Please sign petition for Beach Boys to withdraw from performing on 2/5/20

[NOLA BB Fan]

Didn't Brian go to the Kennedy Center with Obama in attendance? That's an odd statement but in hindsight not surprising considering all the anti Obama stuff spewed before the election.

Not sure if the Obamas were in attendance, but BW's Kennedy Center honors were in 2008, the final year of the George W. Bush administration.

I believe that Brian and Melinda met President Obama, when they became involved in the Campaign to Change Direction for Mental Illness.

[rab2591]

Guitarfool, just want to say that that was one fantastic post. I think what is most sickening in all of this is that Mike Love is still going through with this. I don’t think I expected an official statement going after Brian Wilson from the Trumps, but in the wake of that, if Mike actually has any fiber of “peace and love” left in his body he would stand by his own family...at least a cousin who he says he loves.

Think about this: yesterday SCI releases a video asking hunters to “trigger” the “anti-hunting extremists” - soon after we get an official statement from THE PRESIDENT’S SON bragging about how he triggered Brian. So much peace and love, Mike. All because Brian would rather his music not be associated with the murder of endangered animals.  

As for Don, must be utterly sad to live a life where you’re proud to not only shoot a defenseless animal for the sociopathic fun of it, but to then you mock a legend of American music who has a heart of gold.

Unless Mike gets on stage and protests trophy hunting for 2 hours, I do not at all see how Mike can walk away from this without a seriously damaged reputation. Playing this gig was one horrible thing, but now playing this gig after the headlining speaker mocks Mike’s own cousin?

Beyond disgusted with this entire thing.

*I would also hope that if any of the band members had any respect for Brian and his music they would walk away from this one gig.

[Nathan Snyder]

You want to talk about a power imbalance?  The son of the most powerful man in the world just publicly picked on/mocked a guy who was bullied - and literally has brain damage - from his bully psychiatrist, who was brought in to treat Brian's conditions resulting from his bully father.

There will never be another person in rock music hated as much as Mike. Salieri for all times.

Most any BBs fans with a conscience right now should be livid if they really think about this.

Like a broken record...the way you guys see reality under your own lens.   Mike/Beach Boys touring group/this stupid hunting organization/Trump Jr.  all of them going on about their own business doing this event.   Brian Wilson and Al Jardine independently choose to publicly BULLY THEM by publicly calling for people to boycott their concert.   Don Jr. has the audacity to respond and HE is the one who is bullying.   Geez.

Calling for a boycott of organizations/events you don't believe in is not bullying. You think lunch counter protests of segregation were bullying? Bus boycotts? Taking a stand for what you believe in, to support the powerless against those in power, is not bullying.
[/quote]

Of course I don't think its bullying.  In no way is it bullying.  I'm just using the opposing sides terms and responding to the fact that people are having a fit about Don Jr. hitting back.  None of those involved ever mentioned Brian Wilson's name....at all.  Brian used his celebrity and publicly shamed them for the event set up.   Don Jr. hits back and now he's the evil person.  Does Brian plan to make up for the financial impact he may cause the families and children he may have hurt from the monetary loss his public boycott may cause them?  Is he even considering the children?  Children are more important than animals?   The stupidity. 

[SMiLE Brian]

Cult of personality is strong with this event....

[rab2591]

Because yes, I even read a comment from David Beard that said "Mike doesn't support trophy hunting", so it does indeed beg the question, why is he choosing this hill to die on?

While I applaud ESQ for not literally ignoring this story, which is I'm sure what anyone would prefer to be able to do, I think some folks who are known to be quite sympathetic to Mike are literally having an "unable to process data" moment here.

The exact quote posted on Facebook is: "Hope this all gets sorted out because we know Mike Love does not support trophy hunting"

I'm going to be blunt here and say this in reply: ***If he doesn't support trophy hunting then why the f*ck is he playing this gig?***

Has logic flown out the window when it comes to either defending or supporting Mike Love? It really is that simple and logical. If Mike does not support or endorse trophy hunting, then he should not play this gig.

It is indeed an "unable to process data" moment with Mike and some of his supporters the way it seems, but it isn't the first time.

