The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #95050 Message #1857185
Posted By: Greg B
12-Oct-06 - 05:08 PM
Thread Name: Ewan MacColl - coward or traitor?
Subject: RE: Ewan MacColl - coward or traitor?
It seems there's a distinct difference between the work of Ewan MacColl and, for example, a Barry Manilow.
I think one could, in fact, argue that Barry Manilow's life outside of his work is nobody's business but his own and doesn't bear scrutiny in the public forum.
It seems to me, however, that MacColl's work was, by definition, more of an extension of his life and therefore his character than that of your average 'pop star.' Indeed one quite had the impression that much of his work was in the way of telling people how to live, governments how to govern, and so on.
When one puts oneself in such a position, telling people how to live and governments how to govern, etc., one opens oneself up for scrutiny as to how one lives and governs oneself.