Shine a Light (On Hypocrisy)

I saw the Martin Scorsese Rolling Stones concert film Shine a Light last night, and it’s excellent, especially in IMAX, for all the reasons Roger Ebert gives you here.

It’s too bad, though, that Bill and Hillary Clinton had to sully the proceedings by appearing — the concert was a benefit for his phony philanthropy, and he speaks briefly on stage before the Stones come out. It was also disgusting to see band members greet the Clintons and even treat Hillary’s mother as though she were royalty. (I don’t think Keith Richards did, or would, though.)

It’s no secret that Keith Richards and Ron Wood have consumed, and continue to consume, large quantities of illegal drugs. Does Bill Clinton care? Of course not. He was no doubt smiling away in the audience as the band performed the blues song “Champagne & Reefer,” which celebrates the latter. (Best lyric: “Well you know there should be no law / on a man that want to smoke a little dope.”)

As usual, there are two sets of rules. The elites can use drugs and we’ll condone it and even share a laugh with them over it; the poor black people who do the same thing, however, must go to prison.

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9:03 pm on April 5, 2008