The man who seems to piss off the world with every new release is more important than most people realize. Tom points out what so many people are trying to erase: that we have freedom of speech. People often state that he is merely attempting to stir controversy and be generally rude and shitty. However, the exact opposite couldn’t be more true.
Tom may say things that aren’t always pleasant to hear but as he says in his song Fake Woke “there’s a difference between hate speech and speech that you hate.” He actually isn’t supporting hate speech in any way and although people label him as racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic, etc. He is actually promoting unity more than anyone out there.
If you’ve taken the time to listen to his music, you will know he doesn’t hold back. What I can’t seem to figure out is why that is a bad thing in the eyes of so many? When did we become a country afraid to speak our minds? Or rather, when did we become a country that only has ears for one kind of message? Tom is promoting asking critical thinking questions. He points out the contradictions of our society and the effects of social media, pop culture, and the messages given to us by the media machine. And so many people hate him for it, but why?
We should be asking questions. We should be thinking about the messages we are being told, not just accepting them. I would like to think I am a smart person. Smart in the traditional sense that I’ve always gotten good grades, I’ve won writing awards, I’ve been published. I graduated from a big university with honors and I’ve excelled where others have struggled. But I would also like to think of myself as smart in the real world sense. I have been through a lot of emotional issues, I battle with anxiety. I spent ten years of my life living as a transman. I’ve been a gay male, I’ve been a lesbian, I’ve been most places in between. Now I’ve come to love and accept myself as the person I am and I am a strong woman who has a voice that matters even when I’m saying things that not everyone wants to hear because my words have value too. The only people who seem to have a voice anymore are those with a long listen of labels. I used to be one of those people, but now my label is pretty short. I’m me. What I thought as a gay, pansexual, panromantic, polyamorous, transman doesn't matter more than what I have to say now as just me.
What just me sees in so many people around me is the complete lack of ability to critical think. I’ve been meditating on this fact for a while now and it makes perfect sense to me why schools don’t truly teach critical thinking skills anymore. I’ve been a tutor, a mentor, and a trainer and so many people can’t reason or wrap their heads around concepts. It’s not because these people are stupid. It’s because they were never taught how to critically think. It’s because they don’t really want people thinking critically about the world the powers that be are creating right under most people’s noses.
Tom MacDonald is pointing this out. He is rapping this into the world. We need to think for ourselves. We need to question our leaders and the agendas. We need to notice the major and minor inconsistencies and stop letting the media cover them up. This is a democracy and we are not supposed to be controlled we are supposed to be the fundamentals of society. Why are we being told how to live our lives? Especially when there is so much evidence that goes against the overarching narrative being handed down to us from the media.
It’s partly because no one is hearing that contradictory information. As Tom says also in Fake Woke:
“Censoring the facts turns our children into idiots
They claim it’s for our safety, I’ll tell you what it really is
Removing information that empowers all the citizens
The truth doesn’t damage points of view that are legitimate.”
No one else is speaking up for messages like this in music. It is why Tom MacDonald is someone everyone should be hearing. Let me correct that, he’s someone everyone should be listening to. Don’t take his words at face value and rip them apart on the surface. Dive into them. Question them. What is he really saying?
I think Tom’s greater message is that we are all human. We are all connected and there is more than joins us than divides us. Do not let those in power tell you that we are totally different, that we hate each other, that we judge each other. Don’t let them tell you that you aren’t good enough just the way you are. Don’t let them lie to you that your neighbor is against you because he wears a “make America great again” hat or because he voted for Joe Biden. Don’t let them divide us because they want us fighting with each other so they can do whatever they want. We are better than that. We are stronger and smarter than that. We are America.
“We’re all in the same boat, why you tryna make holes?
If they sink, we sink, this is madness” -Tom MacDonald in Clown World
Tom released two albums today, Us Against the World and No Guts, No Glory that are only available on his website http://www.hangovergang.com Please support him by purchasing the albums and his message to expose the lies in our society and bring unity through truth, realness, and authenticity. He is a fully independent artist and needs our support to continue the amazing work he has been doing. I will be review the album once I receive my copies. Also check out his latest song and music video Dummies.
Thank you for reading.
-XReal