And it could be said if Mike Love doesn't support trophy hunting but wants to play this gig anyway for whatever reasons he has, why didn't he book it under his own name as he's done for other corporate gigs in the past instead of dragging the Beach Boys' name through the sh*t?

Exactly! I wonder if ESQ will amend their statement to say "Hope this all gets sorted out because we know Mike Love does not support trophy hunting...and we know he does not support people mocking his cousin."

If Mike opposed trophy hunting he wouldn't be playing a convention where killing animals for fun is glorified. If Mike supported his cousin in any way he wouldn't be playing a convention where the headlining speaker just mocked Brian.

As for logic being flung out the window - that's usually the case when people defend the guy. I am grateful that the usual Mike defenders are opposing this. I'm sure the one person left on the other forum still defending this gig will twist themselves into a pretzel trying to explain how Don Jr's comment was actually a statement of support for Brian's music.

The latest defense I heard was that because Mike's band isn't the "prestige float" that Brian's band is, they need the money from this gig. The Beach Boys played 130 gigs last year? Even if it were 100, does anyone seriously believe they are that financially unstable that they need to play this one gig to stay afloat? Give me a break. And as for the local roady crews depending on this gig for a paycheck, I highly doubt that SCI wouldn't have a backup plan for a local band to come in...I'm sure Ted Nugent would be glad to fly in for the gig. Regardless, when your gig is the convention that supports the "sport" of killing animals for fun, perhaps it's best to stay home that night anyways.

[rab2591]

Of course I don't think its bullying.  In no way is it bullying.  I'm just using the opposing sides terms and responding to the fact that people are having a fit about Don Jr. hitting back.  None of those involved ever mentioned Brian Wilson's name....at all.  Brian used his celebrity and publicly shamed them for the event set up.   Don Jr. hits back and now he's the evil person.  Does Brian plan to make up for the financial impact he may cause the families and children he may have hurt from the monetary loss his public boycott may cause them?  Is he even considering the children?  Children are more important than animals?   The stupidity.  

If your family's financial well-being depends on the market of endangered animal body parts then you need to find a new line of work.

And, Nathan, earlier you mentioned, more or less, that it's hypocritical that people who support abortion are also opposed to trophy hunting. So with that exact same logic it would then be hypocritical for one who opposed abortion to also support this event. If you personally think there is even a slight correlation between caring for animals and caring for babies/children, then it would be in your benefit to support both - regardless of what your "opposition" also believes.

Brian didn't "use his celebrity" to shame the event. Brian used his Facebook account to ask his fans to petition the band he created to not play a convention that supports the killing of endangered animals.

Funny thing is, with your logic you could also say that Mike Love used his celebrity to shame those who slaughtered endangered animals for his lyrics in 'Pacific Ocean Blues' - Mike literally asked people to "Holler more" against the industry that was slaughtering wildlife, yet I have never once heard anyone say that was Mike using his celebrity to shame others. You're the one shaming Brian for taking Mike's own advice!

[Mr. Tiger]

Never thought I'd see the day when the thought "I wish the Beach Boys were more like REO Speedwagon" could enter my mind.

[UEF]

The latest defense I heard was that because Mike's band isn't the "prestige float" that Brian's band is, they need the money from this gig. The Beach Boys played 130 gigs last year? Even if it were 100, does anyone seriously believe they are that financially unstable that they need to play this one gig to stay afloat? Give me a break. And as for the local roady crews depending on this gig for a paycheck, I highly doubt that SCI wouldn't have a backup plan for a local band to come in...I'm sure Ted Nugent would be glad to fly in for the gig. Regardless, when your gig is the convention that supports the "sport" of killing animals for fun, perhaps it's best to stay home that night anyways.

Do they need the money? no

But I'd imagine they have a policy of taking gigs from legally operating entities.

Not only that, but I'd imagine they like to have the ear of Republican America, and the connections that they currently enjoy (and have done since Reagan).

[HeyJude]

Interestingly, while they seem to be scrubbing negative comments from Mike's Facebook page as they always have over the years, the critical comments on Mike's Twitter are being left intact.

You can't delete others comments on Twitter. You can on Facebook.

