Michelle Shocked clears out San Francisco venue with anti-gay tirade

[LTR]

Michelle Shocked may sound vaguely familiar to any of you growing up in the late 80s. She's fallen off the map pretty much since then. This incident should nail the coffin shut.

Last night, Michelle Shocked, who had several hits in the 80s and 90s as an alternative folk musician, delivered a bigoted message against LGBT people at the popular club Yoshi's in San Francisco. According to live tweets from the event, she went on quite the hate rant and invited the audience to share her thoughts on Twitter.

”You can go on Twitter and say ‘Michelle Shocked says God hates fags.’”

(snip)

According to reports the audience was clearly angry and left en masse. At first some thought it had to be some sort of bad joke, but as she went on, it became clear that she was being completely sincere in expressing her hate for teh gay.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/03/18/1194993/-Michelle-Shocked-clears-out-San-Francisco-venue-with-anti-gay-tirade

The irony is, I'm sure I wasn't the only one who assumed she was a lesbian.

[Bluzmann57]

1. Wow. I always thought she was a hard core progressive

I even saw her live several years ago and she stated that she did not like gw bush. And now this? And to say that in San Francisco of all places. What a dumbass.

[progressoid]

9. She played at one of the Occupy assemblies too.

She's gone off.

[pinboy3niner]

47. She was arrested in the eviction of Occupy L.A.

I've seen her at Occupy actions, including a post-Rose Parade rally where she performed. How she reconciles fundie bigotry and hatred with Occupy social justice values is a mystery. (And her conversion preceded her Occupy involvement.)

[Warpy]

16. She had to be loaded

because this doesn't sound like her, at all.

Booze is one hell of a drug and too unreliable to be used by performers who have to be buzzed when they take the stage.

Maybe this will result in a stint in rehab as a deodorant. In any case, I want the original back. This one is no good.

[Marr]

27. I expect you're right. /nt

[Beaverhausen]

31. She found Jesus a while ago

Not of course the loving accepting Jesus. The other one.

[MNBrewer]

62. Maybe we should put his picture on a milk carton

People are still asking "have you found Jesus"?

[cali]

40. It is her. She's a born again Christian and this is NOT the first anti-LBGT

rant she's delivered to an audience. She's also rabidly anti-choice.

[Jim Lane]

85. I'm actually hoping you're right because I liked some of her music.

Logically, I know that a bigot could still make good music, but I'd prefer to avoid the cognitive dissonance.

One question: You write, "Maybe this will result in a stint in rehab as a deodorant." I can understand the idea of rehab, but what does "as a deodorant" mean? Is it just that you hope the rehab would remove the stench of homophobia?

[AtheistCrusader]

88. Essentially. Most media persona's go through a round of 'theraputic rehab' to shrug off all sorts of

bad press. Not all of it directly related to drug use or whatever.

[deutsey]

37. I'm pretty sure she became a Christian, a kind of evangelical one, too

But she still came out to progressive rallies. I remember she wore a full burka at an anti-war demonstration in DC before the US invaded Iraq (I think it was even made out of a US flag).

That memory sounded so weird to me, I had to make sure I didn't dream it, so I looked it up and this is what I found from Sojourners (a progressive evangelical publication) in 2003:

After the rally, Shocked—a tallish woman with straight, shoulder-length brown hair—walked into the lobby of her hotel dressed all in black, wearing a bright pink "Women for Peace" button attached to her T-shirt. Shocked carried what looked like an American flag under her right arm. In fact, it was the flag she wore as a burka during her performance at the rally. She settled at a table in the hotel's pub, taking the sunward side for the photographer's sake. A reporter set out to discover how the different aspects of Shocked's life—professional, spiritual, and political—build off of and nourish one another. Do her political beliefs feed her spiritual journey? Does her faith nourish her activism?
http://sojo.net/magazine/2003/07/cant-take-her-joy

Interesting article. I didn't realize she grew up a Mormon. In terms of her Christianity, at the time of the article she belonged to a Church of God in Christ congregation, the African-American denomination known as COGIC (pronounced ko-jik).

Don't know much about COGIC, but whatever she belongs to these days, she's gone way off the deep end.

[Bennyboy]

2. I though she was too...

She is pretty cool too. but this should do it for her.

[Crepuscular]

3. A Michael Richards moment?

Never heard of her before, some connection to the Westboro turds? She seems to share some common sentiments with them....

[dsc]

14. this actually sounds like it was even worse

in that, at least Richards was being heckled when his moment happened, here she just said it out of the blue.

[LTR]

15. Most people under 35 probably have ni idea who she is

More familiar perhaps to the college radio crowd in the late 80s. She's faded considerably since then. But she's long been known as a hardcore leftist and self-identified socialist. Got busted at an occupy rally a few years back.

