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Do You Know The Worst Christmas Song?
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Industry sources report that Barack and Michelle Obama may be removing their content from Spotify as leftwing backlash against the streaming company intensifies.
The former First Family signed a deal with Spotify back in 2019 to produce exclusive content for the streaming platform. The multi-year agreement made between the Obama’s production company Higher Ground and Spotify gave rise to “The Michelle Obama Podcast,” and a podcast hosted by Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen called “Renegades: Born in the USA.”
Now that Higher Ground’s three-year deal with Spotify is coming to an end, it appears that the Obama’s are looking for greener pastures. The couple is reportedly frustrated with Spotify not enabling them to grow their company as quickly and diversely as they hoped Spotify initially would.
The Obama’s are just the latest influential cultural figures to shift away from Spotify. In recent weeks, Spotify has come under intense scrutiny for hosting the immensely popular podcast “The Joe Rogan Experience.” The podcast and its titular host, Joe Rogan, have become targets in the leftist war against COVID-19 “misinformation.” So, naturally, burnt-out old liberals who have become shills for corporate America and the Democratic Party are pushing for Spotify to censor Joe Rogan by threatening to remove their content from the platform.
Popular musicians like Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, and David Crosby threatened to remove their music from Spotify unless the streaming service actively censors — or outright removes — “The Joe Rogan Experience.” Several influential podcasters have also begun to boycott Spotify.
However, Spotify CEO Daniel Ek made clear that he does not seek to exert editorial control over Joe Rogan’s podcast but does expect him to adhere to the company’s policies writ large.
In a recent Q&A session Ek said, “We’re trying to balance creator expression with the safety of our users.”
“So, I think the important part here is that we don’t change our policies based on one creator, nor do we change it based on any media cycle or call from anyone else,” Ek continued, “Our policies have been carefully written with the input from numbers of internal and external experts in this space. And I do believe they’re right for our platform.”
An anonymous employee of Spotify told the Los Angeles Times that “Spotify doesn’t approve Rogan’s guest list, they don’t look at his content until it goes up, and so they don’t have editing power.”
It is unclear if the potential exodus of the Obama’s from Spotify is a merely a business decision or because of opposing worldviews regarding freedom of speech.
Obama says he punched out a friend in school, breaking his nose, after being called a racial slur
Former President Barack Obama said that back in the day when he was in school he punched out a friend — breaking the kid's nose — after he called Obama a racial slur.
What are the details?
The revelation was part of the second episode of "Renegades: Born in the USA," the podcast Obama launched with singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen in which the pair take on socio-political issues. The episode featured a racism discussion, and Obama notably blamed the "politics of white resistance and resentment" as one reason why he didn't push for reparations while he was in office.
Obama also noted that racism can be birthed from one's fear that "I'm insignificant and not important. And [being racist] is the thing that's going to give me some importance," the Huffington Post said.
Then he got personal, recalling a moment from his time in school in Hawaii when a friend called him a "c**n," the outlet noted.
"It's one of those things that where he might not even know what a c**n was — what he knew was, 'I can hurt you by saying this,'" Obama recalled, according to the Post. "And I remember I popped him in the face and broke his nose, and we were in the locker room. ... And he said, 'Why'd you do that?' And I explained to him, 'Don't you ever call me something like that.'"
According to The Hill, Obama chuckled retelling the tale — and Springsteen offered kudos for his physical response: "Well done."
The Hill added that it's believed to be the first time Obama publicly discussed the incident.
During the podcast, Obama also said that uttering racial slurs comes down to "an assertion of status over the other," The Hill reported.
"'I may be poor. I may be ignorant. I may be mean. I may be ugly. I may not like myself. I may be unhappy. But you know what I'm not?'" Obama said to Springsteen, according to the Hill. "'I'm not you.'"
Obama blames 'politics of white resistance and resentment' for why he didn't push for reparations
Former President Barack Obama called out "the politics of white resistance and resentment" as one of the reasons why he didn't push for reparations while he was in office.
What are the details?
During the second episode of Obama's new podcast with singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen — "Renegades: Born in the USA" — the duo spoke about race in America.
One of the subjects was reparations, and Obama said they were justified since "the wealth of this country, the power of this country ... not exclusively, maybe not even the majority of it ... but a large portion of it, was built on the backs of slaves," the Huffington Post said.
He added that it was "perfectly understandable why working-class white folks, middle-class white folks, folks who are having trouble paying the bills or dealing with student loans ... wouldn't be thrilled with the idea of a massive program that is designed to deal with the past but isn't speaking to their future," the outlet added.
"We can't even get this country to provide decent schooling for inner-city kids," Obama also said, according to the Post. "And what I saw during my presidency was the politics of white resistance and resentment. The talk of welfare queens and the talk of the undeserving poor. And the backlash against affirmative action. All that made the prospect of actually proposing any kind of coherent, meaningful reparations program ... not only a non-starter but potentially counterproductive."
Fox News said it appears the former president has changed his position on reparations, as he opposed the idea during his 2008 presidential campaign and argued that "the best reparations we can provide are good schools in the inner city and jobs for people who are unemployed."
Hot topic
Reparations has appeared to flirt on the perimeter of public consciousness over the years, but now that Democratic President Joe Biden is in office, reparations seem to have been occupying a larger swath of the national conversation.
Last week during a House Judiciary Committee hearing on the subject, former NFL star Herschel Walker — now an outspoken conservative voice — argued against slavery reparations. A devout Christian, Walker said reparations are "outside the teaching of Jesus Christ."
