The Smiley Smile Message Board

Stumbled upon this (virtually unwatchable) live video on youtube today:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBTg1AkRl9M

Apparently Brian performed at a pro choice rally in 1989!  This may be old news to some of you, but it's news to me!  If I understand correctly, this was towards the end of his association with Landy.  Here's a picture from the event:

http://www.filmmagic.com/photos/Brian-Wilson-during-Pro-Choice-Rally-1989-in-Los-Angeles-California/111173483        

Very interesting... I know that the BBs have generally (publicly speaking) been more supportive of traditionally Republican candidates/and or causes... While it's not news that their political beliefs have ranged across varying degrees of the spectrum, does anyone know if there's any kind of list of political causes and/or candidates that the band members have publicly supported throughout the years? Off the top of my head, I know they were guests of the Reagan and Bush Sr. White Houses.

Is this 1989 rally the only instance of a traditionally democratic/liberal cause being championed?

Well, Bruce is certainly not an Obama supporter.  ;D

Quite interesting. Did not know that Brian was pro-choice....or is he is? Could just be just another example of Landy pushing Brian into something he knew nothing about.

Personally, I think that if Landy told him he was pro-choice, he was pro-choice.

Not sure Brian cares about politics at all, or really knows much about it. I bet he supports whoever is in office at the time. Having said that, there are pro choice republicans and pro life democrats. I hate the two party system. Not everyone I s defined 100% by either side. If not most of us.

This.

Of all the Beach Boys, Brian was (and is) probably the least politically engaged... and the least involved with 'causes' of any variety.

During the Landy era, he was very much 'along for the ride.'   Thus, one really should draw no conclusions at all about Brian's political or moral views from the fact the he was hangin' out at the GOP national convention in 1984 or a pro-choice rally in 1989.

I think Landy was undoubtedly a factor in this, and while I agree that Brian seems to be largely very apolitical, I still I doubt he'd have made an appearance here if he was deeply, very steadfastly against the issue/cause/party (and the same goes for his GOP convention appearances too). IMO.

A person's feelings on the pro-choice question should have little to do with his/her political affiliation.  Not saying it doesn't, given today's partisan political climate; but it really shouldn't.

Brian does seem to be a bit of a basic traditionalist as far as his mainstream Christian religious comments remarks are concerned.
also
I have been a bit disconcerted about the title of the final Beachboys album.   

as for politics and religious leanings, I guess those things go hand in hand, at least in this country (USA).   too bad.  Personally I am a fiscal conservative, but am moderate to liberal on social issues, including choice.   the govt should be in the business of protecting people FROM religion (remember those witch trials?)

I am a Christian but you make a good point. I looked in Genesis and couldn't figure out which day God made the radio  ;D

I agree with the thought that Brian is apolitical. And as for Mike and Bruce being Republican, they are...but I wouldn't be surprised if they were socially less conservative. They have supported environmental causes; I wonder if they would support a candidate that opposed environmental regulations. Oh, wait. Reagan.

But still, I'm not sure we can assume that they're socially conservative.

FIFY

:old Pretty sure "When a Man Needs a Woman" is completely irreconcilable with the pro-choice position...

So does anybody Brian's position on this stuff? I still have a feeling he's probably pro-life. But maybe not. Who knows?

They're all old men.  Who gives a shit what they think about abortion, they'll never have to worry about having one.

Brian is one of those people, in my opinion, that just isn't very political.  He probably sees good in whoever's in office, like somebody said above.  I've seen him say supportive things of recent republican candidates in interviews but I believe I also saw him say some supportive things of president Obama.  So he's not incredibly polarized either way.  I've seen him disagree with political issues, but in a very common sense simple way (which is pretty refreshing). 

It's kind of like how he supports Spector... by saying "He couldn't have done that, right?"

As for the pro-choice thing, it's kind of the default position if you're apolotical or don't really sit down and consider where you come down on it.  So he's either staunchly pro-choice or just doesn't care enough one way or the other to NOT be pro-choice.

