Greta Garbo famously said, "I vant to be alone" in 1932's "Grand Hotel."
This ... is different.
Artists in the Age of Trump delight in telling fans to buzz off, beat it and/or scram. Why? Did they insult the star in question or decry something they did or said?
No. They don't want Trump fans enjoying their work. It's that simple.
It started, ironically enough, with Jimmy Kimmel. The former "Man Show" host was transforming before our eyes from a wacky late-night comic into a progressive scold. And, when asked about the transformation, he gently kissed half of his fan base goodbye.
The Republican half.
"Not good riddance but riddance," is how he phrased it. We know how the rest of his story played out.
Other progressive artists followed his lead. Singer Eminem called Trump fans out directly in song with this lyric.
Any fan of mine who’s a supporter of his
I’m drawing in the sand a line, you’re either for or against.
Not sure? Then bleep you, he concluded.
The hip-hop star might have felt good at the time, but he later regretted his choice of words.
That line in the sand, was it even worth it?
'Cause the way I see people turning's
Makin' it seem worthless, it's startin' to defeat the purpose
I'm watchin' my fan base shrink to thirds
Oh, well.
Seth Meyers, as far-left as any late-night type, picked up on Eminem's initial lament.
...so tonight I say to any fans of this show who are also big fans of Donald Trump, it’s time to make a decision guys, get off the fence ... Do you support him? Or do you support this show that constantly mocks and denigrates anything about him? I know it’s a tough call, but the time has come to make a decision.
At least Meyers' tongue was partially in cheek. Others took the position more seriously.
Ronnie Winter, the lead singer for Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, told fans last year that if they voted for Trump, "do not come to my shows."
For those who threatened to stop listening to my music based on my comments last night, I just want to say with conviction: go right ahead.
It's not the first time a country superstar lurched to the Left. Natalie Maines of the Dixie Chicks did just that during President George W. Bush's first term. The band excoriated both Bush and the Iraq War while on foreign soil, inspiring a massive blowback from country music fans.
The band's fame dried up not too long after. The group later reformed as The Chicks, ditching the Dixie during the woke revolution. They have yet to reclaim their status among the country elite.
Will Mr. Roll suffer a similar fate?
