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Springsteen, Trump, and Pope Leo XIV: How an Unlikely Trio Changed My Attitude About Ranting
I’m as surprised as anyone
The past week has been very strange for me, to put it mildly. On May 15, I banged out a rant of more than 1,000 words but then uncharacteristically sat on it for a day rather than posting it immediately. This is never a wise move, as all rants should be served piping hot with as little time for reflection as possible, since reflection has a calming effect that is the death knell of a good rant.
Why did I delay posting it? Because it was a rant about — believe it or not — Bruce Springsteen. I had fired it off in response to a story I read in The Guardian about Springsteen’s concert the night before in Manchester, England, during which he ranted onstage prior to the opening song that America “is currently in the hands of a corrupt, incompetent and treasonous administration.” Later in the show, he went even further when introducing “My City of Ruins,” reciting an eight-paragraph lament listing multiple sins (and make no mistake, they are sins) of the Trump administration.
Most of the time none of this would even register with me; we live in an age when celebrities drive the national discourse like never before. Taylor Swift can spike voter registration with an Instagram post, George Clooney can…