Needed saying

If you feed Brian a steady diet of steak & birthday cake served by a pretty young girl, and keep the jukebox stocked with Spector songs, he'll be anything you want for as long as you like. Fact.  ;D

Apart from the Spector songs, I imagine that sums up lots of guys!

I think I'll keep the Spector songs in thanks ;D

Always felt Brian was more of a pro-hamburger kind of guy...

Guilty as charged, your honor.

I've read some interviews and discovered more than I might like about Brian's love of Fox News and support for the McCain/Palin campaign... but much like a reactionary favourite uncle, it's very hard to hold this against him in any sense. Brian of the mid/late 60s did have more of a liberal or radical take on things, I'm quite sure, but as with Dennis, actual politics always appeared low on the Wilsons' agenda, they all have/had more a spiritual outlook I think.

Unlikely to have been written by Brian back in 2000 was an awkward (if apparently sincerely-felt by whomever actually wrote it) post  on the original "blue board" about sending a telegram or some such thing to the supreme court in protest of their decision concerning the 2000 election. Whomever wrote that probably did not lean in any way conservative.

Jon Stebbins a few years back posted a very succinct, straightforward assessment of the band members’ politics (or the politics they don’t subscribe to) based on the scattered evidence we do have at our disposal. Here’s one of those posts:

http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,12495.msg255258.html#msg255258 (http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,12495.msg255258.html#msg255258)

Ka-ching!  Which sums up the bulk of "pro-choicers."  Go with the flow?   :lol  I would assume its the pro-life people who've put thought into it.

I think I'm going to throw up.

This sounds like Sandbox talk. Just sayin'...

Or FreeRepublic to be more accurate.

The most repugnant thing I've read on this board (which is saying a lot).

Oh lighten up!  It's nothing. Right?

Can you please just keep your bullheaded opinions in the sandbox?

Maybe i could run everything by you first -- since your opinions on mine are apparently not bullheaded.   ;)

Yeah, sure, that'll work.

Oh Jesus.

Pro-Choice:  Onions, pickles, lettuce, ketchup, mayo.....



oh, and bacon!  Definitely bacon!



Ok, what else?

:lol  Typically pro-choicer.

Ooh, you really burned me with that one. Someone pass the Neosporin cuz this one stiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiings.
Seriously, this is hardly the place for this.

I don't understand the "bullheaded" joke...someone explain, plz?

And... so... why do you think you got a Neosporin-caliber reply?

I mean, c'mon!  I would expect this from the others... but I expect more out of you, Bubbly.   :lol

Bean Bag, why don't women deserve the right to choose what happens with their bodies?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w15OS2PdCKo

 :lol

That's my question!

You are a misogynist ass.

And you're an idiot, I presume, is how you like it?   :smokin

You see "Hypey" the "misogynist" cue (a big word for an idiot) is your intolerant "that's what everybody else thinks -- so I should do it too" reaction.  A reaction that demonstrates you lack the intelligence to sort out on your own how you just got sunk by my response -- and in doing so you've chosen to demonstrate only your ability to flex your fascist salute.

Bravo.  Now... why do YOU think women don't deserve the right to choose what happens with their bodies?  Remember... I'm talking about women of all ages, all-star -- not just the ones you're trying so desperately to impress. 

 ;)

So, the only reason someone would defend women is because they're trying to impress them?
There is something deeply flawed about that line of thinking.

There's tons o' deeply flawed thinking on display here, Bubbly.  We'll call'em "assumptions."  

For example, your assumptions are 1) that I don't have any more arrows in the quiver, by somehow assuming that my witty assumption offered the only reason one would defend women (i.e.; trying to "impress" them)...  2) that I'm not defending women, and 3) that Hypehat is defending women.  We haven't proven that yet.



