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METAL STARS WORK D.C. SYSTEM FOR ANCESTRAL CAUSE
By Matthew Chayes
Chicago Tribune
May 3 2006
Some rockers' activism transcends music
Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON -- You could tell something was strange on Capitol Hill
by looking at haircuts. In a sea of coiffure conservatism--graying
and balding politicians with their perfectly styled aides--two men
here just didn't seem as though they belonged.
It was like "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington." That is, if Mr. Smith's
day job involved sporting a mohawk or long, Howard Stern-like hair
and spitting out obscenities.
Last week's Mr. Smiths were lead singer Serj Tankian and drummer John
Dolmayan of System of a Down, a top-selling alternative-metal band.
They flew to Washington to plead with members of Congress to support
a resolution condemning the deaths of almost 1.5 million Armenians
during World War I as genocide by the Ottoman Turks. Turkey denies
there was any systematic attempt to kill Armenians.
Versions of the resolution have been languishing since 2000, when
House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) pulled it from the floor minutes
before a scheduled vote after the Clinton administration said it would
hurt diplomatic relations with Turkey. Two new resolutions passed the
House International Relations Committee last fall, but there haven't
been floor votes.
Don't dabble
Many musicians churn out salty lyrics and sport crazy haircuts, and
members of Congress sometimes view their efforts with a degree of
suspicion. That's why people who advise politically eager celebrities
warn dilettante advocates to stay away from inside-the-Beltway
political issues unless they are highly devoted to their cause. Being
a dabbler is "about the easiest way to derail" a cause, said Robin
Bronk, executive director of the Creative Coalition, which calls
itself the entertainment industry's public-policy homeroom.
"Having guest stars is not a good strategy for getting your issue
heard," she said. "It's got to affect them or be something that they
hold dear."
Bronk's approach is intended to avoid the kind of hostile reception
that greeted Kevin Richardson, a member of the Backstreet Boys, when
he appeared before a Senate subcommittee in 2002 to testify about
mountaintop mining. Sen. George Voinovich (R-Ohio) boycotted that
hearing and sent out a scathing news release, saying the heartthrob's
appearance was "a joke" that "trivialized" important issues.
When Tankian and Dolmayan visited last week, however, they got a
warm reception from almost a dozen lawmakers, including Sen. Wayne
Allard (R-Colo.). In turn, the duo was markedly more respectful of
legislators--even those they disagreed with--than Frank Zappa, who
mocked Tipper Gore and others in 1985 for favoring warning labels on
offensive music. At a hearing, Zappa mocked "legislation . . .
whipped up like an instant pudding by the wives of Big Brother."
A broader list of causes
In the past, musicians like Zappa lobbied lawmakers on issues
affecting the music business, but a growing number are taking on
broader causes. Arguably the most famous rocker to use his fame as
political capital is U2's Bono, who has rubbed elbows with Sen. Orrin
Hatch (R-Utah) and former Secretary of State Colin Powell, among many
other top pols.
Rep. George Radanovich (R-Calif.), one of the politicians Tankian
and Dolmayan lobbied last week, conceded that he's wary of famous
people who travel to Capitol Hill for the latest cause celebre. But
the two rockers came across as genuine, he said, because they are of
Armenian ancestry and Tankian discussed how his grandfather survived
the atrocities.
"These guys, to me, are more legit," Radanovich said.
The genocide issue is no flavor of the week for System of a Down.
Their song "P.L.U.C.K.," ("Politically Lying, Unholy, Cowardly
Killers") deals squarely with it. The band has been publicizing the
issue for years.
Before their formal meetings with lawmakers, Tankian and Dolmayan
thanked supporters at a protest at the Turkish Embassy near Dupont
Circle here and the next day hosted highlights of "Screamers,"
a documentary about the issue, at a Capitol Hill screening.
In meetings in the Capitol, the duo weren't as slick as the
prototypical K Street lobbyist. Still, Tankian in particular seemed to
know the legislative lingo, juggling jargon about subcommittees and the
House floor and other concepts you'd never expect to come out of a guy
who used variations of one profanity seven times in one of his songs.
Tankian stuck to his talking points--his nonagenarian survivor
grandfather, the fact that the U.S. ambassador at the time cabled back
to the State Department to detail the mass slaughters--no matter whom
he met.
