Well, maybe not truly funny, but I find this amusing, a little heartening, as well as a bit depressing.
Via USAT: Nearly all Great American State Fair acts drop out, including Bret Michaels.
President Donald Trump‘s patriotic concert continues to unravel after more acts have dropped out.
Several artists slated to perform at the Great American State Fair, a 16-day event organized by the president’s nonprofit Freedom 250, have reportedly pulled out of the event, according to statements released on social media since Wednesday, May 27.
The fair, which is expected to run June 25 through July 10, will transform the National Mall in Washington, D.C., into “the biggest, boldest state fair in the country” in honor of the United States’ semiquincentennial, or 250th anniversary, according to the official Freedom 250 website. Scheduled attractions include a Ferris wheel and carousel, as well as rodeo and livestock competitions.
A lineup of music superstars rounded up to perform has collapsed significantly in the last two days, with Vanilla Ice and Flo Rida among the remaining acts.
This handy graphic tells the tale.
First, the funny. Where to begin? First, this is a collection of acts whose heydays were decades ago (I mean, the Commodores?). And in the truly comedic category, we have Milli Vanilli, famous (or infamous) for committing fraud, and Vanilla Ice, famous for plagiarizing Queen. Could a Trump-event get more on-brand?
Also funny: the incompetence on display here, and the fact that it is embarrassing that the Trump team can’t even get a bunch of acts in the twilight of their careers to show up.
The heartening part is that all of this is a real-life reflection of Trump’s popularity (or lack thereof). No one wants to be associated with him.
Country star Martina McBride shared her decision to exit the lineup on X, saying the event was presented to her as “non-partisan,” but “that turned out to be misleading.”
The Commodores, meanwhile, announced their exit in a succinct Instagram post,
“Our music has always been our voice and we choose not to publicly affiliate with any single political party. We support the betterment of all Americans,” the R&B group said Thursday.
[…]
“The artists were never told about any political involvement with the event,” Young MC continued. “And despite the claims by the organizers that the event is non-partisan, Spin magazine describes it as ‘Trump-backed.’ I hope to perform in D.C. in the near future at an event that is not so politically charged.”
The depressing part is how much Trump continues to turn America’s 250th into being all about him. This is an ongoing, very public example of his utter inability (or any desire) to fulfill his role as head of state (as opposed to head of government). It also shows his utter inability to take even a slam-dunk, easy opportunity to unify the country.
Where are Kid Rock and the Village People when you need them?
