©2022 By Chris Zappa
This article was originally published by Chris Zappa on Medium in 2021 under the title, “I Just Can’t Even With Eric Clapton Anymore.” Chris has graciously given Legsville permission to republish it, and I encourage other music lovers to read Chris’ work on Medium as well as sign up for Zappagram, the mother of all music newsletters, which he runs on Substack.
(click here for original article: https://chriszappa.com/i-cant-even-with-eric-clapton-anymore-c3ac144de07e)
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In 1967, someone spray-painted the phrase “Clapton is God” onto a wall in the central London borough of Islington. Later around the same time, a photo of the graffiti went viral — inasmuch as something could do so back in that day — probably as much for the defaced wall as for the fact that in the photo there was a dog pissing on the wall.
I am that dog.
And no, sorry. This is not going to be a humor piece.
If ever Eric Clapton was once considered god, then I hate to break the news to you but, god is dead. At least he is to me.
Much ado was made about Eric Clapton since his career began in the early ’60s, but in this writer’s opinion, it was much ado about nothing. I never gave a shit for the Yardbirds, and while I did like some of Cream’s tunes, they wouldn’t have been what they were without Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker. As for Derek and the Dominoes. Meh. Yawn.
If I never again heard “Layla” that’d be more than fine with me. If someday I die having never again experienced assault by the vacuous drone of “Cocaine” I’ll consider myself uber-fortunate. If I manage to live the rest of my days and avoid ever again accidentally hearing his complete shit rendition of “I Shot the Sherriff” I will regard the good fortune bestowed upon me with great appreciation and gratitude.
Why am I bashing so hard on Clapton? Doesn’t everyone love this guy? Isn’t he a “guitar god” or something? Yeah, he’s something, alright.
I’m dropping the hammer on Clapton because he is a first-class, Grade A asshole who, by his own actions, has joined the ranks of all other first-class, Grade A assholes who promote an ignorant and deadly anti-vax agenda which, in the midst of a global pandemic is tantamount to manslaughter.
At best.
The stupidity, the willful ignorance of assholes like Eric Clapton and Van Morrison are going to get even more people killed. They both rail against vaccines, lockdowns, and any other preventative measure put in place in an effort to keep us from getting sick and dying. They’ve recorded anti-lockdown songs together, for Christ’s sake. It’s disgusting and it’s beyond dangerous.
His offenses — along with Van Morrison’s — are more egregious than your idiotic uncle posting stupid memes about Covid and vaccines on Facebook, because Clapton and Morrison are considered music legends with legions of fans the world over, fans who listen to what they say, fans who think that they have some idea of what they are talking about.
Oh, I’m sorry — I missed it — when did either of these dickheads take a break from their careers in music to attend medical school? When did they receive their extensive training in immunology and infectious disease? Oh, that’s right. Never. All these two ever did were consume truckloads of drugs and pollute the airwaves with trite clichéd garbage like “Brown Eyed Girl.”
That’s right. I said it.
That’s another one I could live the rest of my life never hearing again. But I digress.
I first became aware of Eric Clapton’s celebrity status as a fucking moron late last year when he made headlines along with irrelevant dinosaur Van Morrison for the vapid stance the two had publicly taken to oppose the lockdown measures that were aimed at controlling the spread of a deadly disease which, by that time, had already killed approximately 1 million people worldwide.
Here was this dummy duo bitching about oppression, whining about not being able to play live shows while clearly, their heads were so far up their own privileged, shriveled asses that neither had the common sense to realize that live shows won’t even be a thing if everyone who would have otherwise attended them is fucking dead.
It was around this same time last year that I first learned of another incident from decades ago, in which Clapton first showed himself to be an ignorant bastard. In August 1976, at a concert in Birmingham, England, a drunken Clapton went on a lengthy and vile racist rant while performing on stage. I find everything he said deeply offensive, and so I won’t publish a transcript of his verbal diarrhea here, but it’s elsewhere online if you really care to read about it.