While touring the Capitol between meetings, the duo bumped into
a man they'd been seeking, unsuccessfully, to arrange a meeting
with--Hastert, who had stopped the genocide resolution from reaching
a floor vote and whose district offices in Batavia, Ill., the band
protested last year.
"I said hello, and I introduced myself, and I told him that I am
with the band System of a Down, and I had dropped by his office
and dropped a letter about my grandfather who's a survivor of the
Armenian genocide."
He added: "I asked him if he got it, he said, `I don't remember.' . .
. He said, `I'll look at the letter and get back to you,'" Tankian
said.
As of Tuesday evening, the speaker's office hadn't gotten back
to Tankian, a spokeswoman said. Hastert's office did not return a
reporter's calls seeking comment.
Maybe even rock stars can get stonewalled.
- - -
Pop star diplomacy
Politically active musicians often bring their issues to Washington,
where their reception by political figures is mixed.
Artist: Jessica Simpson
Issue: Plastic surgery for children with facial deformities
Political action: Met with members of congress in March to gain support
for Operation Smile, a group that seeks to provide the surgery for
poor children abroad.
Artist; U2's Bono
Issue: Debt relief for Africa
Political action: Traveled to Africa with then-Treasury Secretary
paul O'Neill in 2002; lobbied Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Secretary
of State Condoleezza Rice and her predecessor, Colin Powell.
Artist: The Backstreet Boys' Kevin Richardson
Issue: The effect of mountian-top mining
Political action: Testified before a Senate subcommittee in 2002,
prompting Sen. George Voinovich (R-Ohio) to boycott the hearing and
say the heartthrob's appearance was "a joke" and "trivializing issues."
Artist: Metallica's Lars Ulrich
Issue: Illegal music files on the Internet
Political action: Testified before the Senate in 2000 that music
file-trading sites such as Napstar, which at the time was free,
should be shut down.
Artist: Pearl Jam's Jeff Ament and Stone Gossard
Issue: Ticketmaster's monopoly on concert tickets
Political action: Appeared before a House subcommittee in antitrust
complaint filed with the Justice Department against the ticket seller.
By Matthew Chayes
Chicago Tribune
May 3 2006
Some rockers' activism transcends music
Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON -- You could tell something was strange on Capitol Hill
by looking at haircuts. In a sea of coiffure conservatism--graying
and balding politicians with their perfectly styled aides--two men
here just didn't seem as though they belonged.
It was like "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington." That is, if Mr. Smith's
day job involved sporting a mohawk or long, Howard Stern-like hair
and spitting out obscenities.
Last week's Mr. Smiths were lead singer Serj Tankian and drummer John
Dolmayan of System of a Down, a top-selling alternative-metal band.
They flew to Washington to plead with members of Congress to support
a resolution condemning the deaths of almost 1.5 million Armenians
during World War I as genocide by the Ottoman Turks. Turkey denies
there was any systematic attempt to kill Armenians.
Versions of the resolution have been languishing since 2000, when
House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) pulled it from the floor minutes
before a scheduled vote after the Clinton administration said it would
hurt diplomatic relations with Turkey. Two new resolutions passed the
House International Relations Committee last fall, but there haven't
been floor votes.
Don't dabble
Many musicians churn out salty lyrics and sport crazy haircuts, and
members of Congress sometimes view their efforts with a degree of
suspicion. That's why people who advise politically eager celebrities
warn dilettante advocates to stay away from inside-the-Beltway
political issues unless they are highly devoted to their cause. Being
a dabbler is "about the easiest way to derail" a cause, said Robin
Bronk, executive director of the Creative Coalition, which calls
itself the entertainment industry's public-policy homeroom.
"Having guest stars is not a good strategy for getting your issue
heard," she said. "It's got to affect them or be something that they
hold dear."
Bronk's approach is intended to avoid the kind of hostile reception
that greeted Kevin Richardson, a member of the Backstreet Boys, when
he appeared before a Senate subcommittee in 2002 to testify about
mountaintop mining. Sen. George Voinovich (R-Ohio) boycotted that
hearing and sent out a scathing news release, saying the heartthrob's
appearance was "a joke" that "trivialized" important issues.
