Love Henry Rollins' enthusiasm every single time he is interviewed. He's had many interviews where he gets asked the same questions yet he never seems to get frustrated at answering the same questions over and over. You can see just how much joy he gets from sharing his life experiences. Love it.
Level-headed Americans are the majority. They just aren't represented by the mainstream media. Conflict makes for good headlines. People haven't changed. What's changed is the 24-hour news cycle and outlets like the Huffington Post constantly in everyone's faces with manipulative headlines and the lie that the United States is on fire at all times. There's nothing sexy about people who get up every morning, go to work, and live their lives, and that's why the media doesn't cover that. Money fuels the media, not reality. CNN doesn't give a fuck if you're an informed citizen. They care if they can make more money than the week before. I've always loved Rollins as a storyteller and always will, but he pulls the same bullshit as the mainstream media when it comes to politics: giving the impression that America as a whole is certain way based on the actions of the lunatic fringe.
Unlike him but I wish you would just put up or shut up he needs to run for office and see can he do better, what has he actually accomplished rather people versus the self-serving things he has accomplished
I like Black Flag, Rollins Band & Henry's story telling. But from 23:10 Henry goes into idiot mode. He describes large parts of the US as misogynist & racist as if the KKK has made a comeback. Rollins has some of the most explicit, undiluted, snobbish, anti-working class, anti-middle class attitudes I've ever seen from a celebrity. Levels of sexism, racism & most bigotries are thankfully declining in most Western nations including the US. Listening to Rollins talking about coarse, passport averse" Americans is reminiscent of the reasons elites gave that farmers, factory workers, Black people & women shouldn't be given the vote: that they are dumb, they lack information etc. Henry is turning into an authentic fascist in his old age. He dresses his snobbery in a cloak of anti-racism, anti-sexism etc.
rod, I can see part of your viewpoint here but, having come from Hawaii and having lived in Europe/Norway for a significant portion of my life, I also very much relate to Henry's pov. Henry IS working class all the way. His very work ethic and background are the reasons he is able to live as he does. It isn't snobbery to point out the failings of American society. And the quality of public education has declined while stupidity and ignorance have been glorified in some sectors of society - nearly as a point of honor. I would agree that by and large bigotry, sexism, and outright ignorance may have been declining but at the same time, these scourges have also been on the rebound along with a strong and vehement backlash against political correctness with demagogues such as Trump leading the way. And yes, there is also a genuine current of fear that's being drummed up and promulgated by certain media outlets and certain segments of American society have fallen for it. Also, America is without a doubt, a TV Nation. Most Americans do not read. That is not an opinion, that is a documented and measured fact. A populace weaned on television is not a properly informed society. The KKK never went away for one thing - the other is the rise of the "alt-right" talk about fascism. "Levels of sexism, racism & most bigotries are thankfully declining in most Western nations including the US." While this was somewhat true a year or two ago it is no longer the case as evidenced by the popularity of the far-right parties in not only the USA but also in one too many European countries. While the group of Americans that Henry is addressing technically may be a minority - it is enough of a constituency to get an anomaly like Trump elected. That is not going forward nor is it indicative of a national character which champions cultural or religious tolerance, interracial harmony, or intellectual improvement.
+Renn Loren I disagree that there has been a rebound in bigotry either in Europe(I'm British) or USA. The reason for the recent rise of Trump & new right wing parties/movements in USA & Europe is that traditional, i.e. long established, right & left parties/movements have stopped addressing the concerns (mainly economic) of the masses. These parties have been rejected by many of the classes that historically voted for them. While millions may still vote for them, they do so grudgingly. In 1980s USA & UK, millions of working class people desserted the Dems & Labour Party & voted for Reagan or Thatcher. The establishment centre/left in both countries were perplexed by this. They came to the conclusion that like state ownership of industry, maybe mass democracy is not such a good idea after all. That common people are easily manipulated by emotion & a sophisticated media. As the aristocrats, the wealthy, the ruling class have always asserted, the masses really are feeble. The contemporary left no longer sees increased political activity of the masses as the main means of positive change in society. Like ruling classes throughout history, it now also sees the masses as feeble, as objects of pity, of charity. As people who vote against their own interests. Not as individuals capable of controlling their own destiny. Henry seems to share the worldview of the contemporary left. Which is why I dislike his politics.
