Eric Clapton Says He Won’t Play Venues That Require Covid Vaccinations, Because Of Course He Did
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I’m old enough to have once thought Eric Clapton was cool. I was never a superfan, but I enjoy some of his stuff. At the very least, he was cool by association because he hung out—and occasionally worked—with The Beatles.
Regardless, he’s a music legend and a three-time Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee. Unfortunately, he’s also a self-described spousal rapist and “semi-racist” (not a thing) who is, despite being vaccinated himself, now a member of the Anti-Vax Dumbass Hall of Fame, along with numerous other celebrities.
As the delta variant tears through red caps like a hot railroad spike through Louie Gohmert’s shrunken apple head, anti-vaxxers are getting on my nerves like never before. And while Clapton has often been worth a listen, it may be time to toss him on the scrap heap with the rest of the ninnies in the burgeoning anti-vaxx movement.
Famed musician Eric Clapton said on Wednesday that he will not perform in any venue that requires audience members to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
“Following the PM’s announcement on Monday the 19th of July 2021, I feel honor bound to make an announcement of my own: I wish to say that I will not perform on any stage where there is a discriminated audience present,” Clapton wrote.
He was referring to an announcement from British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who stated that starting in September, people will have to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccinations in order to go to venues and nightclubs.
First of all, it’s highly offensive to imply that the unvaccinated are a persecuted minority. Sure, they’re a minority, in that they’re part of a special (and incredibly dangerous) category of dipshits. But they’re not persecuted so much as deluded. If I don’t want to be around you because you’re unvaxxed and walking around with a snoot full of death virus, I’m not persecuting you. If anything, you’re attacking me. It’s as if these folks all woke up one day last year and decided not only that drunk driving was cool, but that anyone who tries to convince a drunk to give up his keys is a pernicious fascist stomping on everyone else’s right to drive into a tree, lake, or pedestrian.
Clapton, of course, is not alone. I’ve also had to reassess my relationship with Van Morrison, whose weird anti-lockdown music has sullied what was once a great career.
And by now you’re all familiar with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a lifelong Democrat whom I once assumed was a good and reasonable dude. Now, this prominent anti-vaxxer is suing Daily Kos in a petulant effort to dox a Community member.
Oh, and don’t get me started on Rob Schneider who—okay, I never gave a shit about Rob Schneider. Still, Douche Bigalow is on Team COVID-19, too—as are plenty of others.
What should we make of these revelations? Maybe the takeaway is simply that admiration for artists and other celebrities should extend only to their cultural contributions. Hey, it’s easy enough for me to give up Clapton’s music, but Morrison’s (nonlockdown) tunes are tougher to pare from my playlists.
Meanwhile, my own sister recently completed her Ph.D. in infectious disease from the University of Facebook and has tumbled down more bonkers rabbit holes than I can count. She’d say that’s because the COVID-19 vaccine keeps me from counting past 20, but it’s actually more to do with the nearly infinite wrong turns she’s taken. She also thinks those of us who got the vaccine will be dead by fall, but that’s another story.
We now have two Americas—blue vs. red, Biden vs. Trump, reality-based vs. not, vaxxed vs. unvaxxed, and largely protected vs. fixin’ to get really sick and/or die.
At this point, I’m not sure what to do with the “other” America, but I guess it starts with refusing to patronize anyone from the pro-death cabal that’s so bound and determined to cull the herd.
So buh-bye, Eric. Your guitar licks were legendary, but your opinions are fucking worthless.
Paul and Ringo, if you’re listening, one bit of advice: If you think that vaccines lead to autism, government mind control, or the kneecapping of our ability to spot embedded reptile people, keep it to yourself. I want to enjoy “Blackbird” until the day I die—of something other than COVID-19.
Printed with permission of Daily Kos and authored by Aldous J. Pennyfarthing.
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I just watched a doc film on him. It was well worth the time to watch it. The whole vaccinated vs non vaccinated is irritating to say the least. The surges are happening mainly in GOP areas. Guess that is one way to bleach the gene pool, so silver lining people, silver lining these pantloaded douche canoes are not on the right side of things. What gets me is the GOP mucky mucks telling people for months, nope it’s a hoax you don’t need the jab and they have done the jab themselves. Same thing with the assholes that say nope, not gonna do it, they get COVID and all of a sudden they want the jab. Um, duh you stupid fucker, should have done that months ago. No time for these clowns.
You are right. No time for these clowns. What really makes it sad is that even though ignorance certainly reigns in the Red States, it’s the politicians that drove the news, and the talking heads, like those residing at FOX News who did it for the ratings.
You and I would probably disagree on Clapton and his resurrection of the Blues. His study of Robert Johnson’s legend and songs has been remade due to Clapton’s work. His decision to play for a non-discriminatory audience was not the best decision he could make because I would not be in attendance. While I do really enjoy his music, along with many others, I probably have gone to my last concert many years ago. For a while now I simply put on my favorite albums, set the room lighting in my den, pop a cold one, and sit back in my recliner and enjoy the music. I guess that makes me lazy but I don’t have to worry about the anti-vaxers, potheads, druggies, or drunks,
If that makes you lazy that makes us both lazy.
When will insurance companies start to deny payment for Covid treatment for the unvaccinated? Or, if they want to play it a different way, jack up rates to the stratosphere and give a hefty discount to vaccinated individuals.
That’s a damn good idea!
Personally I think that Clapton’s contribution to “Layla” is some of the finest work in modern music. I admire that work.
But I don’t know him as a person, don’t know what he thinks, how he lives, and quite frankly, I don’t really give a damn because it does not affect me. If he wants to abandon the stage, fine, that is his loss of income.
I’m not too interested in what many so called celebrities think/say/do. To think that their celebrity somehow makes them and/or their opinion more valuable than experts in the fields, professionals, my friends/neighbors or me/mine is just ridiculous. Just because you can play a guitar (think Ted Nugent) doesn’t mean you know anything about anything else. That people revere him/them is just beyond me.
As for the anti-vaxers, the non vaccinated, they are nothing other than vectors contributing to the spreading a contagion throughout our community. I say isolate them away from the rest of us. If they are not part of the solution they are part of the problem. Allowed to continue to mutate in non-vaccinated people this already deadly virus will eventually overcome our vaccines and kill us all. In the meantime all we can hope for is that it thins out the stupid.
The public health has to be a priority. Clapton is not.
I couldn’t agree more, with every word you say! Isolate them…
Very well put T.S., Very well put.
“I think that Clapton’s contribution to “Layla” is some of the finest work”.
That song is one of the worst songs he ever did. That tortured ‘solo’ at the end is nauseating and much too long – and not even Clapton. Sorry, but it’s true. Duane Allman came up with the riff, so not much there. I don’t appreciate how many call him a guitar player, when he is just a performer that plays a guitar. No guitar hero for sure.
He’s definitely not on my list of people that I’d seek out for advice about anything…
I’m with you. I’m no Clapton fan.