The Q: "There are seven subjects in the new book; seven white guys. In the introduction, you acknowledge that performers of color and women performers are just not in your zeitgeist. Which to my mind is not plausible for Jann Wenner. Janis Joplin,
Janis Joplin was literally the exact counterexample that first jumped into my mind when I read the headline.
Joni Mitchell, Stevie Nicks, Stevie Wonder, the list keeps going ... What do you think is the deeper explanation for why you interviewed the subjects you interviewed and not other subjects?
Wenner's answer is telling. He says, "When I was referring to the zeitgeist, I was referring to Black performers, not to the female performers, OK? Just to get that accurate."
Oh wow. Did he get screwed through no fault of his own? That's a very straight answer, and I'm not at all a fan of this new thing where you can get your career fucked if you say "black" in any sentence and don't immediately follow it with "empowerment" or "voices."
The selection was not a deliberate selection. It was kind of intuitive over the years; it just fell together that way. The people had to meet a couple criteria, but it was just kind of my personal interest and love of them."
Yeah, that seems 100% reasonable to me.
"Insofar as the women, just none of them were as articulate enough on this intellectual level."
...
Jann you fucked yourself.
I take it all back. You're a creep for thinking this and a moron for saying it out loud to a reporter.
The reporter pushes back, incredulously asking if he really doesn't think Joni Mitchell was articulate enough to talk music on an intellectual level.
Wenner responded, "It’s not that they’re not creative geniuses. It’s not that they’re inarticulate, although, go have a deep conversation with Grace Slick or Janis Joplin. Please, be my guest.
STOP IT, STOP IT, THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT CARE ABOUT YOU, YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO THIS