rod dale: I see, and I can understand that. While you make some very valid points here, bigotry and racism are, if not on a rebound, definitely more openly and candidly on display in a way that it hasn't been seen or expressed since the '60s. And that is directly due to an overly reactionary backlash to political correctness in which Trump just proposes abandoning all political correctness outright instead of suggesting alternately that perhaps some political correctness has gotten out of control and we should possibly tone some of the more frivolous aspects of it down some. Unless one is a person of color one cannot accurately make the call as to whether racism and bigotry are on the rise in the U.S. any more than a Jamaican raised in Jamaica could tell an Anglo-Saxon person that there is no bias of any kind against them in any part of China or Japan. I can see how you might interpret Rollins' worldview as being "contemporary left" as it does have all the trappings of that -- but he also expresses a worldview of one who travels in non-Anglo-American-centric regions and appreciates those lifestyles, values, and cultures instead of criticizing them for their differences or perceived relative shortcomings. I'm not on board with some of his politics but in person one on one Rollins' perspectives make a lot of common sense and if you take each of his points to task his more refined and precise explanations are usually well-considered. By their spontaneous, immediate natures interviews tend to elicit only the most candid wide-sweeping spouts of undeveloped, insufficiently-explained ideas and musings which can often come off as misguided generalizations at best or bloviating pontifications at worst. In that light, I fully understand not liking Rollins' political slant or bias.
+Renn Loren That there is a rejection of political correctness(PC), is a good thing. PC inhibits racial harmony. It's not a case of toning down the more frivolous aspects of PC. PC needs to be totally dumped. Many confuse PC with anti-racism or good manners. PC and identity politics (perhaps unintentionally) help to keep racism afloat. Just as Trump promised to return jobs to the US, he adopted an anti-PC position because he knows it will make him popular with a majority of Americans. Right-wing politicians & media channels are not really anti-PC. They simply use it as a way to get votes or viewers. Fox news understands that PC is often used to paint 'working siffs' as bigots. This is why right-wing media is popular, because it claims to be on the side of ordinary people. For people like Bill O'Reilly, Milo & many new right-wing pundits on RUclips, the worst thing that could happen is that the PC dies. It has made them very wealthy. If you want to make money on YT, start a channel attacking PC, language policing or contemporary feminism. PC needs to be dismantled, but Trump, Fox & Milo etc are not the people to do it. They make too much money from it. The so-called liberal media, along with many celebrities & musicians(e.g. Henry), see PC & identity politics as necessary to protect racial minorities, women, LGBT etc from the dangerous irrational majority. They have more in common with Trump and the right wing media than they realise.
But since he is not going to run court office he is not a threat or an asset to anybody. If you listen to his excuses for why he didn't do a show in Tel Aviv it all comes down to money money money, so in essence he's not different from the ones that he is complaining about. Read the lyrics to the song liar
The interviewer doesn't know much about The U.S.A. He mentioned Reagan, Busch, then somehow forgot 8 years of Clinton and 8 years of Obama. Under which administration did we have the highest standard of living? Reagan. 2nd highest standard of living - George H. Busch.
Confederate flag waver telling Americans to leave America if they dont love it... That's fuckin hilarious. Your America Trump recieved 3 million less votes. Why dont you take the cancer that is the free loading south that contributes nothing and takes billions in aid from progressive states fuck off and leave 😂
@Southern Fried Funky Monk You don't even realise that you've contradicted yourself! If you already love the country then it doesn't need to be improved and "made great again".
i like rollins, but he really needs to stop talking politics and world events because hes basically bought into a lot of the same shit that 99% of joe public have. Hes very ill-informed and cant see the woods for the trees sometimes. henry - stick with personal issues my friend - youre waaaayyyy out of your depth and youre embarassing yourself
john marcus no he's not. He never claims to be an expert. Everything he says is personal to him. It's what he sees when he goes to America and he isn't saying that people are always acting on this racism he just says that's what a lot of American mind sets are like.
@Madmaniac "...he isn't saying that people are always acting on this racism he just says that's what a lot of American mind sets are like." So even when people are not displaying any kind of racist behaviour, they're still guilty of racist thoughtcrime on basis of a general preoccupation?
Love Henry Rollins' enthusiasm every single time he is interviewed. He's had many interviews where he gets asked the same questions yet he never seems to get frustrated at answering the same questions over and over. You can see just how much joy he gets from sharing his life experiences. Love it.
I am a NEW fan of Henry Rollins and I am older than him. What an alarming talent.
If you get the chance to see him live DO NOT PASS IT UP! He'll have you laughing for hours.
He is so great. His writing just gets better and better too.
this guys work changed my ideas about spoken word and music, showing what is possible.
Thanks Henry...~~I luv Alan Vega,and your work as well...
Great interview.
Very cool guy, Henry, awesome interview
I really wish he never died got a part two, I haven’t watched the second one that’s out right now but I want to it seems good
Its so sad that he never died 2 never happened
Good to hear Hank, but Jonno Alley is almost the star of this interview. More of this Jonathan.
I cringe , but Henry's absolutely right about us . Level headed Americans are a minority these days .
