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Re: The shame-fame game



I too find it distressing to see Pete named among such
questionable characters as R. Kelly, Phil Spector, and
Wacko Jacko..... but my reaction partly illustrates
the author's point:

>>>People are likely to be more forgiving of their
heroes than of an artist they don't follow.<<<

My overall read of the piece is not that the author is
pre-judging Pete.  His one remark is unfortunate but
his main point is that one's reputation in cases like
this depends largely on how his handlers and lawyers
manage their response, his previous reputation, and
what is the predisposition of any given audience
towards him.  

The response of the Kelly audience shows the lengths
to which the fan base can overlook or forgive.  Some I
sure do what is called "compartmentalization." 
Separating our perception of different aspects from
each other to avoid conflict: I dig his music and what
he does off stage is irrelevant.

Of course the difficulty with that in Pete's case is
that he so clearly presented himself as a whole, what
he was doing and saying off stage is what you got on
stage as well, and that made him that much more heroic
in my estimation.

>>>Black says that the Townshend arrest will be very
damaging in the short term, because before this he was
seen as a creative, thoughtful songwriter who -- based
on such records as Tommy and Quadrophenia -- cared
deeply about young people.<<<

Except few people outside the fan base and the
beneficiaries knew of Pete's good work in this regard.
 I am putting faith in Pete's team and the
considerable store of good will he has among major
players in the industry - I'm thinking of people like
Letterman - who could welcome him to the show when the
dust clears and an exoneration has been issued, to
provide a launching pad for his next chapter in the
fight.  I like the idea we were discussing a couple
weeks back about a press conference with folks like
Bono, Sir Elton, Sir Mick and others by his side.

OTOH, I hope Dave Marsh's assessment that "this is
ruining Pete's life" is not based on first hand
information.  I hope Pete knows that he has alot of
friends who support him UNCONDITIONALLY.

toodles,
Ken in MD
"I do not want child pornography
 to be available on the internet 
anywhere at any time." Pete
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