When Tankian and Dolmayan visited last week, however, they got a
warm reception from almost a dozen lawmakers, including Sen. Wayne
Allard (R-Colo.). In turn, the duo was markedly more respectful of
legislators--even those they disagreed with--than Frank Zappa, who
mocked Tipper Gore and others in 1985 for favoring warning labels on
offensive music. At a hearing, Zappa mocked "legislation . . .
whipped up like an instant pudding by the wives of Big Brother."
A broader list of causes
In the past, musicians like Zappa lobbied lawmakers on issues
affecting the music business, but a growing number are taking on
broader causes. Arguably the most famous rocker to use his fame as
political capital is U2's Bono, who has rubbed elbows with Sen. Orrin
Hatch (R-Utah) and former Secretary of State Colin Powell, among many
other top pols.
Rep. George Radanovich (R-Calif.), one of the politicians Tankian
and Dolmayan lobbied last week, conceded that he's wary of famous
people who travel to Capitol Hill for the latest cause celebre. But
the two rockers came across as genuine, he said, because they are of
Armenian ancestry and Tankian discussed how his grandfather survived
the atrocities.
"These guys, to me, are more legit," Radanovich said.
The genocide issue is no flavor of the week for System of a Down.
Their song "P.L.U.C.K.," ("Politically Lying, Unholy, Cowardly
Killers") deals squarely with it. The band has been publicizing the
issue for years.
Before their formal meetings with lawmakers, Tankian and Dolmayan
thanked supporters at a protest at the Turkish Embassy near Dupont
Circle here and the next day hosted highlights of "Screamers,"
a documentary about the issue, at a Capitol Hill screening.
In meetings in the Capitol, the duo weren't as slick as the
prototypical K Street lobbyist. Still, Tankian in particular seemed to
know the legislative lingo, juggling jargon about subcommittees and the
House floor and other concepts you'd never expect to come out of a guy
who used variations of one profanity seven times in one of his songs.
Tankian stuck to his talking points--his nonagenarian survivor
grandfather, the fact that the U.S. ambassador at the time cabled back
to the State Department to detail the mass slaughters--no matter whom
he met.
While touring the Capitol between meetings, the duo bumped into
a man they'd been seeking, unsuccessfully, to arrange a meeting
with--Hastert, who had stopped the genocide resolution from reaching
a floor vote and whose district offices in Batavia, Ill., the band
protested last year.
"I said hello, and I introduced myself, and I told him that I am
with the band System of a Down, and I had dropped by his office
and dropped a letter about my grandfather who's a survivor of the
Armenian genocide."
He added: "I asked him if he got it, he said, `I don't remember.' . .
. He said, `I'll look at the letter and get back to you,'" Tankian
said.
As of Tuesday evening, the speaker's office hadn't gotten back
to Tankian, a spokeswoman said. Hastert's office did not return a
reporter's calls seeking comment.
Maybe even rock stars can get stonewalled.
- - -
Pop star diplomacy
Politically active musicians often bring their issues to Washington,
where their reception by political figures is mixed.
Artist: Jessica Simpson
Issue: Plastic surgery for children with facial deformities
Political action: Met with members of congress in March to gain support
for Operation Smile, a group that seeks to provide the surgery for
poor children abroad.
Artist; U2's Bono
Issue: Debt relief for Africa
Political action: Traveled to Africa with then-Treasury Secretary
paul O'Neill in 2002; lobbied Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Secretary
of State Condoleezza Rice and her predecessor, Colin Powell.
Artist: The Backstreet Boys' Kevin Richardson
Issue: The effect of mountian-top mining
Political action: Testified before a Senate subcommittee in 2002,
prompting Sen. George Voinovich (R-Ohio) to boycott the hearing and
say the heartthrob's appearance was "a joke" and "trivializing issues."
Artist: Metallica's Lars Ulrich
Issue: Illegal music files on the Internet
Political action: Testified before the Senate in 2000 that music
file-trading sites such as Napstar, which at the time was free,
should be shut down.
Artist: Pearl Jam's Jeff Ament and Stone Gossard
Issue: Ticketmaster's monopoly on concert tickets
Political action: Appeared before a House subcommittee in antitrust
complaint filed with the Justice Department against the ticket seller.