Roger Waters Tells Abe Foxman to Stop Throwing Rocks

Roger Waters, former frontman for a little group called PINK FLOYD

Roger Waters has responded to criticism from Abe Foxman at the Anti-Defamation League, which issued a statement earlier this week claiming that a video segment in Waters's new live tour of The Wall is anti-Semitic. Amateur footage from a recent performance shows the Star of David being dropped from a B52 like bombs, along with other religious icons and corporate logos. On Facebook, Waters writes:

Had Mr Foxman come to my show before passing judgement and commenting publicly he might, I hope, have held his peace, as there is no anti Semitism in "The Wall" show. The song to which he refers, "Goodbye Blue Sky," describes how ordinary people, military and civilians alike, suffer trauma in the aftermath of war. The visuals that accompany the song show waves of B52 bombers dropping various symbols from bomb bays on a war ravaged landscape. The symbols are: in no particular order, a Crucifix, a Hammer and Sickle, a Star of David, A Crescent and Star, a Mercedes sign, a Dollar sign, and a Shell Oil sign. Mr Foxman's concern was that potentially the juxtoposition of a Star of David and a Dollar sign might incite hatred of Jews.
Contrary to Mr Foxman's assertion, there are no hidden meanings in the order or juxtaposition of these symbols. The point I am trying to make in the song is that the bombardment we are all subject to by conflicting religious, political, and economic ideologies only encourages us to turn against one another, and I mourn the concommitant loss of life. In so far as The Wall has a political message it is to seek to illuminate our condition, and find new ways to encourage peace and understanding, particularly in the Middle East.

Incidentally, being from England, I had never heard of the ADL until today, but I have googled them and I see from their mission statement of 1913 that their brief is not only to defend the Jewish people from defamation, but also, and I quote, " to secure justice and fair treatment to all citizens alike and to put an end forever to unjust and unfair discrimination against and ridicule of any sect or body of citizens". Perhaps we should all focus on that lofty ideal and stop cowering in our corners throwing stones at one another.

In other news, one of Gothamist's interns just asked us who Roger Waters is, and now we feel old and angry. Time to spin "Animals" and check the hell out for the rest of the day.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By John Del Signore in News on September 30, 2010 4:25 PM

Comments [rss]

Dolomite

"You idiots wouldn't know good music if it bit you in the a##. Pink Floyd Rocks! F-OFF!!!!"

Oh, thanks for that sensible, thoughtful response. I do not know how I can respond to such a detailed argument as Pink Floyd Rocks, Foff.

dgeee

The ADL is the extortion/propaganda wing of the US zionist movement.

Tommio

You idiots wouldn't know good music if it bit you in the a##. Pink Floyd Rocks! F-OFF!!!!

Dolomite

I'm still not really sure why people who grew up listening to this kind of crap (whining old people) turn into the same kind of people when it happens to them. Seriously, can we get over mocking people for not knowing every cultural reference in the history of time? How about giving them an album or something, rather than `checking out'?

JimLu

Maybe the intern didn't know who Roger Waters was but I'm sure she/he would have heard of Pink Floyd. I'm sure the intern knows the name of band members in bands they like and you wouldn't. Did you know the name of every band member that your parents liked?

Times change, get over it.

mellow_fellow

Time to spin "Animals" and check the hell out for the rest of the day.
not now john we've gotta get on with this

wobbleSmith

+1

ides_of_march

Dave Gilmour has a much better voice. Waters doesn't even sing so much as whine very loudly.

JenChungsBaby

It's no surprise that Abe Foxman hasn't listened to, read the lyrics from, or watched the movie of The Wall. Well said Roger.

fuboy

Never cared about Pink Floyd. Not saying they're bad musicians, just not my style.

That being said, people who hold them to god-like status and expect everyone to know and love them like a newborn puppy annoy me.

So yeah John, wrap yourself into a Pink Floyd cocoon for the rest of the day and forget that people have different tastes or maybe they just don't care. It's better than launching into a rant about how Pink Floyd was the best band in the existence of music.

yamon

I don't care for every band that has had an impact on music or who have had or continue to have huge followings of fans, but at least I KNOW of them - now crawl back in your corner and listen to NIN and maybe some 80's rock.

More importantly - I'll lay a fiver down this intern doesn't know John Fogerty

dreamtard

Time to fire your intern

mocanlagunas

agree... these youths today don't know shit...

Mr. Shankly

Yes, they will try to break your balls.

nicemarmot

The ADL, like most organizations of its type, is a joke.

Not that everyone doesn't deserve equal rights and to be free from discrimination. But the actual anti-discrimination organizations seem to be mostly composed of anally retentive attention whores with no discernible sense of humor.