For a more contemporary comparison, imagine if Ani DiFranco or kd lang did that at a show. Or, a gay icon like, say, Cher did something like that.

[JustAnotherGen]

28. Well stated

Very shocked. She's like a Generation X icon. Certainly for women in my age group that were into the progressive and alternative scene. I'd put her up there with Toni Childs, Tracy Chapman, Natalie Merchant, etc. etc.

[onpatrol98]

76. I'm 42...

I'm 42 and I've never heard of her.

[Zorra]

4. Probably going to be the main entertainment at the next annual joint Westboro Baptist

Church/KKK Pancake Breakfast.

[marmar]

5. What an asshole !!!!

nt

[zappaman]

6. Seriously?

I never would have guessed that from her.
Always seemed a progressive in the Woody Guthrie mode.
Wow.

[TwilightGardener]

7. That's weird. Why do this now?

I barely remember her--she was bald or something.

[maxsolomon]

66. you're thinking of sinead o'connor

the bipolar irish singer who made a very public and valid attack on the pope on SNL. and has had some other weird-outs since.

[TwilightGardener]

68. No, I know Sinead O'Connor. Michelle Shocked had really short hair, apparently--

it was all I remembered about her, kind of punk looking.

[maxsolomon]

69. yeah, but only sinead was bald

yeah, she had an androgyny thing going - but not bald.

and not as butch as Phranc:

[tk2kewl]

8. i knew she wan't a lesbian but had no idea she was an asshole

i really enjoy her music too

[AngryAmish]

10. I think she has struggled with mental illness her entire life

[MattBaggins]

38. Rumor is she has struggled with paranoid schizophrenia

Just rumor don't quote me on it.

[sweetloukillbot]

75. I remember a couple weird shows in Phoenix about 10 years ago...

She was playing at a Coffee House that did this cool outdoor campfire concert series. The day after the show the club owner went to pick her up at the hotel and take her to the airport and she'd disappeared. Turns out she got bored and decided to check out early and hitchhike to the airport. She also had her phone off, so the promoter couldn't get a hold of her - all he knew was the star had vanished in a more remote part of the Valley. I don't remember if the promoter found her along the way, or if she called from the airport, but it was really strange.

I interviewed her for another show in Phoenix that she was doing with the guys from Firesign Theatre. She was late calling for the interview - from Australia - and then wasn't able to afford the call charges so asked me to call back. This normally wouldn't be a problem because the paper would pick up the tab, but because she was late calling, the paper's switchboard had closed so I couldn't connect an overseas call. She was kind of snippy about the whole thing, but I did get a good interview a few days later, unfortunately the show was cancelled the day after the story ran...

[union_maid]

11. OK, that's pretty weird

I think that perhaps there sometimes IS such a thing as bad publicity. Her bookings from here on in will probably be limited to Phelps family functions.

[sharp_stick]

12. Did something happen to her?

I met her back in the early 90's and she sure didn't come across as a wacko on first impressions.

Reading the article fills in the blanks... She's a born again fundie just like all the rest of the born again fundies. You just cant seem to join this god cult without coming out and declaring how much you hate someone else.

[Arugula Latte]

18. I thought maybe she'd suffered a traumatic brain injury, and apparently I was right.

Born-again fundy -- that'll fry your synapses.

[SomethingFishy]

13. Well.. I'm... Shocked!

Good idea to go on an anti-gay rant in San Francisco. Back under your rock.

[Hong Kong Cavalier]

17. That's a career-ender.

Say goodnight, Michelle.

[Lex]

19. Religious poisoning

strikes again.

[backscatter712]

23. Yep. She drank the fundie Kool-Aid.

[HiPointDem]

20. i thought she was gay too. this is kind of weird.

[joeybee12]

21. At one point, a while back, didn't she say she was bi?

Either the drugs are kicking in or wearing off...

[justiceischeap]

55. I'm pretty certain she claimed to be bisexual when she actually had a career.

http://social.entertainment.msn.com/music/blogs/reverb-blogpost.aspx?post=cad93113-a818-4e55-8328-415f44133294

Coming from a woman who once self-identified as bisexual, fans were shocked and stunned.

[backscatter712]

22. She turned fundie.

I wonder if her fellow Kool-Aid drinkers put her through reparative "therapy"?

[Ishoutandscream2]

24. Who?

[PasadenaTrudy]

25. Maybe

too much time in Anchorage.

[intheflow]

54. More likely her Dallas roots showing.

Her song Anchorage wasn't about her experiences in Anchorage, anyway.
If you're going to use sarcasm, make sure you have a sarcastic leg to stand on.

