I would like to talk to you and clear the air. I will not be performing at the Great American State Fair on June 25th. I was presented with an opportunity to perform at a nonpartisan event but that turned out to be misleading. I asked lots of questions and was assured this was a nonpartisan event that was meant to celebrate ALL 50 states. In my mind I thought this was a great way to celebrate the states and also bring people together in the way that only music can. I saw it as just a bigger version of so many state fairs I have performed at over the years, celebrating community and what makes each state special.Sounds fun, right? Wholesome even. Yesterday things started changing and what we were told is, in fact, not what is happening.I've spent my entire career singing songs about real people with real issues. I've been blessed with the opportunity to be a voice for those who have felt like they didn't have one. It greatly upsets me that any fan who has been moved by my music may now feel like I'm abandoning the meaning behind those songs. I assure you, that is not the case. I appreciate every single fan who has reached out. I hope to get back to the DC area very soon.-MM
That sounds like a pretty classy way of backing out of a very sticky situation. Unfortunately, it has backfired. If you search her name on social media, you'll see post after post of really ugly comments. If you want to avoid blood-pressure-raising drama, just take my word for it.
Right wing media is also trashing her and the others who dropped out. I read a few of those articles and now my jaw is tight. I'm not going to add any of them to the READ MORE section. No way I'm sending anyone to that trash.
The main arguments I saw (the ones that weren't completely ignorant) pointed out that she had performed at something in the Obama administration and something else with Clinton. They also claimed this event was a celebration of our country and was not political at all.
Those comments show just how unaware so many in our country are. It seems they are truly oblivious to just how divisive trump is and how much he excludes and belittles those who lean left. His most recent favorite word is "Dum-o-crats". He made a show of saying he spells it without the B. He purposely punishes blue cities and states. He goes after ANYONE who disagrees with him. And this event is clearly an event centered around him rather than the country. It is most definitely political.
Not all the comments were trashing Martina. I saw many positive ones, as well.
I didn't save any of the many I saw, but here's a blip from the Variety article linked below that has a quote with a sentiment I saw a number of times -
In particular, some commenters who identified as McBride fans were upset that one of her most popular songs, “Independence Day,” a song about a battered wife, might be used as a patriotic anthem in the service of an administration they believe has not focused on supporting women.
“I was hoping and praying that you wouldn’t perform,” wrote user Marcie Keen in the comments, “but being from the south I just assumed you would. I asked myself how a woman can sing a song like ‘Independence Day’ while simultaneously supporting those who facilitate the very issues that you sang about in that song. That is one of my all time favorite songs and I am glad you are standing behind your morals and values.”
Martina was in a no-win situation. She had a lot of conservative fans, but she sings about issues that are quite human in nature. A bit woke, even, from the little I looked at. I haven't heard much of her music, so I can't speak with much authority on that.
Regardless, I'm glad she dropped out. I will likely explore her music a bit more because of it.
This post might seem a little frivolous when compared to many of my others. But I would argue it is significant. Times are tricky. We seem to be in a situation where everyone is being forced to pick a side. Avoiding picking a side is not acceptable because that's capitulation. Trying to remain ignorant ("I don't pay attention to politics") is also capitulation. Martina chose her side and did so with as much grace as possible. We need to give her some love. She stands along with a number of other entertainers who have followed their conscience and been attacked for it. Like it or not, she is now a woke liberal commie socialist dum-o-crat. She's in good company.
