George Bush appointed Lee Greenwood to the National Arts Council.

File this under just very weird and sort of in your face.

Bush appoints Lee Greenwood to National Arts Council



Lee Greenwood's main claim to fame is writing and singing the hit patriotic hymn "God Bless the U.S.A." Soon Greenwood's blessing will matter on the American arts scene -- at least the part interested in tapping into federal largess via grants from the National Endowment for the Arts.



Compare and contrast to another Bush appointee.



If I were applying for a grant, I would be a wee bit leery. So odd.

I love the comments by The Weekly Volcano



:rofl:

What a joke. No-talent hack with one sing that he has sung more than Bing sang "White Christmas," by a factor of 10 to the google.

When the first Gulf War started, I was working as a civilian in Saudi Arabia. I had already been there for about a year when Saddam Rumsfeld invaded Kuwait, so I had a ringside seat for the Desert Shield troop buildup, etc. (I lived in Jeddah, the major west coast port of Saudi Arabia.)

I can't express how extremely tired I got of hearing that f!cking Cthulthu Bless The USA. Some idiot would blast it out of a boombox every time more than 3 Americans got together anywhere.

Its Earworm Factor was only slightly greater than Bette Midler's puke-inducing From A Distance. That winner assured us that Gawd was watching everything "from a distance." Sort of like a Catholic priest with binoculars living near a boy's school, I guess.

(Full disclosure: I'm an atheist, in case you couldn't tell.)

Then came Iraq 2003 and they dug up this stinking, rotting corpse of a song AGAIN. Before Bush II slimes out of office, he will probably try to make it the National Anthem. I've lived in Egypt for past 3 years, where I happily don't hear much Lee Greenwood.

Some years ago, HBO did a documentary about those creepy child beauty pageants. One contestant was a little boy whose Mom dressed him in a spangled red/white/blue tuxedo-thingy, and his big show-stopping song was Thor Bless The USA. American culture at its finest!

He has TWO big "hits". (See comment #30)
As for which one qualifies as "The Worst Song Ever Written", I'll leave that to the history books. (There is some stiff competition - "Deutchland Über Alles" ranks right up there...)

You stole my line!

And MAN did I get tired of that stupid fucking song while I was in, they played it every chance they could.

Maybe Bush wasn't pandering all of this time. Maybe he's just as dumb as he looks.

Then there'd be room not only for the Painter of Light™ but also for the sculptors who bring us those Precious Moments figurines.

Need any velvet paintings for the museum?

...Portland's Velveteria. We had a great time there and I thought it was a hoot!

:shrug:

Actually, I have a deep abiding love of kitsch (although admittedly I also have a deep loathing of that damn Lee Greenwood song), but it's hardly elitist to recognize it as such.

I took this photo at a kitsch mecca, which is where I'd like them to set up my hospice bed when I'm getting ready to check out.

I hope President Obama will turf this guy asap when he gets sworn in. This is a final slap in the face!! I am an artist and it's hard enough in this country. Now what, fucking Thomas Kinkade as artist-laureate? GRRRRRR. :mad:

I don't know if Obama can boot him. :shrug:

Can we change the rules? The NEA has been so bowdlerized in the last 20 years. This is like a punch in the guts to serious professional artists. I had such high hopes, too. :(

It's time for all of us to write the Senate members with a little Art education. Obviously they have had NONE!
Not only did the Senate approve this guy but they als voted in the Orphan WOrks act, in the middle of the financial crisis at 9 pm on Fri eve!

I mean, I REALLY hate that fucking song.

Hey, I bet I hate it more than you do! :puke:

The man had one song that barely qualified as art. Is there any way he could be kicked off, please?

They ----------- *LUERVE* ----------- especially Poppy, but all the BUSHes.

The younger generations are Dems, as ALL Hispanics ought to be.

a smoldering pile of trash. (quotation is approximate) :eyes:

...just the fact that he is a hack and could in no way ever be considered an artist.

There's probably 30 million Americans more qualified for the gig than this guy.

But I don't like his music.

He is simply not qualifed at all.

