Blacklisting Even the Brightest January 25, 2010

While reading the chapter entitled “The Plastic Years” in Tube of Plenty, I was struck for several reasons by the trend of “blacklisting” entertainment related individuals during the Civil War.  The fear of the times and the implications these labelings held both took dramatic tolls on the persons in question, as well as the nature of the industry surrounding them. In a day and age where the prospect of communist infiltrators stir up panic to rival an outbreak of the plague, those put on the list were essentially deemed untouchable.  They lost their jobs, they were put under national speculation and all they built was demolished under the weight of their title. All it took was one publication and they were dead by association.
While the notion of such exclusions seems like a trivial and over blown thing of the past, it is interesting to note similar happenings in our current world.  With all things taken into consideration, it seems as if such “blacklisting” has carried on forward with its destructive ways and has left noticeable marks in similar instances today.  I don’t think anyone will have much difficulty retracing the story of the Dixie Chicks, and their swift fall to disgrace a few years back.  All it took was one unpatriotic jab and the world’s most popular musical girl group had been cast to the streets, all sponsors and support lost.  There were organized CD burnings taking place all over the country, radios were dropping their music, and fans turned a scathingly cold shoulder to the band’s existence.  Essentially, the Dixie Chicks were ruined.
In their particular instance, the national shunning they received was directly linked to the idea of patriotism and pride and happened to take place in a very sensitive time of turmoil and conflict after the terrorist attacks of 9/11.  But it’s crucial to note that this “blacklisting” trend doesn’t end there.  Beyond offenses tied to our country, or the leaders there of, there is another brand of blacklisting that is far more common and currently a hot topic in the entertainment industry! Let’s take Tiger Woods for instance… Whenever a role model fails to live up to the standards placed upon them, a backlash is inevitable. In Tiger’s case though, the magnitude of his actions brought on the equivalent of a HUAC listing!  After drunkenly crashing a car into his front yard, and upon the reveal of (2…4… 11?) possible mistresses, the golfing prodigy/media icon faced dire consequences.  Nobody wants Woods representing their products anymore, and nobody could deny that the reputation he held has been eternally tarnished.
Branching into another area- Look at the downfall of hip-hop star Chris Brown.  The attention garnered in maintaining a high-profile relationship is drama enough, but add a dose of physical abuse into the mix and you have crossed an unmistakable line!  When reports surfaced that Brown threatened, and hit his fellow hip-hop singing girlfriend Rihanna the tabloids were relentless.  Outrage broke out, and Brown’s music was being tossed.  Facebook groups popped up ridiculing the fallen star, and Rihanna even took it to the next level by producing a song to smear Brown’s reputation even further.
All in all, we see here a modern-day blacklist in the multimedia capacity.  No longer are lists compiled and research done to out the entertainers of  today.  Instead disgrace comes at a much swifter pace, and in a much more apparent mode.  There’s hardly any escaping the tabloids that highlight the latest wrong-doings of our current stars, and unless they’re in ship-shape, ready for the publicity at all times- one unpleasant step could land them in the pits of modern industry‘s “blacklisting” hell!

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