Talk about herculean levels of hypocrisy — this guy became famous for blatantly ripping off and appropriating the music of black blues musicians. Yet, there he was spewing hate for black and brown people when he was supposed to be playing his shitty songs and entertaining those who’d wasted money going to see him. The crowd should have booed him off stage or walked out.
When asked about it years later, he was quoted as saying, “I did really offensive things. I was a nasty person,” he said then before describing himself as a “full-tilt” racist. “I think it was based on the Arabic invasion. There was this sort of air of this in the early ’70s. I’m not excusing myself. It was an awful thing to do,” he said before adding, “I think it’s funny actually.”
“I THINK IT’S FUNNY, ACTUALLY”
What the fuck is funny about being a drunken, nasty, full-tilt racist? Sorry but I fail to see anything humorous in something so wrong and shameful.
Resurfacing his racist past remarks from some 40 years ago might be a bit off-topic for the purposes of this piece, but it is an example of unchecked ignorance like his, the likes of which we’ve tolerated and allowed to fester for far too long.
Unfortunately, and unsurprisingly, Clapton made news once again today for issuing a statement declaring that he will not play live shows anyplace where proof of vaccine is required.
Fine! He should keep his ass inside his mansion then. Never come out and play again. Who gives a single, solitary fuck?
The hypocrite himself received the Covid vaccine but claimed that as a result, he had a “disastrous health experience,” so now he bashes the scientists and government for pushing “misleading propaganda.”
The pompous bastard wouldn’t know a “disastrous health experience” if it slapped him in his smug face. Try not being able to breathe. Try gasping for air. Try being intubated and existing on a ventilator for a few days. Try organ failure. Try multiple organ failure. Try knowing you’re going to die alone. Try saying your final goodbyes to your loved ones via a motherfucking iPad.
What a self-righteous prick.
Fuck Eric Clapton. Fuck Van Morrison. And fuck anyone else who tries to dissuade others from getting vaccinated, social distancing, wearing masks, staying safe, staying alive.
We’ve lived in fear of disease and death from Covid for at least 18 months now. Millions of people have gotten sick and died. Millions.
People have lost their mothers, fathers, husbands, wives, children, brothers, sisters, friends to Covid. I have been terrified of getting sick and dying and not being here for my son, who was just born last year. He deserves to grow up with a dad. Worse still is the fear that he could get sick and die all because some stupid redneck can’t bother to wear a fucking mask in the grocery store for 5 goddamn minutes.
Stupid, selfish pricks like Clapton and Morrison may think they’re done with Covid, but Covid isn’t done with them. Right now, infection rates are beginning to skyrocket again, and lockdowns and mask mandates are being put into place again, and hospitals are filling to capacity again, and why?
Because of ignorance that’s spread about like cancer.
Because spoiled, entitled, pompous, selfish adult babies think they know better than scientists,doctors, experts.
Because of lies and bullshit like Eric Clapton and Van Morrison promote when they open their pig-ignorant mouths and spew distrust for the very people who are doing their damndest to keep us all from fucking dying.
If you’ve read this far, I certainly don’t have to tell you that I, for one, am sick and tired of the bullshit, the arrogance, the ignorance, the blatant disregard for others, the selfish whining about the bare minimum action of wearing a goddamn mask, the non-compliance of these adult brats who won’t think about anyone other than themselves.
We better all hope like hell that we make it out of this time alive. If our lives were in the hands of the Eric Clapton’s or the Van Morrison’s of the world, we’d be fucked.
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Addendum: Here’s what Eric Clapton’s May 15 or 16, 2022 Facebook Page said, “Eric Clapton is unfortunately suffering from Covid having tested positive shortly after the second concert at the Royal Albert Hall. He has been told by his medical advisors that if he were to resume traveling and performing too soon, it could substantially delay his full recovery. Eric is also anxious to avoid passing on any infection to any of his band, crew, Promoters, their staff and of course the fans.”
Serves him right, the ignorant pig-fucker! [Legs]