This is really hard to believe. Why not Steve Martin for King Tut?

I love much country music, just not his.

**

C'mon... The hell with Lee Greenwood.
That song is LAME.

Let's get some REAL right wing 'merican hate at the top of the list.

What could be more 'merican than...

"We'll put a boot up their ass"

Go USA!

:puke:

:crazy:

Perpetrator of that goober whinefest, "Bumper of My SUV."

Her fan club used an interesting method of increasing airplay...

While the song was climbing the charts, it was discovered that members of Wright's fan club were contacting radio stations nationwide, requesting increased airplay for the song to help it climb the charts. These fan club members had posed as family or friends of military members when making their requests. After discovering the actions of her fan club's members, Wright fired the club's leader, with whom she had been friends since 1996.--Wikipedia

Support the troops by pretending to be them! Yee-haw!

:eyes:

I like Chely Wright though, she's actually ok. She does some good charity work etc.

I agree.

this RW schlockmeister, no fucking way.

Disclaimer - the only country artists i've ever cared for are Emmylou and the Dixie Chicks.

At least I am pretty sure they are. Monroe campaigned for Obama.

I can name any number of country music stars that would be more appropriate than Greenwood.

A man who will go down in history for having composed the most insipid, meaningless, puerile piece of illiterate claptrap ever to serve as a musical refrain. To wit:

"I'm proud to be an American.
Where at least I know I'm free........"

Or just sing that pile of crap.

cooperation everyone is always talking about. The crap * has pulled since 10/31/08 should be the wake-up call to end that 'reaching across the aisle' BS.

In his final act, he will name to the prestigious post of "Poet Laureate of the United States" the man who wrote the only poem Bush knows...Man from Nantucket.

:grr:

Uranium mining near the grand canyon is one thing, but How much does that fucking Greenwood know about MUSIC????

:puke:

Some people I like better than others.

The only time that moron makes any money is when bad things happen to the country. He's probably in cahoots with Al Qaeda.

If there is ever another Austin Powers movie, he'd be the ideal villain.

did background paintings for Bakshi's animated film "Fire and Ice."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_and_Ice_(1983_film)

Go watch it -- you can tell. His surreal colors actually worked, there.

He hadn't yet refined his kisch!
Anyone who has studied art history, knew the US Empire was going down 7 1/2 years ago! WhenI decided to make a career in the field back in the 50's NY was the happenin, hoppin, art center of the WORLD!
Sad............

Hitler at least had Leni Riefenstahl. At least their was a motif, and some talent. Not like this trash.

Isn't Joe the plumber starting a country music career?:crazy:

Obama and his chief of staff fire this goon?

"To kick the Turkeys out".

:party: :toast: :bounce: :toast: :bounce: :dem: :kick:

:wow:

I want you all to know Greenwood's song God Bless the U S A is a great song. As my husband and I travelled all over the world living on military bases and across this country living on military bases that song brought home to us what the greatness is of this country. Everytime we heard it we were proud to be americans. It is such a special song. On the 4th of July on a military base overseas you hear this song and everyone goes up on their feet screaming and tears of joy comes to their faces. I don't care where you are from in the US or what color you are we all felt the same way. You get that lump in your throat. I don't usually support anything this administation does but he appointed a good man.

If you and others find the song inspiring, that's nice. But Greenwood was appointed to the National ARTS Council, and to call this song "art" is laughable. Evidence:

"And I'm proud to be an American,
Where at least I know I'm free...."


Just another case of a Bush appointment based on politics rather than merit. A few of many true artists who would have been more worthy:
Kristofferson
W. Nelson
Dylan
E. Harris
N. Young
Springsteen
P. Simon
Waits
R. Newman

That dumb song came out in 1982 i think and the country station in Sprinfield, Mo (KTTS) played it endlessly. Lee was a HUGE suck up to Saint Reagan and if memory serves me correct he performed it for reagans birthday party at the grand 'ol opry in 1983 or 1984. Lee is a Kenny Rogers wanna be............

Reminds me of "Wheels on the Bus."