July 20, 2004
WHEN WILL SHE BE LOVED?:
Las Vegas casino boots singer Linda Ronstadt after performance (Associated Press, 7/19/04)
Singer Linda Ronstadt not only got booed, she got the boot after lauding filmmaker Michael Moore and his new movie, Fahrenheit 9/11 during a performance at the Aladdin hotel-casino.Before singing "Desperado" for an encore Saturday night, the 58-year-old rocker called Moore a "great American patriot" and "someone who is spreading the truth." She also encouraged everybody to see the documentary about President Bush.
Ronstadt's comments drew loud boos and some of the 4,500 people in attendance stormed out of the theater. People also tore down concert posters and tossed cocktails into the air.
"It was a very ugly scene," Aladdin President Bill Timmins told The Associated Press. "She praised him and all of a sudden all bedlam broke loose."
What gives? Everyone she knows liked it. Posted by Orrin Judd at July 20, 2004 3:32 PM
Hope someone got a tape of it. Iraq, Ahnold, Wilson, Berger and now Ronstadt. I even have a feeling the Boston big tent may sag a bit.
Is GW a lucky guy or wot?
Posted by: genecis at July 20, 2004 4:16 PMBravo! It's enough to make me want to change our reservation from the Luxor to the Aladdin.
Posted by: John Resnick at July 20, 2004 6:14 PMDirectly from the dizzy diva:
"This is an election year, and I think we're in desperate trouble and it's time for people to speak up and not pipe down. It's a real conflict for me when I go to a concert and find out somebody in the audience is a Republican or fundamental Christian. It can cloud my enjoyment. I'd rather not know."
But then we find this comment from Ronstadt, 58, who finds her fans are polarized by her nightly on-stage salute to "Fahrenheit 9/11" filmmaker Michael Moore. "I've been dedicating a song to him – I think he's a great patriot – and it splits the audience down the middle, and they duke it out." So she'd rather not know, but glories in creating a conflict.
Finally, this brilliant political commentary: "I saw a movie recently about a camel and these people in Mongolia, and I relate to them better than people here in this country. It looks like (Germany's) Weimar Republic to me here."
Posted by: jd watson at July 20, 2004 8:07 PMIs there something about celebrities with weight problems (Linda, Michael, Whoopi, Natalie, Alec, etc.) that makes them more succeptable to the most severe strains of Bush Derangement Syndrome?
Posted by: John at July 20, 2004 8:45 PMThe opinionated, self-centered jerk Frank Zappa had it right when he titled an album of guitar solos "Shut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar." One of the great album titles, along with "We're Only In It For the Money".
Posted by: Raoul Ortega at July 20, 2004 9:30 PMJohn Resnick:
Bravo! It's enough to make me want to change our reservation from the Luxor to the Aladdin.
Don't do it, if you've specified that you want a top outside room in the pyramid - That's a neat experience.
A bottom room or the Annex - Not so cool. (But still nice).