If you went to college in the 80’s you probably listened to R.E.M.
For those of us who did go to college in the 80’s and were NOT chug-a-luging the Reagan Kool-Aid R.E.M. was something of a lifeline. For us the band from Athens, Georgia, were kind of the Generation X’s Beatles. Rushing out to buy the new R.E.M. album (albums, remember those?) was a ritual in our college years and into our post collegiate era.
And it was in the songs. They took a stand against the Reagan hype machine.
"Talk About The Passion," "Fall On Me,” "Cuyahoga," Exhuming McCarthy," "Finest Worksong," "Orange Crush" "World Leader Pretend." The list goes on.
"Welcomg To The Occupation" was a song against Reagan policy in Central America. Nearly 20 years later I was listening to the song and realized it could just as easily be about Bush policy in Iraq, but I digress a mite.
Unfortunately the band broke up in September 2011 and have left something of a void for us Gen Xers. But while the band no longer makes music together they are still fighting the good fight..
Yesterday t***p in his ongoing obsession with Twitter tweeted a video mocking many of his opponents accompanied with R.E.M.’s 1992 hit "Everybody Hurts."
The members of R.E.M. responded in kind. “World Leader PRETEND!!! Congress, Media–ghost this faker!!! Love, R.E.M.” tweeted the band’s official account. Added bassist Mike Mills, “So the meme’s fair use. I LOVE the 1st Amendment! Meme away, folks. But that takes nothing away from what a fraudulent con man @realDonaldTrump is. #WorldLeaderPretend.”
After filing a complaint on copyright violation, R.E.M. succeeded in getting the video removed from twitler’s feed.
Yes, in the grand scheme of things it is only a small victory, but sometimes these little ones need to be take one at a time.
So, I’ll let band member Mike Mills have the last word on this incident.