Right: A previous call for Macklemore to be banned from performing was made by officials at Aliso Niguel High School in the US. Students successfully protested and the ruling was reversed. The original decision was made because the rapper allegedly promoted "misogyny and drug use".
Arguments against inviting Macklemore to sing at the NRL grand final
1. People come to a sporting competition to be entertained Opponents of social or political views being promoted at sporting events argue that this is a misuse of these occasions and subverts their intended purpose. Those with this opinion claim that fans attend sporting events for the enjoyment they derive from the skill of the players and the excitement of the competition. Spectator sport, according to this view, is an entertainment and should not be turned into a political commentary as this is not what fans either want or expect. This view has been put by Australia's immigration minister, Peter Dutton, who opposes Macklemore singing Same Love at the NRL grand final. Dutton has argued, 'People go to the AFL or NRL finals because they want to see the game of football played, they want to be entertained; they don't want to be sold political messages.'  A number of readers posting comments on news sites have endorsed Dutton's view. One commenter named 'Ian', responding to a comment in The Australian on reactions to the Macklemore issue stated, 'The NRL and AFL are setting a dangerous precedent by engaging in political comment. I will not be watching Macklemore but I will be watching the game. I am so incensed by having to endure a political message during my entertainment time I have written to Todd Greenberg [NRL head] who I believed had more sense up until now.' A similar view was posted by 'Terence' in response to the same article. He wrote, 'Sick to death of all this SSM coverage and now it's ruined the footy final. What the NRL board was thinking is unfathomable, but I wish they hadn't ruined the grand final.' Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott posted a comment on Twitter on September 27, 2017, that appears an attempt to summarise the attitudes of those who do not want their sporting entertainment mixed with comment on social issues. Abbott wrote, 'Footy fans shouldn't be subjected to a politicised grand final.' 2. There are more suitable entertainers for an NRL grand final than Macklemore Opponents of Macklemore have argued that the singer will not be well known to many NRL supporters. They have claimed there are many Australian entertainers who would be more generally well-received and who would have a greater appreciation of the event at which they were singing. This point has been made by Will Swanton, a sports reporter for The Australian, in a comment published on September 1, 2017. Swanton queried, 'Where'd they find Macklemore? In a thrift shop? What are they paying him? Ninety-nine cents?' Swanton went on to explain why he considers Macklemore an unsuitable entertainer for the NRL grand final, stating, 'Of all the brilliant, soulful, raw and rugged Australian musicians who know a thing or two about the footy, who know what a landmark night it is on the Australian sporting calendar and who would put their hearts and souls into a performance out of the pure gratitude at being involved, the best the NRL could find was ... an American hip-hop artist who wouldn't know a Steeden from one of his Seattle beer gardens.' Swanton has argued that the problem is not simply that Macklemore is unaware of Australian sporting culture, but that his music does not reflect the spirit of rugby league. Swanton argues, 'The entertainment does not have to come from an Australian performer. We are not that small-minded. But the act has to suit the sport, does it not? The NRL has grunt. Rugby league is raw. Cold Chisel's set before the 2015 decider was when the NRL got it right.' Swanton concluded, 'Footy is part of the national fabric and so is a certain breed of music. Why shy away from that?' Similar comments about Macklemore's cultural inappropriateness have been made by both North Queensland MP Bob Katter and Senator Pauline Hanson. Katter has stressed the lingering hostility to American imports, stating, 'They said of the Americans during the war that there were three problems with them: over-sexed, over-paid and over here. Well, this little bloke, Macklemore, or whatever his name is, is coming over here. Well mate, go home, we don't want you here. The people that will be there at this game don't want you.' Pauline Hanson has argued that there are many Australian entertainers who would better fit the occasion. She has stated, 'It's absolutely ridiculous... We've got so many other great artists in this country that we could actually put up there. Why do we bring in someone from overseas?... Put Johnny Farnham up there. Don't bring some whoever up from overseas. I don't have a clue who they are. Put an Aussie up there.' A similar view has been expressed by former Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who has stated, 'It's a very Australian sport. It's the ultimate Australian weekend, why do we need to import people?' 3. Same-sex marriage is currently a particularly divisive issue in Australia Opponents of the Macklemore song Same Love being sung at the NRL grand final argue that it is inappropriate to raise such a contentious issue in a public sporting forum. There is the possibility, they claim, of sparking verbal and physical arguments. The potential for a sporting code to provoke violence by publicly endorsing a particular position on same-sex marriage was made apparent after the AFL declared its support for the 'yes' vote. AFL headquarters had to be evacuated after a hoax bomb threat was received, only a day after the code indicated it would be supporting same-sex marriage by replacing its logo with a 'yes'. In an opinion piece published on the ABC News site on September 11, 2017, Robert Forsyth explained why same-sex marriage was such a contentious issue. He stated, 'This issue has such divisive potential because it is freighted with considerable significance by both sides of the present