U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas), who was part of the virtual committee hearing, in 2019 introduced H.R. 40 — the Commission to Study and Develop Reparations Proposals for African Americans Act — to "examine slavery and discrimination in the colonies and the United States from 1619 to present and recommend appropriate remedies."
Also last week it was revealed that Biden supports studying reparations. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the study would be part of the Biden administration's "commitment to take comprehensive action to address the systemic racism that persists today." In February 2019, Kamala Harris said she supports slavery reparations.
But Americans overwhelmingly oppose reparations, as a Reuters/Ipsos poll last summer found that only 1 in 5 respondents agreed the U.S. government should use "taxpayer money to pay damages to descendants of enslaved people in the United States."
Bruce Springsteen's drunk driving, reckless driving charges dropped
Prosecutors dropped legendary singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen's drunk driving and reckless driving charges Wednesday because his .02 blood-alcohol level was well below the .08 legal limit after his arrest at New Jersey's Sandy Hook federal park late last year.
However, the 71-year-old pleaded guilty to drinking tequila shots and was fined $500, NJ.com reported.
What are the details?
Springsteen sat next to his lawyer, Mitchell Ansell, during a virtual appearance before Magistrate Judge Anthony Mautone, answered a few questions from his lawyer, and admitted he drank alcohol on Nov. 14, 2020, within a "closed area" of the park where drinking alcohol was recently prohibited, the outlet said.
"I had two small shots of tequila," Springsteen said, according to NJ.com.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Baker said Springsteen did not take a preliminary breath test during field sobriety tests but did give a sample at the park ranger station, the outlet said. Baker said the initial test isn't legally required, NJ.com, while the judge noted that it's not admissible in court.
With that, the prosecutors moved to dismiss the drunk driving and reckless driving charges, the outlet said.
"I am going to impose nothing but a fine," Mautone said, according to NJ.com, and noted the musician's clean driving record dating to 1973. "Rarely would you see a driver's abstract so devoid of any entries. I'm convinced a fine is the appropriate sentence in this case."
Mautone said only three violations were on Springsteen's driving record, including using a handheld mobile phone, the outlet said.
"Mr. Springsteen, I need to ask you how long you need to pay that fine?" the judge inquired, according to NJ.com.
Springsteen smiled and answered, "I think I can pay that immediately," the outlet said.
Mautone set Wednesday as the deadline for paying the $500 fine, as well as an additional $40 in court fees, NJ.com reported.
What did Springsteen's lawyer have to say?
"Mr. Springsteen is pleased with the outcome of today's court appearance," Ansell said in a statement after the hearing, the outlet said. "The prosecutor was unable to provide the necessary evidence and facts as it related to the charge of driving under the influence (DUI) and reckless driving and therefore, dismissed both of those charges. Mr Springsteen, who has no previous criminal record of any kind, voluntarily plead guilty to a violation of consuming an alcoholic beverage in a closed area, agreeing to a fine of $500. We want to thank the court and will have no further comment at this time."
What's the background?
Springsteen — known far and wide as "The Boss" — was arrested after a park ranger spotted him take one of the shots of tequila and start the engine on his Triumph motorcycle, NJ.com reported, citing court records.
The park ranger said Springsteen smelled "strongly of alcohol," had "glassy eyes," and showed "signs of intoxication."
After news of his arrest surfaced, Jeep pulled its Super Bowl LV ad featuring Springsteen "until the actual facts [about the incident] can be established."
Anything else?
Spotify earlier this week announced the launch of "Renegades: Born in the USA," a podcast hosted by Springsteen and former President Barack Obama that will cover sociopolitical issues such as race and the future of the country and personal subjects such as fatherhood and marriage.
Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen now have a podcast
Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen have a new podcast.
On Monday, Spotify announced the launch of "Renegades: Born in the USA," a podcast hosted by the former president and the critically acclaimed and wildly popular rock star. The duo will talk about political issues like race and the future of the country and personal things like fatherhood and marriage.
"President Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen first met back in 2008. Though the two have very different backgrounds and careers, they formed a deep friendship," Spotify said in a statement. "Starting today, listeners can eavesdrop on their personal, intimate conversations in a new podcast."
"The longtime friends discuss their hometowns and role models, explore modern manhood, and confront the painfully divided state of the country today—and offer a vision of how we can all move forward together," Spotify added.
The new podcast series features eight episodes and is the second podcast to launch through Spotify's partnership with former President Obama and Michelle Obama's production company Higher Ground. Spotify's first podcast with Higher Ground, "The Michelle Obama Podcast," launched in 2019 and became the top-ranked podcast on the audio streaming service. According to NBC News, Spotify has spent more than $500 million to acquire podcast companies and expand its non-music content with exclusive deals with celebrities and popular figures.
The first episode of "Renegades," now streaming, deals with the current political situation in the United States and race in America. The introduction is narrated by President Obama before the conversation with Springsteen begins, in which they talk about their respective upbringings.
"How did we get here? How could we find our way back to a more unifying American story?" Obama asks.
He continues: "That topic came to dominate so many of my conversations last year—with Michelle, with my daughters and with friends. And one of the friends just happened to be Mr. Bruce Springsteen. On the surface, Bruce and I don't have a lot in common. But over the years, what we've found is that we've got a shared sensibility. About work, about family and about America. In our own ways, Bruce and I have been on parallel journeys trying to understand this country that's given us both so much. Trying to chronicle the stories of its people. Looking for a way to connect our own individual searches for meaning and truth and community with the larger story of America."
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