Doctors, farmhands, gun nuts, dropping trou and… forecastle beards

Terrible, all of these conventions pulling out of Louisville just because the rest of Kentucky feels icky about the gays, is it not?

I don’t believe that for one second. Or at least I don’t believe that anyone was about to sign on the line that’s dotted and decided against it because of California’s travel ban. I mean, look at who used to come to Louisville for conventions — the NRA and Future Farmers of America. If anything, our state’s history of discriminatory legislation would make them more willing to come here, not less.

A medical association and a research association according to the Visitors’ Bureau. Which, rather than making me believe Mayor Fischer’s claim more, actually makes me believe it less. Outside of their own sphere of understanding, a large number of doctors and researchers are just as bigoted and provincial as farmhands and gun nuts.

True. Bevin must be tickled, though. Itching to get a toilet bill on the books, too, I’d bet. It’s the hill all GOP governors want to die on for some reason, even though the evidence is crystal that it makes as much sense economically as it does morally.

Well, that’s precisely why they all want to do it. Can’t be a martyr if nobody cares, can you? The fact that every state that’s done it has suffered makes them all the more willing to do it, particularly if the brunt of the backlash is borne by liberal cities.

Even so, I don’t really get why California won’t cut Louisville some slack. One of the least discriminatory cities in the South, and one of the many reasons I enjoy living here. With a GOP-controlled state House and Senate both kowtowing to a Tea Party zealot of a governor, there’s not a lot state Democrats can do about it. To Fischer’s point, why not stick your finger in the state’s eye by supporting the places that abhor and defy its policies?

Unfortunately, if anyone should be banned from public bogs it’s Democratic Metro Councilman Dan Johnson. Or former Democrat, I should say.

I find that whole story odd too. I mean, hard not to believe every unsavoury allegation, and he’s clearly a lary piece of work — although nothing compared to his pettifogging lawyer — but he hasn’t been charged with anything, never mind been found guilty of anything. But yet here he is, banned from one floor of the council building because someone he allegedly mooned from the carpark works there, and he has to call the council president an hour before he turns up at the building.

Absurdity abounds. Formally charge him or don’t. Or buy him trousers that fit better. (Although reading very-serious-reporter Phillip Bailey write about how Johnson bared his bare butt, in those exact words, in The Courier-Journal, makes it all seem worthwhile.)

Did anyone even call the police over it? I don’t know, but I’ve seen no evidence that there was a formal complaint. Institutionalised sexual harassment is a big problem in this country right now, especially with a confessed rapist as our figurehead, but this seems like an amateurish way to handle it. 

At least the masses will be distracted because it’s Forecastle-time-of-year again. Or in your case, petty-hate-machine-time-of-year again.

Do you seriously think anyone reading this is going to get your late ’80s industrial rock reference? If they did get it, they certainly wouldn’t be seen dead at the Festival.

Pretty good lineup this year, as it happens. Or at least, put another way, I’ve heard of more than one band.

Hipster wankers, the lot of ’em.

Some of them, for sure. More beards than an Amish wedding. And when is this beard fetish going to die?

As with a certain figurehead, beards can’t die soon enough, if you ask me. I’m old enough to remember when facial hair was the preserve of college lecturers and nonces. Makes my skin crawl seeing all of these scruffbags walking around with pelts stuck on their faces.

You’re just a bitter old punk rocker.

Which makes me infinitely more authentic than anyone appearing at Forecastle. You aren’t actually paying money to go, are you?

Not this year, but I’d happily pay to see Vince Staples and Run the Jewels. And Weezer, one of my favorite bands of the last 20 years.

Weezer? You’re shitting me. I knew you were a cunt but… I don’t know, I just assumed not that much of a cunt.

Made some great albums. Get way more grief than they deserve. I’d be willing to bet my last quid you’ve never even listened to one of their albums: You’re just going with the cynicism because that’s the only direction you know. Besides, shouldn’t we be past the age when we are having a pop at people who are either having a great time making music or having a great time listening to music?

I’m with Bevin on this: If it makes too many people happy, we need to make it too expensive for them to get it.

This article appears in July 12, 2017.