Level-headed Americans are the majority. They just aren't represented by the mainstream media. Conflict makes for good headlines. People haven't changed. What's changed is the 24-hour news cycle and outlets like the Huffington Post constantly in everyone's faces with manipulative headlines and the lie that the United States is on fire at all times. There's nothing sexy about people who get up every morning, go to work, and live their lives, and that's why the media doesn't cover that. Money fuels the media, not reality. CNN doesn't give a fuck if you're an informed citizen. They care if they can make more money than the week before.
I've always loved Rollins as a storyteller and always will, but he pulls the same bullshit as the mainstream media when it comes to politics: giving the impression that America as a whole is certain way based on the actions of the lunatic fringe.
And Henry is correct in this regard. People who "bemoan" political correctness are merely looking for a pass to be offensive and inappropriate.
Scott Jessup Get an education.
Yes, better to remain ignorant and agitated. Keep watching Fox!
Ha! Good one! So where do the angry, aged and disappointed tune these days for their salve?
What the fuck is up with that interviewer dude's toupee? LOLOLOLOL
"Next to the big man"? Henry is obviously referring to another autograph but I can't figure out which one he means.
jeezzuuss, the if he could only see 8 years into the f'n future at :30 minutes
This was quite interesting right up to the Trump question.
Nice to see someone catching up to what I've known for decades, although he is so full of himself it's laughable
This is has got to be one of the most idiotic comments ive read. You contradict yourself on so many levels.
Unlike him but I wish you would just put up or shut up he needs to run for office and see can he do better, what has he actually accomplished rather people versus the self-serving things he has accomplished
I like Black Flag, Rollins Band & Henry's story telling. But from 23:10 Henry goes into idiot mode. He describes large parts of the US as misogynist & racist as if the KKK has made a comeback. Rollins has some of the most explicit, undiluted, snobbish, anti-working class, anti-middle class attitudes I've ever seen from a celebrity. Levels of sexism, racism & most bigotries are thankfully declining in most Western nations including the US.
Listening to Rollins talking about coarse, passport averse" Americans is reminiscent of the reasons elites gave that farmers, factory workers, Black people & women shouldn't be given the vote: that they are dumb, they lack information etc. Henry is turning into an authentic fascist in his old age. He dresses his snobbery in a cloak of anti-racism, anti-sexism etc.
You are projecting.
rod, I can see part of your viewpoint here but, having come from Hawaii and having lived in Europe/Norway for a significant portion of my life, I also very much relate to Henry's pov. Henry IS working class all the way. His very work ethic and background are the reasons he is able to live as he does. It isn't snobbery to point out the failings of American society. And the quality of public education has declined while stupidity and ignorance have been glorified in some sectors of society - nearly as a point of honor. I would agree that by and large bigotry, sexism, and outright ignorance may have been declining but at the same time, these scourges have also been on the rebound along with a strong and vehement backlash against political correctness with demagogues such as Trump leading the way. And yes, there is also a genuine current of fear that's being drummed up and promulgated by certain media outlets and certain segments of American society have fallen for it.
Also, America is without a doubt, a TV Nation. Most Americans do not read. That is not an opinion, that is a documented and measured fact. A populace weaned on television is not a properly informed society. The KKK never went away for one thing - the other is the rise of the "alt-right" talk about fascism.
"Levels of sexism, racism & most bigotries are thankfully declining in most Western nations including the US." While this was somewhat true a year or two ago it is no longer the case as evidenced by the popularity of the far-right parties in not only the USA but also in one too many European countries.
While the group of Americans that Henry is addressing technically may be a minority - it is enough of a constituency to get an anomaly like Trump elected. That is not going forward nor is it indicative of a national character which champions cultural or religious tolerance, interracial harmony, or intellectual improvement.
+Renn Loren
I disagree that there has been a rebound in bigotry either in Europe(I'm British) or USA.
The reason for the recent rise of Trump & new right wing parties/movements in USA & Europe is that traditional, i.e. long established, right & left parties/movements have stopped addressing the concerns (mainly economic) of the masses. These parties have been rejected by many of the classes that historically voted for them. While millions may still vote for them, they do so grudgingly.
In 1980s USA & UK, millions of working class people desserted the Dems & Labour Party & voted for Reagan or Thatcher. The establishment centre/left in both countries were perplexed by this. They came to the conclusion that like state ownership of industry, maybe mass democracy is not such a good idea after all. That common people are easily manipulated by emotion & a sophisticated media. As the aristocrats, the wealthy, the ruling class have always asserted, the masses really are feeble.
