{"id":86733,"date":"2022-10-04T14:09:56","date_gmt":"2022-10-04T14:09:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/what-lizzo-can-teach-conservatives-about-american-history\/"},"modified":"2022-10-04T14:09:56","modified_gmt":"2022-10-04T14:09:56","slug":"what-lizzo-can-teach-conservatives-about-american-history","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/what-lizzo-can-teach-conservatives-about-american-history\/","title":{"rendered":"What Lizzo Can Teach Conservatives about American History"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<p>It&#8217;s tough being a social conservative these days, what with all the trolls about.<\/p>\n<p>Some right-wingers were in a lather last week after Lizzo \u201cdisrespected\u201d James Madison&#8217;s flute.  Or, that&#8217;s what they would have you think.<\/p>\n<p>Jenna Ellis, one of Trump&#8217;s former lawyers, said Lizzo&#8217;s performance was a \u201cdesecration, literally of America&#8217;s history.\u201d  Matt Walsh <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/MattWalshBlog\/status\/1575239136294105088?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1575239136294105088%7Ctwgr%5Eba9f8317cbd3969ce60e07168695f814c8d19709%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fembedly.forbes.com%2Fwidgets%2Fmedia.html%3Ftype%3Dtext2Fhtmlkey%3D3ce26dc7e3454db5820ba084d28b4935schema%3Dtwitterurl%3Dhttps3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2Fmattwalshblog%2Fstatus%2F1575239136294105088image%3Dhttps3A%2F%2Fi.embed.ly%2F1%2Fimage3Furl3Dhttps253A252F252Fabs.twimg.com252Ferrors252Flogo46x38.png26key3D3ce26dc7e3454db5820ba084d28b4935\" target=\"_blank\">tweeted<\/a> that \u201cLizzo playing James Madison&#8217;s flute was a form of racial retribution, according to the woke Left.  And I actually have no doubt that this is part of the reason why the Library of Congress facilitated this spectacle.\u201d  Hitting the same notes, Ben Shapiro decried the \u201cvulgarization of American history.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>well.  Let&#8217;s consider what actually took place.  Aware that Lizzo would be in DC for a big concert in late September, Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden sent a twitter invitation to the Grammy-winning performer.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/librarycongress?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\">@librarycongress<\/a> has the largest flute collection in the world with more than 1,800.  It incl Press James Madison&#8217;s 1813 crystal flute. <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/lizzo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\">@lizzo<\/a> we would love for you to come see it and even play a couple when you are in DC next week.  Like your song they are \u201cGood as hell.\u201d\ud83d\ude09 <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/2FkUFZfIYh\" target=\"_blank\">pic.twitter.com\/2FkUFZfIYh<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Carla Hayden (@LibnOfCongress) <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/LibnOfCongress\/status\/1573327405196115969?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\">September 23, 2022<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Lizzo, an accomplished flutist, responded with enthusiasm, and visited the Library of Congress, dressed in street clothes, where she tried out some of the historic instruments, including a crystal flute that once belonged to James Madison.  Here is a sample of her playing.  Outstanding, right?<\/p>\n<aside class=\"podcast-content-promo\">\n<div class=\"podcast-content-promo__left\">\n<p><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p>I wonder how many of the \u201cconservatives\u201d Lambasting Lizzo would be able to name the excerpts she performed from Paganini&#8217;s \u201cCarnival of Venice\u201d and Poulenc&#8217;s flute sonata?  Or whether they paused to admire her musicianship?  As a classical music site noted, it wasn&#8217;t easy to play the historical instrument:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>Normally she plays the modern Boehm concert flute, cylindrical bore, pitched in C with the keynote played with seven fingers down and extensive keywork for the accidentals.  The Laurent crystal flute is a pre-Boehm simple system instrument, pitched in D, tapered bore, keynote played with six fingers down, only a few keys.  Their playing characteristics are therefore markedly different, to the point where they are not at all interchangeable.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>What really set off the cons though was what happened at the Capital One Arena the following night, when representatives of the Library of Congress brought Madison&#8217;s flute onstage.  Lizzo played a few notes and then executed a little winking twerk.  Now, I am no fan of this move, but I must say that Lizzo&#8217;s humorous romp was utterly tame compared with, say, Miley Cyrus&#8217;s version at the 2013 VMA awards.<\/p>\n<p>But here&#8217;s the part the conservatives omitted from their accounts: Lizzo told her thousands of fans that the flute was<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>a gift to James Madison from a French crystal flute designer to celebrate his second term.. .  .  There was a fire while he was away and the only two things that were saved were a portrait of George Washington [big ovation] and this crystal flute right here. [Another big ovation.] I am the first person to ever play it, so y&#8217;all about to hear what it sounds like for the first time.  It&#8217;s crystal.  It&#8217;s like playing out of a wine glass.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>After playing a few notes, she exulted that \u201cHistory is freaking cool you guys!