No. You can kill an entire thread so to speak, and I think there's a way to sort of "hide" some users from other users. But yeah, if they want to keep negative comments from Mike's Twitter page, they have to delete any original posts he made with negative responses, and then essentially not tweet again until negative commments blow over. And even then, that wouldn't stop others from "@-ing" him, or hashtagging him, etc.

All of which likely explains why Facebook seems to be his main social media platform of choice, with the other platforms just getting dupes from what he posts on Facebook.

[HeyJude]

Trump Jr. nonsensically pulling Brian Wilson's name into this indicates several things:

1. When someone (e.g. MIKE LOVE) chooses to embroil themselves in *any way* with that family and with that political ball of putrid waste, that sort of "statement" is the type of crap that's going to happen. Some BB fans less entrenched in daily awful politics in the post-2016 era may be shocked, but that's the sort of garbage that's getting tweeted every day by the person in the oval office, and Trump Jr. literally wrote a book about getting off on "triggering" people (ignoring how his father is the most easily triggered person of all time, literally to the point that you can raise is ire by talking about the size of his hands?).

2. Donald Trump Jr., despite the headlines clearly laying it out, likely has no idea who Brian Wilson is.

3. He presumably doesn't know that Brian and Mike were and kind of still are bandmates, and/or that they are fellow shareholders in a private corporation.

4. He presumably isn't aware Brian and Mike are family members, nor that Brian and Mike at least purport to love each other.

That Mike Love would do this gig in light of all that's happened, and defiantly so, and now would do so and not rebuke Trump Jr.'s insult regarding Brian Wilson, really, truly brings Mike's *SELF INFLICTED* villain status to a new level.

I think Mike truly is turning into James Woods. I truly wouldn't be surprised if, at some point in the near future, Mike will be on Twitter angrily ranting daily, trading back-pats with James Woods, Roseanne, Chuck Woolery, Kanye, and Jon Voight.

[HeyJude]

Those trying to parse Brian's "politics", it's not really worth trying to decipher it. Brian ranges from somewhat apolitical to relatively liberal.

Let's be clear: In the pre-2016 world, there was some room left to feel that one could do a government/presidential function without agreeing with the politics of that administration. I mean, I'd say Al Jardine is a pretty liberal guy in more recent decades, but he appeared with Mike at that Reagan thing in 2011. I think all of these guys tolerate and/or have respect for older era conservative figures like Reagan or Bush even if their politics don't align with those people, and certainly not with the Republican party of today.

But Brian (and/or his camp) don't actively embroil themselves with politics or political figures the way Mike Love has in the last few years. Passing along a petition against trophy hunting isn't "political" in the same way that Mike actively supporting Trump has been. Mike has made MULTIPLE public appearances with Donald Trump, has spoken of his admiration for the guy in interviews. Heck, remember for the inauguration how someone found a huge photo of the inauguration audience and actually zoomed in and found Mike and his wife? Make no mistake, that wasn't just Mike celebrating the inauguration regardless of who was being inaugurated (unless someone can track down evidence he attended in 2013 or 2009, etc.). That was Mike gleefully getting off on *his* guy, that awful guy, getting into office.

To recap, Mike has *chosen* to be pretty actively political, and has been *UNAPOLOGETIC* about that in recent years.

On the other hand, Brian probably rarely cares about that stuff nearly as much (I frankly wish Brian and Al would have more vociferously stood up back in early 2017 when that inauguration gig stuff was in the offing), and in this case presently I think simply made the pretty simple deduction that trophy hunting is awful and and he needed to say something lest the BEACH BOYS name be dragged further through the mud. Yes, Brian's statement did escalate things, and now EVERYBODY is getting dragged through the mud.

But Mike had about 87 chances to be the hero to put a stop to all of this. So next time he does an interview and laments he's painted as the "villain" in the story, remember that at this stage he is actively *seeking* out that very role, and seemingly gleefully so.

[HeyJude]

A few people have mentioned David Marks. Has he actually made any public statement about this? I haven't been able to track anything down.

