ENTERTAINMENT
If we vote “yes” to marriage equality then we should wave goodbye to our freedom of speech. That’s the clear message the “no” camp has been pushing since the noncompulsory, non- binding, postal survey on same- sex marriage was announced.
But apparently freedom of speech doesn’t extend to international recording artists performing at one of Australia’s biggest events of the year. US rapper Macklemore has come under fire in the last few days for his plan to perform Same Love — a song promoting love and acceptance of LGBTIQ people — at the NRL grand final. The NRL itself has welcomed the move, coming out on the “yes” side of the debate just like its AFL counterparts, but opponents say politics doesn’t belong on the sporting field. I wonder if they’d be singing the same tune if they were on their side.
But regardless of the song’s subject matter and how topical it is at the moment, the idea that Macklemore wouldn’t play Same Love is kind of absurd for a few reasons. Firstly, it’s one of his biggest hits.
When it was released in 2013, the equality anthem peaked at No. 1 on the ARIA singles charts and stayed there four consecutive weeks. All up it spent 20 weeks in the top 50 and was four times certified platinum. The end of year singles chart for 2013 had the song sitting at No. 14, and the latest figures from Spotify show the song has been streamed more than 162 million times. In short, Same Love is a huge song.
If you went to a Cold Chisel concert and they didn’t play Khe Sanh you’d probably feel pretty ripped off. Same if you went to see AC/ DC and they skipped Highway to Hell or Thunderstruck. Same Love is like that for Macklemore fans.
But more importantly, to say that politics should be kept out of things like the grand final entertainment is just as ridiculous. Music and politics go hand in hand. Some of the best music comes from artists who have something important to say. Ever heard of a guy named Bob Dylan?
Artists have been making political statements at sporting events ever since they’ve been asked to perform at them.
Our very own Midnight Oil made their opinions on reconciliation crystal clear when they wore “sorry” T- shirts at the Sydney Olympics closing ceremony in front of a huge international audience.
In the US, the Super Bowl’s halftime shows have come a long way since the days of Janet Jackson’s “Nipplegate” controversy. In recent years artists have taken advantage of the massive platform to have their voices heard. In 2016 Beyonce belted out the politically charged Formation, which doubles as a black rights and feminist anthem. This year Lady Gaga spread her message of acceptance by performing Born This Way to thunderous applause.
To me, one of the best things about sport is that it brings people together regardless of their age, gender, race, religion, or sexual orientation. None of those things matter when everyone comes together behind one banner to cheer on their team. For Same Love to be off Macklemore’s set list would go against everything that’s great about the game.