[PasadenaTrudy]

70. Well excuse me!

You must be lots of fun to be around.

[Marrah_G]

26. I'm 42 and I have no idea who this person is.

[justiceischeap]

56. If you didn't listen to college radio in the 80's/90's, you wouldn't really have heard of her

She was def college radio material.

[Marrah_G]

57. that explains it

[Paul E Ester]

29. If you search youtube for "Michelle shocked"

The first video is her performing at a church a song called "Michelle Shocked - Yes God is Real "

Six years ago, so maybe this isn't new.

[Evasporque]

30. Hey Michelle have fun playing at mega churches now....

Nobody wants to hear your shit....except the mouth breathing bible bangers...

[olddots]

33. I did sound at a peace thing in L.A. years ago

she was being a real diva creep in sound checks which nobody wants to do ........show bizz is a killer and can be a brain killer --I hope she pulls thru this somehow .

[backscatter712]

34. Religion: Not even once.

[Proud Public Servant]

35. Well, that's a shame

I still listen to her two best albums -- "Short Sharp Shocked" and "Captain Swing" -- with some regularity. Saw her live once in the early 90s, too, but the show was terrible (as was the album it supported, "Arkansas Traveller&quot , and I stopped paying attention to her. Seems liek I made teh right choice.

[HappyMe]

36. Not the sharpest knife in the drawer.

Going off on lgbt is never a brilliant idea. Doing it in San Francisco is a completely dumbass move.
Well I guess she can toddle back to obscurity.

[mwrguy]

39. I did not see that one coming.

I thought she was on our side :|

[Arugula Latte]

59. It's weird, because I just saw she was arrested at an Occupy L.A. event in 2011.

Is she splitting her brain between good and evil?

[xfundy]

41. She pulled a Dennis Miller.

It's working out so well for him. Now she can go on Fox Noise and praise the Load.

[TeeYiYi]

42. She's been on an anti-gay tirade for awhile now,...

...which is sad since her rise to the top was in part, due to to a large gay following.

Early on in her career, she self-identified as a lesbian:

“I was with my first woman lover about a year and a half ago. To be honest, the real fear of coming out of the closet, not fear, but the real pressures of coming out of the closet had been if you had certain problems identifying yourself one way or the other.”
http://www.dallasvoice.com/michelle-shocked-said-what-1990-outlines-interview-surfaces-10434.html

Of late, she's given up booze and 'teh gay' and embraced religion… Oh well. I hope she figures herself out.

TYY

[backscatter712]

46. Fucking reparative "therapy"

I feel bad for her - reparative "therapy" really psychologically screws people up - she's got to be at war with herself right now.

Reparative quackery kills. It's really damaging.

[Initech]

43. Massive, epic fail.

[graham4anything]

44. Maybe she is having mega-problems, or a bad day or doing a Joaquin Phoenix?

This sounds very weird.

I hope she doesn't do something pysically rash and dangerous to herself in the following days.
We may not know some personal detail of her.

I have assumed from day one she was a big liberal, but liberals can be fragile people too you know. And liberals can have really bad days too.

Am willing to wait a few days before rushing to any judgement, time enough for that forever after.

(to add-yes I know who she is, yes, I have seen her in concert a few times a good while back.)

[Ian David]

45. It would be a shame if someone uploaded all her music to Bit Torrent.

Or whatever the kids are using these days.

[REP]

74. It would be a shame, since it'd introduce her old catalog to new ears

Her first two albums weren't terrible.

[Comrade Grumpy]

48. I used to go see her shows in Austin. Too bad she has apparently gone over to the dark side.

[KamaAina]

49. Wait'll you see who else goes to her fundie church

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelle_Shocked#Personal_life

In 1992, Shocked married journalist Bart Bull. They divorced in 2004. Her half-brother is musician Max Johnston. She attends West Angeles Church of God in Christ.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Angeles_Church_of_God_in_Christ

"West A" is known for both its influential pastor, dynamic city ministries and for its celebrity members, which include Magic Johnson, Denzel Washington, Stevie Wonder, and Angela Bassett.

No! Not Angela Bassett!!!

(Note that Ms. Shocked is not listed among its celebrity members. )

[Little Star]

52. No! Not Denzel...

Not Denzel Washington!!! That's the name that got me. He's one of my favorite actors.

[KamaAina]

53. Indeed. I've never seen him mail in a performance.

Loved him in Malcolm X. I wasn't watching Denzel playing Malcolm X. I was watching Malcolm X.

[kwassa]

77. Denzel is a preacher's kid, and contribute several million to this church a long time ago...

The big church for black celebrities is First AME, better known as FAME. My non-celebrity self attended one Sunday.

