What guys like Matt don't seem to understand is that people in his orbit share some responsibility for this alleged "bungling" of America 250. For years, much of conservative media has spent far more time criticizing the arts and cultural institutions than investing in artists, promoting their work, or cultivating new talent.
When artists are left with only one viable path to visibility and career advancement - through left-leaning cultural and media institutions - it's only natural that many will avoid associating with right-wing events out of self-preservation.
If conservatives want a stronger presence in the arts, the solution isn't endless criticism. It's building alternative networks that discover, support, promote, and reward artists. Spend less time tearing down existing institutions and more time creating new ones. Then maybe, just maybe, situations like this won't keep happening.
I’m actually pretty pissed at how badly they’ve bungled America 250. First they tried to invite Milli Vanilli and a bunch of other absurdly washed up geriatric one hit wonders. Then when that didn’t work they decided to convert the event into a Trump rally where Trump will talk about himself for 90 minutes. This should have been a massive, raucous celebration of the country and its 250 year history. Now it will be a political rally identical to the ten million other ones we’ve already seen.