Realizing that we are now into the third page of this anaylsis without answering the question, "Why Springsteen?", we'll now address that task. We have already mentioned that American society is much too diverse to be represented by any singular cultural icon. This is especially true in rock music. It is obvious to any fan of modern music that there is no "rock center." Music styles vary along a wide spectrum.
Stevie Wonder or Paul Simon could have opened the telecast as well as Springsteen. The show could have been introduced by Michael
Jackson or Britney Spears. Several of these stars may have even been more recognizable to modern music advocates. One of the major concerns of the producers however, was to create a show that focused on the dead, the missing and the healing of America. They did not want the telethon to degenerate into a Hollywood fest that would minimize or trivialize the tragedies. Acts were not introduced by name. One performance blended into the next without the usual show-business hype.
Above all else, the producers wanted credibility. On September 21st 2001, credibility demanded Bruce Springsteen. Love him or hate him, for the 30 year period from 1973 to 2003 it was impossible to ignore him. All politics aside, many viewers knew, as did Joey Sweeney, that Springsteen, like them, had been "born in the USA." Someone who was uniquely American was needed, and Springsteen was the obvious
pop-cultural choice. Though his music had often spoken unkindly of the American dream,
Springsteen always tried to tell us how to "deal with it." After all, as any Springsteen devotee would tell you, the outcasts, rogues and working stiffs in his songs were "us." So yes, at the risk of being corny, the Boss was back, and the same singer who told America that "tramps like us"
were "born to run," the same singer who asked Americans to examine what it meant to be "born in the USA" was back, telling us that "my city's in ruins" and asked us to pray to the Lord for our very survival. He had chronicled the American dream for 30 years, and he was back in our living rooms when we felt
the dream come crashing down with the towers. Credibility? It had to be Springsteen. Solutions to cosmic issues surrounding 9-11? No. Simply a prayer for our fallen brothers and sisters. "Deal with it."
the question, "Why Springsteen?",
we'll now address that task. We have already mentioned that American society is much too diverse to be represented by any singular cultural icon. This is especially true in rock music. It is obvious to any fan of modern music that there is no "rock center." Music styles vary along a wide spectrum. Stevie Wonder or Paul Simon could have opened the
telecast as well as Springsteen. The show could have been introduced by Michael Jackson or Britney Spears. Several of these stars may have even been more recognizable to modern music advocates.
One of the major concerns of the producers however, was to create a show that focused on the dead, the missing and the healing of America. They did not want the telethon to degenerate into a Hollywood fest that would minimize or trivialize the tragedies. Acts were not introduced by name. One performance
blended into the next without the usual show-business hype. Above all else, the producers wanted credibility. On September 21st 2001, credibility demanded Bruce Springsteen. Love him or hate him, for the 30 year period from 1973 to 2003 it was impossible to ignore him. All politics aside, many viewers knew, as did Joey Sweeney, that Springsteen, like them, had been "born in the USA." Someone who was uniquely American was needed, and Springsteen was the obvious pop-cultural choice.
Though his music had often spoken unkindly of the American dream, Springsteen always tried to tell us how to "deal with it." After all, as any Springsteen devotee would tell you,
the outcasts, rogues and working stiffs in his songs were "us." So yes, at the risk of being corny, the Boss was back, and the same singer who told America that "tramps like us" were "born to run," the same singer who asked Americans to examine what it meant to be "born in the USA" was back, telling us that "my city's in ruins" and asked us to pray to the Lord for our very survival. He had chronicled the American dream for 30 years, and he was back in our living rooms when we felt the dream come crashing down with the towers. Credibility? It had to be Springsteen. Solutions to cosmic issues surrounding 9-11? No. Simply a prayer for our fallen brothers and sisters. "Deal with it."