debate, even if many other Australians are not so concerned about it. For some of those opposed, it is a matter as fundamental as what God wants. Others genuinely believe it concerns the real welfare of children. For some supporting the change, same-sex marriage involves nothing less than providing a basic human right.' NRL Footy Show host, Erin Molan, has also expressed concern that the AFL or NRL's partisan position on same-sex marriage could foster ill-feeling rather than assuage it. She has argued that sport usually has the capacity to bring people together, but that by taking a view on same-sex marriage sporting codes may well create additional hostility. Molan has stated, 'I love sport because it has this incredible ability to unify, so whilst I agree with the position of the AFL I also believe their actions are unnecessarily divisive and so much of the response to it has been nasty and vile, much like this whole debate.' A similar point has been made by Coalition for Marriage spokesperson, David Goodwin, Goodwin has stated, 'Sport is something that unites all Australians, so it is pretty ðbizarre that the NRL would choose to use its halftime entertainment to push a message which it knows millions of Australians disagree with.' 4. The NRL has a diverse fan base and should remain neutral on social and political issues Opponents of sporting codes expressing a view on social and political issues typically argue that the only attitude these codes should adopt is one of neutrality. What lies behind this objection is the belief that all the followers of these codes cannot be presumed to hold the same view as that which is being publicly endorsed by their code. Fans will hold a variety of opinions on any given topic. Therefore, it is argued, their sporting codes should not presume to adopt one view, supposedly on their behalf This position was expounded by an online reader of The Australian who posted the following comment on the issue on the publication's Internet site on September 28, 2017. 'Why...is it incumbent upon commercial entities such as the AFL, the NRL and Qantas, to have/express a view on same-sex marriage? Are they now the arbiters of our cultural values? I'll wager there are as many opponents to same-sex marriage in those entities, whose views were never canvassed, as there are supporters. Commercial entities should remain neutral in the debate.' NRL Footy Show host, Erin Molan, has also expressed disquiet at either the NRL or the AFL publicly endorsing same-sex marriage. Molan has stated, 'I'm a very, very passionate and proud supporter of marriage equality. I've made it very public that I will and actually have the other day voted 'Yes' already. But I represent me, just me and no-one else. The AFL and our other sporting codes represent hundreds and thousands of people, some of whom unfortunately don't agree with me. I wish every Australian believed in marriage equality, I genuinely do. But the reality of the situation is, they don't, in fact a fairly large proportion of them don't.' A similar point has been made by former Carlton president John Elliott who has supported the actions of the Carlton Football Club on the question. Carlton's position statement reads, 'As a club, we respect that this is about personal choice, and as such don't intend to campaign on the issue.' The club went on to declare its commitment to equality and opposition to discrimination, but clearly refrained from promoting a particular view on same-sex marriage. The club appears to be respecting the differing opinions of its fans and recognising that each will form his or her own view. Elliott stated, 'I think it's a very wise idea what Carlton did. I don't think you should be mixing politics with sport. It is each individual's decision to vote yes or no.' 5. Children, in particular, should not be forcibly exposed to political messages Opponents of Macklemore singing Same Love at the NRL grand final claim it is particularly inappropriate to expose children to lyrics dealing with homosexuality and same-sex marriage. Former NRL player, Tony Wall, has started a petition on Change.org demanding the song not be played and that 'LGBTIQ politics is taken out of the NRL.' The Change.org petition posted by Wall features a stock photograph of a mother and father sitting on either side of a daughter, with the girl's mother using her hand to cover the daughter's eyes. The implication of the graphic appears to be that Wall wishes to protect his and other children from exposure to the material Macklemore is to present. Wall has claimed that his family would feel uncomfortable if they heard the song on Sunday. He has further stated, 'As a No voter, it will be very difficult to watch the NRL Grand Final with my wife and five young children as the event will be heavily politicised.' The implication of Wall's comment appears to be that it should be a matter for parents to decide when they will raise particular social and political issues with their children. Also implicit in Wall's reference to his family's probable discomfort is that he believes his children are too young to be exposed to this issue. A similar comment has been made by Immigration Minister Peter Dutton, who has stated, 'My kids love the footy and I want to take my boys to watch the footy and I don't want the betting ads jammed down their throat.' Dutton has indicated there are other positions to which he does not want his children forcibly exposed. Dutton has stated, 'I don't want the gay marriage message jammed down their throat at the football.' Complaints about the suitability of Macklemore's lyrics for young listeners have occurred in the past. In October 2015 a group of parents at an Orange County High School protested about a proposed visit by the rapper to their children's school. The children had won the appearance in a competition; however, some parents and school administrators believed Macklemore's lyrics were unsuitable because they promoted 'misogyny and drug use'. Ultimately the issue was resolved when only those children with parental permission were allowed to attend. |
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