Celebrities and artists defending the First Amendment is nothing new. After all, they have the most to lose if speech and artistic expression are censored. But when I hear most celebs defend the First Amendment these days, it just makes me cringe. They typically come off sounding like complete morons.
That’s why I miss Frank Zappa so much. When he was with us, he was one of the most passionate and articulate defenders of freedom of speech–not just in the entertainment industry–but in all of America. And this man knew his history. He understood why the First Amendment was so important to America’s founding and why it remains one of the cornerstones upon which all other human liberties rest.
Just check out this amazing performance of his on CNN’s “Crossfire” back in 1986 defending the music industry from would-be censors. He truly was in the crossfire here as all three of the other clowns on the show ganged up on him. But in the end, he blew them away.
(And how about those old “Crossfire” sets! Looks like this was shot in someone’s basement).
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