To fast-forward this a bit ... What I'm trying to prove is that fascism is alive in our discourse.  Those who don't march along must be ostracized from society, by any means necessary.  I.E.; "I disagree with X.  I must hate Y."  I challenge abortion (I do) EQUALS I'm a misogynist (I'm not).  Right?  The whole "war on women" thing?

This is the fascism I'm trying to illustrate, Bubbly.  A very strict, quick and extremely intolerant trend.  It's persuasion is simply fear.  Fear of stigmatization.  I'd like to discredit the thugs hiding behind the language of "pro-choice."

(http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/image_content_width/hash/f3/cc/1343231416_6799_1.jpg?itok=gfCOIjIZ)

I never really agree with any of Bean Bags opinions (nor do I really want to get sucked into this debate), but I thought his response:


was pretty spot on. From my point of view, life (consciousness) is sacred - no matter what "age".

That being said, I'm neither pro-life or pro-choice....I'm really on the fence at the moment. I think abortion is as equally cruel as "raising" a child in a poverty/drug-heavy environment by a parent who doesn't really give a sh*t about the kid. It's a very turbulent discussion worth having without calling someone a "misogynist" or an "idiot".

"... parent who doesn't really give a sh*t about the kid"

Keep the kid and shoot the parent. Easy.

Honestly, I could not care less what any male thinks about abortion. 
The proposotion that men could in any conceivable way understand the choice and nuances of abortion is ludicrous and  the subject should be left to women to decide, whether as a whole or as an individual.

Women definitely should have the majority of say/sway when it comes to this topic. But leaving a key member of the procreating process out of the discussion/decision on the continuation of life entirely is quite drastic.

With all the birth control choices that are out there, abortion in this day and age should be a rare thing.

Also when we say 'it's a woman's choice', is that a blanket statement? Does it apply equally to the woman who fell pregnant because she failed to use contraceptive measures and sees having a child as an inconvenience as the woman who has been told her child has a birth defect or that she may die bringing the baby to term? Where's the line drawn?

A touch harsh.  I'm not particularly pro- or anti- about it, but men can suffer grief over their lost child and need to go through the mourning process, just like the mother might.  I've known of some guys to be traumatised over it.  Even if it's a bundle of cells, the mind still recognises it as loss.

An abortion doesn't necessarily need to be something to grieve over as no life has started so no life is lost.  If a man is upset over that, he's just upset that the woman wouldn't have his child, that she wouldn't be his incubator.  In the end, it's the woman's decision.  While I don't necessarily consider abortion a positive experience either, I found this woman's point of view fairly interesting.

http://www.salon.com/2014/05/15/there_is_so_much_shame_emily_letts_on_why_she_filmed_her_abortion_and_what_happened_next/

What has started then that so needed to be finished?

A problem.

But if a woman can feel the sense of loss post-abortion (they have cousellors for it in the article), why would not a man?  If it's not something to grieve over, why would a women feel grief?  Natural feelings can't just be rationalised away, only managed and coped with.

I'm not making a pro-life argument here.  I put it in the category of stuff I wouldn't do, but other people can do what they want.

When does a human offically become a human? When it starts to look like one? When there's brain activity? When the sperm enters the egg?  Everyone's milage differs on this.

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Unless you're leading me on, I'm simply more compassionate than that.

Why trouble one's self with such details, nuance and unquenchable philosophical dexterity -- I say.

Once it's on, it's on. 

The irony that Rocky is assuaging that one gender's emotions are irrelevant is dreadfully short-sighted.  And makes my point -- why believe that such winds would ever shift (or stay) in your favor ladies?  What fickle emotions and convictions they proclaim!

As mentioned earlier... an unborn child COULD be a problem, is the view they share.  So... at what point do you say... "when's the moment they really care for people?"  What's the catalyst for triggering their "everlasting" compassion?

 :lol

If it's not real now -- when is it ever.  Ask.

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Living is easy with eyes closed, Hal.

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My middle initial is "R".

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Sadly, most executioner masks I've seen have eye-holes, though.  Ironical, eh?

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