major, we鈥檒l say this about the controversy: at least the critics care enough about poetry to consider it dangerous. That makes the whole art form seem more vital, somehow.
Plus, apparently Common is considered pretty mild in the hip hop world, though we鈥檙e not an expert there. A large portion of his stuff is fairly uplifting and he鈥檚 mainstream enough for The Gap to have used him in photos for its 2006 fall collection.
The Gap? Hmmm. Maybe we part company with the White House poetry advance personnel at this point. What kind of artist does catalogue shoots? Did Robert Frost pose for Orvis while wearing a buffalo plaid vest and petting a spaniel? We think not. Though that would have looked cool, when you think about it.
Also, Common has an acting career that includes an appearance on the old UPN comedy 鈥�Girlfriends鈥� and bit parts in the films 鈥淎merican Gangster,鈥� 鈥�Smokin鈥� Aces,鈥� and 鈥�Terminator Salvation鈥�. Most recently he was in the film 鈥淒ate Night鈥� with Steve Carell and Tina Fey.
Where will the creeping trivialization of serious art end? With a White House retrospective of the best lines delivered by the Progressive Insurance girl? The AFLAC duck鈥檚 spin paintings in the Lincoln Bedroom? Charlie Sheen鈥檚 鈥�Torpedo of Truth鈥� tour, live from the West Wing?
Though we must admit, that last one has some Dadaesque potential.
