Mr. Nugent goes to Washington

So, Ted Nugent got invited to the State of the Union address. As long as he checks his bow at the door, who really cares?

Seriously, here’s a 1970s “guitar hero” who’s probably best-known musically for “Cat Scratch Fever” and, during the last 10 years or so, is better known for shooting off his mouth. To be honest, he’s no different than The Dixie Chicks, who let political commentary overload their musical talent; although unlike Ted Nugent, their 15 minutes in the spotlight quickly faded when they became political.

I will admit that, for a time, I watched Ted Nugent’s hunting show on The Outdoor Channel a few years back — when he was just crazy and not so political. Most of his hunting was done with a bow, by the way. To be honest, while he sometimes (often) went a little over the top, I liked that he promoted getting outdoors, respect for the game he hunted, and that the game was used for food, not trophies — at least that’s how it was presented. He also encouraged hunters to donate wild game to kitchens for the homeless and food banks, and did so himself. I liked that, too.

However, his outrageousness expanded from the rock stage and hunting advocacy to politics and political statements. And a lot of people take him seriously, which is a problem we Americans have. People actually listen to musicians, actors and celebrities in order to shape their own political consciousness. We also depend too much on “talking heads” and pundits to tell us what we should think.

For whatever reason, Americans have a tendency to listen more to political statements from Ted Nugent, George Clooney, Bruce Willis, Sean Penn, The Dixie Chicks, Hank Williams Jr. or some other entertainer — and put stock in them — than they are to people who actually know what they’re talking about. They more readily accept what celebrities have to say as wisdom, except for Chris Rock and his comparison of the Obamas as the people’s “dad and mom.” Nobody took that seriously.

For some reason, it seems many people don’t take what celebrities have to say as just their opinions. Everyone has opinions, whether based in fact or pulled out of the air. I just don’t understand why celebrities’ opinions tend to carry more weight with listeners than others and are given more credibility, especially more credibility than those who have actual facts and knowledge of the topic at hand.

I also don’t understand why people get so bent out of shape when a celebrity makes some outrageous comment, such as Ted Nugent’s “dead or in jail” remark about President Obama at last year’s National Rifle Association convention that led to the Secret Service visiting him. That was a bit of overreaction on the part of the Secret Service and the public. So were calls to deport The Dixie Chicks after their statement that they were embarrassed by President Bush.

Those were their opinions, and in the greater scheme of things, they really don’t mean a whole lot, other than being outrageous and embarrassing and drawing attention to themselves. I suspect the ladies of The Dixie Chicks now are more embarrassed by their decline than by President Bush, and Ted Nugent is neither dead nor in jail because President Obama was re-elected.

There have been plenty of comments across the Internet about a Texas congressman inviting Ted Nugent to the State of the Union, a good portion of them negative, which seems to be the way people respond on the Internet. But, honestly, who really cares, or why? Cynical as it may sound on my part, special guests invited to sit in the audience at the State of the Union and other political events largely are there for decoration, whether it’s a housewife from New Jersey or a Medal of Honor winner. Or Ted Nugent.

No doubt the Motor City Madman will have his share of remarks about what is said in President Obama’s State of the Union address. So will a gaggle of commentators analyzing every syllable, columnists who still will be writing about it next week, radio talk-show hosts who will use it to inflame their listeners and politicians who will try to use parts of it to their advantage.

Will any of what they say mean anything to people or affect their lives? Not likely. But, the glory that is America is that they’re free to express their thoughts. So are each of us, and while Ted Nugent and other celebrities may get national attention — warranted or not — for theirs, never forget that your own opinion is just as important as theirs.