[HeyJude]

Melinda Love from Facebook:

My friends, if I had a dollar for every time someone has said “Tell your dad________(fill in the blank)” I wouldn’t need to sell real estate or work as a flight attendant. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Some days it’s all beautiful. Some days, (like today), it’s just embarrassing. You probably know what I’m talking about. Just know I already know. Xo

[Ang Jones]

I can't speak for Brian's political beliefs but I remember this, in which Brian participated, and which clearly takes an opinion on human disregard of other species.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ilN_ndi_BA&fbclid=IwAR2mkARD8AvckRzNEH0ub_R5_h3TS-seTJfZrGy1OicnM4lWnGsH5NTXt1g

[HeyJude]

To further recap, concerning Mike's gig, precisely ZERO people in the extended BB world have come out with any statement supporting doing this show.

We have had either silence/no comment, or active disagreement/rebuke from colleagues and *multiple family members* of Mike.

Even in the extended world of the more well-known fans/scholars, folks normally arguably overly-sympathetic to Mike are disgusted by this gig.

I think part of the head-scratching aspect of this is that not doing this gig requires ZERO EFFORT. If someone were asking Mike to give up all of his lifetime royalties for a cause, or asking him to donate his left leg to science or something, I'd understand hesitancy. But simply deciding not to kill animals for trophy hunting purposes, and even simply deciding not to play at a gig that supports it, requires so little effort. I guess Mike *might* have to eat some overhead costs for canceling one show, and even then contracts might minimize how much that's the case.

[FreakySmiley]

Does anyone else find it mildly ironic that Brian Wilson has probably done more good for America than Don Jr?

[HeyJude]

I can't speak for Brian's political beliefs but I remember this, in which Brian participated, and which clearly takes an opinion on human disregard of other species.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ilN_ndi_BA&fbclid=IwAR2mkARD8AvckRzNEH0ub_R5_h3TS-seTJfZrGy1OicnM4lWnGsH5NTXt1g

This type of cause is something varying combinations of band members have supported (or written about) over the years, and while anything can be framed as "political", that sort of stuff is usually kind of pretty basic charity/fundraising stuff for good causes that essentially nobody can really disagree with. Sort of like Mike singing about the environment in his songs. Nobody much disagrees with the theoretical idea that it would be nice to save the environment. So all that stuff is as non-controversial as something can get.

What's going on in recent years with Mike is different. He's actively seeking out being attached to inflammatory hot-button politics. And it's not as if there was zero precedent. The band (well, some members) did do political rallies/fundraisers in past years. They campaigned for Bush in 1980 (well, Mike, Bruce, Al, and Carl did), and at least Mike and possibly Bruce campaigned for Bush in 1988 (the oft-mentioned infamous "I'm pickin' up Bush Vibrations" chant at one rally).

Truly, it's pretty sad that when you look at pictures or footage of Mike hanging out with John Stamos, or Ronald Reagan, or Donald Trump, he looks *far more happy* and gleeful than he ever did on the C50 reunion tour standing alongside Al Jardine.

[HeyJude]

Does anyone else find it mildly ironic that Brian Wilson has probably done more good for America than Don Jr?

Banana and Louie did more good.

[CenturyDeprived]

I can't speak for Brian's political beliefs but I remember this, in which Brian participated, and which clearly takes an opinion on human disregard of other species.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ilN_ndi_BA&fbclid=IwAR2mkARD8AvckRzNEH0ub_R5_h3TS-seTJfZrGy1OicnM4lWnGsH5NTXt1g

This type of cause is something varying combinations of band members have supported (or written about) over the years, and while anything can be framed as "political", that sort of stuff is usually kind of pretty basic charity/fundraising stuff for good causes that essentially nobody can really disagree with. Sort of like Mike singing about the environment in his songs. Nobody much disagrees with the theoretical idea that it would be nice to save the environment. So all that stuff is as non-controversial as something can get.

What's going on in recent years with Mike is different. He's actively seeking out being attached to inflammatory hot-button politics. And it's not as if there was zero precedent. The band (well, some members) did do political rallies/fundraisers in past years. They campaigned for Bush in 1980 (well, Mike, Bruce, Al, and Carl did), and at least Mike and possibly Bruce campaigned for Bush in 1988 (the oft-mentioned infamous "I'm pickin' up Bush Vibrations" chant at one rally).

Truly, it's pretty sad that when you look at pictures or footage of Mike hanging out with John Stamos, or Ronald Reagan, or Donald Trump, he looks *far more happy* and gleeful than he ever did on the C50 reunion tour standing alongside Al Jardine.