[kwassa]

79. .

[intheflow]

50. I was a big fan until she found Jesus.

Now all her records are about Jesus. She's a brilliant songwriter, few can match the breadth and depth of her influences and ability to craft them into musical masterpieces. For the most part, she preaches the social gospel, which is definitely the way to go if you're going to be a Christian.

But she started evangelizing at a concert in Boulder about 10 years ago with no warning whatsoever and the whole crowd just kind of sat there in stunned silence. It was very different from the awesome radical progressive I'd seen in concert five times before that. Very uncomfortable. And I saw that Boulder concert while I was in seminary studying to become a minister, and it was even uncomfortable to me. This trollish turn doesn't surprise me. She seems to be embracing her conservative East Texas roots more and more as she grows older. smh

[Mike Daniels]

51. I remember her from my college days (mid 80s to early 90s)

Wasn't a fan but I remember a radio station I interned at played some of her stuff.

I thought a number of music journals of the time made mention to her being gay/bi but I've been unable to find any reference to her being anything than hetero since reading this thread.

Still, a real wackadoo moment on her end esp. given the location.

[DollarBillHines]

58. Ah, Religion! Check out her church

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Angeles_Church_of_God_in_Christ

It figures....

[MNBrewer]

60. She may be a lesbian. Convinced that "God" hates her.

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

61. This is too bad

I've met her, she appeared at a fundraiser on behalf of an organization I support. This is well, a shock!

[Aerows]

63. Holy shit

She isn't a lesbian and she is a complete and utter bigot? Wow. I had Short, Sharp, Shocked.

I'm sad I ever bought an album of hers, the dipshit.

[kdmorris]

64. That is an incredible disappointment.

I would never have thought that of her. I always thought she was quite progressive.

[Paul E Ester]

65. Shows getting cancelled

On Monday afternoon, Hopmonk Tavern in Novato canceled Shocked's March 29 show because of the singer's comments at Yoshi's, said Dean Birsch. Refunds may be obtained at the place of ticket purchase.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/garchik/article/Shocked-show-shut-down-over-gay-slur-4363898.php#ixzz2Nvo9qqSf

[Morning Dew]

73. Cancel in Evanston, IL

http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/chi-michelle-shocked-evanston-20130318,0,7598900.story

Evanston’s SPACE has canceled singer Michelle Shocked’s May 5 performance at the club following reports of her anti-gay rant from a San Francisco stage Sunday night. “After speaking with the promoter of that show about the nature of the remarks, it's clear that this is no longer a show we're willing to put our name on,” the club announced on its website and Facebook page Monday, offering refunds to ticket-holders.

OOPS - this was already noted in another thread:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022531120

[Lex]

81. Figures.

What audience she had left isn't going to be cool with her anti-gay bullshit.

[intheflow]

82. eTown cancelled her May show.

http://www.heyreverb.com/blog/2013/03/18/etown-cancels-michelle-shocked-concert-anti-gay-rant/64429/

[Fawke Em]

67. I grew up in the late 80s and I've never heard of her.

Good thing, I guess.

[Cha]

71. So she's a hate preacher now.. needs to go on the road

with those other hate filled assholes.

[Hoyt]

78. Going for CPAC and Southern Baptist circiut audience. Why? Music is love . . . . . .except . . . . .

[kwassa]

80. MTV played a Schocked video that was a satirical response to Robert Palmer's "Addicted to Love"

here is the only copy I could find, sorry about the low def, but you can get an idea:

http://www.myspace.com/video/michelle-shocked/michelle-shocked-on-the-greener-side-michelleshocked-com/106497512

[gvstn]

87. Thanks for posting this link!

I knew that I knew her name but couldn't remember her "hits". It was this video and the Robert Palmer reference that brought it back to me. I'm happy to now remember that I never bought either of her "big" albums.

[Fortinbras Armstrong]

91. I really like her Prodigal Daughter

http://www.myspace.com/music/player?sid=67228693&ac=now

[JustJoe]

83. Shows Canceled at McCabe's in Santa Moinica.

Two shows had been scheduled for Saturday, Mar 23--first show had been sold out.

Scroll down a little...
http://www.mccabes.com/condata.html

[Berlin Expat]

89. I've been seeing that

tons of her shows are getting cancelled. And maybe in Europe, too.

Looks like her career is done. I guess her next gig will be singing at Chik-Fil-A.

[LiberalLovinLug]

84. Next stop....Fox News

You know they are salivating at the prospect of having her on so they can whine about how she is being treated by those mean awful atheist libruls. Especially someone like her that has "seen the light".

[Fuddnik]

86. Who?

[blkmusclmachine]

90. YAY! More from the "Jesus hates you" crowd.