The contemporary left no longer sees increased political activity of the masses as the main means of positive change in society. Like ruling classes throughout history, it now also sees the masses as feeble, as objects of pity, of charity. As people who vote against their own interests. Not as individuals capable of controlling their own destiny. Henry seems to share the worldview of the contemporary left. Which is why I dislike his politics.
rod dale: I see, and I can understand that. While you make some very valid points here, bigotry and racism are, if not on a rebound, definitely more openly and candidly on display in a way that it hasn't been seen or expressed since the '60s. And that is directly due to an overly reactionary backlash to political correctness in which Trump just proposes abandoning all political correctness outright instead of suggesting alternately that perhaps some political correctness has gotten out of control and we should possibly tone some of the more frivolous aspects of it down some.
Unless one is a person of color one cannot accurately make the call as to whether racism and bigotry are on the rise in the U.S. any more than a Jamaican raised in Jamaica could tell an Anglo-Saxon person that there is no bias of any kind against them in any part of China or Japan.
I can see how you might interpret Rollins' worldview as being "contemporary left" as it does have all the trappings of that -- but he also expresses a worldview of one who travels in non-Anglo-American-centric regions and appreciates those lifestyles, values, and cultures instead of criticizing them for their differences or perceived relative shortcomings.
I'm not on board with some of his politics but in person one on one Rollins' perspectives make a lot of common sense and if you take each of his points to task his more refined and precise explanations are usually well-considered. By their spontaneous, immediate natures interviews tend to elicit only the most candid wide-sweeping spouts of undeveloped, insufficiently-explained ideas and musings which can often come off as misguided generalizations at best or bloviating pontifications at worst.
In that light, I fully understand not liking Rollins' political slant or bias.
+Renn Loren
That there is a rejection of political correctness(PC), is a good thing. PC inhibits racial harmony. It's not a case of toning down the more frivolous aspects of PC. PC needs to be totally dumped. Many confuse PC with anti-racism or good manners. PC and identity politics (perhaps unintentionally) help to keep racism afloat.
Just as Trump promised to return jobs to the US, he adopted an anti-PC position because he knows it will make him popular with a majority of Americans. Right-wing politicians & media channels are not really anti-PC. They simply use it as a way to get votes or viewers. Fox news understands that PC is often used to paint 'working siffs' as bigots. This is why right-wing media is popular, because it claims to be on the side of ordinary people.
For people like Bill O'Reilly, Milo & many new right-wing pundits on RUclips, the worst thing that could happen is that the PC dies. It has made them very wealthy. If you want to make money on YT, start a channel attacking PC, language policing or contemporary feminism. PC needs to be dismantled, but Trump, Fox & Milo etc are not the people to do it. They make too much money from it.
The so-called liberal media, along with many celebrities & musicians(e.g. Henry), see PC & identity politics as necessary to protect racial minorities, women, LGBT etc from the dangerous irrational majority. They have more in common with Trump and the right wing media than they realise.
But since he is not going to run court office he is not a threat or an asset to anybody. If you listen to his excuses for why he didn't do a show in Tel Aviv it all comes down to money money money, so in essence he's not different from the ones that he is complaining about. Read the lyrics to the song liar
The interviewer doesn't know much about The U.S.A. He mentioned Reagan, Busch, then somehow forgot 8 years of Clinton and 8 years of Obama. Under which administration did we have the highest standard of living? Reagan. 2nd highest standard of living - George H. Busch.
Kendall2001 *bush not the beer dude
Per capita?
I don't like it when Henry talks American politics in foreign countries
You mean when he replies to a question asked in a foreign country about that topic! How does you disliking something have any effect?
America, love it or leave it. MAGA!!!!
'Leave it' like 1861?
Confederate flag waver telling Americans to leave America if they dont love it... That's fuckin hilarious. Your America Trump recieved 3 million less votes. Why dont you take the cancer that is the free loading south that contributes nothing and takes billions in aid from progressive states fuck off and leave 😂
@Southern Fried Funky Monk You don't even realise that you've contradicted yourself! If you already love the country then it doesn't need to be improved and "made great again".
@@crose7412 your comment makes absolutely know sense but yeah, k
@@Nomad-yn7pv Wow, you still amaze me.
i like rollins, but he really needs to stop talking politics and world events because hes basically bought into a lot of the same shit that 99% of joe public have. Hes very ill-informed and cant see the woods for the trees sometimes. henry - stick with personal issues my friend - youre waaaayyyy out of your depth and youre embarassing yourself
john marcus no he's not. He never claims to be an expert. Everything he says is personal to him. It's what he sees when he goes to America and he isn't saying that people are always acting on this racism he just says that's what a lot of American mind sets are like.
Maybe 99 percent of Joe Public are right.
@Madmaniac "...he isn't saying that people are always acting on this racism he just says that's what a lot of American mind sets are like."
So even when people are not displaying any kind of racist behaviour, they're still guilty of racist thoughtcrime on basis of a general preoccupation?
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