Yes, he's far more happy because he is hanging out with famous, powerful people, which feeds his narcissistic ego. It's all about that ego feeding. Always has been. Al is probably viewed a contrarian by not being a blind follower "yes man" of everything that Mike wants to do in order to get more adulation and BJs.

[HeyJude]

Well, on the reunion tour, I think Al may have asked at one point to add one song to the setlist. I mean, that's pretty out of line and uncalled for.....

[guitarfool2002]

Of course I don't think its bullying.  In no way is it bullying.  I'm just using the opposing sides terms and responding to the fact that people are having a fit about Don Jr. hitting back.  None of those involved ever mentioned Brian Wilson's name....at all.  Brian used his celebrity and publicly shamed them for the event set up.   Don Jr. hits back and now he's the evil person.  Does Brian plan to make up for the financial impact he may cause the families and children he may have hurt from the monetary loss his public boycott may cause them?  Is he even considering the children?  Children are more important than animals?   The stupidity. 

What you're either missing or ignoring, Nathan, is that none of Brian's statements mentioned Don Jr. at all, yet his acting spokesman Sarubian replied as if Brian was targeting Don Jr.

I tried to spell it out as clearly as I could in my last post specific to this and the Trump Jr. "statement", but I guess you didn't read it or chose to ignore it. Anyway, that's the fact of the matter. Brian never mentioned Trump Jr, yet Trump's hired flack Sarubian tried to make it all about Don Jr. as if Brian went after him, which he did not. Again, feel free to ignore the facts as you've been doing.

Classic political "war room" mentality and tactics. Deflect, distract, insult, obfuscate...and never, EVER address the actual topic at hand when there is no logical defense.

Speaking of which, there is some of that going on right here in this discussion. So Sarubian, who is literally a paid professional at doing this, has succeeded in shifting the discussion to Brian's politics rather than the actual issue of trophy hunting and the gig Mike is playing.

[Amy B.]

Melinda Love from Facebook:

My friends, if I had a dollar for every time someone has said “Tell your dad________(fill in the blank)” I wouldn’t need to sell real estate or work as a flight attendant. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Some days it’s all beautiful. Some days, (like today), it’s just embarrassing. You probably know what I’m talking about. Just know I already know. Xo

Interesting.

[HeyJude]

The bottom line on this recent statement from Trump Jr. is that in any normal scenario where Mike Love had any sense of dignity for himself and his family member/bandmate/fellow shareholder, and any sense of sticking up for them being attacked, he would have *at the very least* stepped in once Trump Jr. insulted Brian and:

1. Rebuked Trump Jr. both privately and publicly for the needlessly over the top attack.

2. Used it as an EVEN EASIER way to justify canceling this gig.

*At the very least*, this situation at this point should be one of those "Maybe I'm allowed to criticize my family members, but you're not" sort of situations.

Is this really the same guy that cried on TV in the early 90s reciting the lyrics to "Brian's Back", and teared up talking about the family before the CalSaga gig in 2012? Wtf happened?

[HeyJude]

Mike Love truly is starting to turn into James Woods. It really is veering into that territory. Probably the only thing preventing Mike from going on Trump-esque daily Twitter diatribes is that he's too busy touring.

I'm not trying to inflame the politics of this, but seeing those around Mike react to this gig, it's starting to remind me a little bit of the whole Roseanne thing *before* it blew up. Meaning, colleagues and business associates saw the rabbit hole Roseanne was heading down in her increasingly defiant, inflammatory attitude, but continually just tried to brush it off as "well, maybe she's crazy, but that's her own thing", and continued to work with her. And then it blew up in everyone's face.

I'm not saying Mike has reached Roseanne-Twitter levels of inflammatory language and statements and attitudes, but his *defiant* and *unapologetic* decision to play this gig starts to smell like that a little bit.

In one sense, I kind of hope Mike *doesn't* retire from touring, because I'd rather not see ten years of daily tweets about Hillary Clinton and pizza parlors.

[Jay]

I find it slightly amusing that apparently nobody has thought to whether or not those were the exact words junior said. I doubt donny even knows, or cares who Brian Wilson is.