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Yep, and so is she.  I don&#8217;t care for Lizzo&#8217;s costume choices, or the twerk move, but again, it was really a winking allusion to a twerk, not the lewd kind.  I love that she was so reverent toward the instrument in her hands and the history it represented.<\/p>\n<p>And frankly, it&#8217;s especially gratifying to see a young African-American artist embrace this history as her own because there are some Americans who don&#8217;t think it belongs to her.  You can find progressives who seem to prefer that African-Americans adopt a pose of permanent alienation from America due to our history of slavery and racism, and there are \u201cconservatives\u201d who yearn to exclude African Americans from \u201cour history\u201d (eg the idiots who object to black characters in a fantasy drama set in a mythical middle ages).<\/p>\n<p>The greatness of American history belongs to all of us, just as its sins are borne by all of us.  the musical <i>Hamilton<\/i>, by casting all of the Founders with minority actors and weaving rap into the score, was a particularly unifying celebration of America.  Lizzo&#8217;s performance was in that spirit and she has earned the respect of true conservatives.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><script type=\"29a75c0c3cb9afecf0d6b876-text\/javascript\">\n!function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)\n{if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?\nn.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};\nif(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';\nn.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;\nt.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];\ns.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window, document,'script',\n'https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\nfbq('init', '230154961638974');\nfbq('track', 'PageView');\n<\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It&#8217;s tough being a social conservative these days, what with all the trolls about. Some right-wingers were in a lather last week after Lizzo \u201cdisrespected\u201d James Madison&#8217;s flute. Or, that&#8217;s what they would have you think. Jenna Ellis, one of Trump&#8217;s former lawyers, said Lizzo&#8217;s performance was a \u201cdesecration, literally of America&#8217;s history.\u201d Matt Walsh &hellip;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"> <a class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/what-lizzo-can-teach-conservatives-about-american-history\/\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">What Lizzo Can Teach Conservatives about American History<\/span> Read More &raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","spay_email":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":88710,"url":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/lizzos-skills-with-james-madisons-flute-earn-her-another-historic-invite\/","url_meta":{"origin":86733,"position":0},"title":"Lizzo&#8217;s Skills With James Madison&#8217;s Flute Earn Her Another Historic Invite","date":"October 6, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Pop star Lizzo's performance with a two-century-old crystal flute \u2015 a gift to President James Madison \u2015 has sparked more potential ties to the Founding Father's history.Montpelier, Madison's 2,650-acre Virginia estate, has extended an invitation to the \u201cAbout Damn Time\u201d singer to play at his home, according to Twitter and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Entertainment&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":81057,"url":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/lizzo-played-james-madisons-200-year-old-crystal-flute-at-her-washington-dc-concert\/","url_meta":{"origin":86733,"position":1},"title":"Lizzo played James Madison&#8217;s 200-year-old crystal flute at her Washington, DC concert","date":"September 28, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"CNN \u2014 Ever the pioneer, Lizzo crossed off another first during the Washington, DC stop of her tour \u2013 playing an approximately 200-year-old crystal flute that belonged to a former US president. The \u201cAbout Damn Time\u201d singer and accomplished flutist carefully played the delicate woodwind, which was sent as a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Entertainment&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":86095,"url":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/lizzo-invited-to-perform-at-james-madisons-montpelier-estate-billboard\/","url_meta":{"origin":86733,"position":2},"title":"Lizzo Invited to Perform at James Madison&#8217;s Montpelier Estate \u2013 Billboard","date":"October 3, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Fresh off her performance on James Madison's crystal flute, Lizzo has caught the eye of the former president's estate, Montpelier. TMZ was the first to report that the \u201cAbout Damn Time\u201d singer has been invited to perform at the 2,650-acre Virginia estate where Madison called home during his lifetime, and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Entertainment&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":84472,"url":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/republicans-are-mad-that-lizzo-played-200-year-old-flute\/","url_meta":{"origin":86733,"position":3},"title":"Republicans Are Mad That Lizzo Played 200-Year-Old Flute","date":"October 2, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Republicans are mad Lizzo played James Madison's 200-year-old crystal flute at her Tuesday concert. The Library of Congress lent Lizzo the flute for the Washington DC stop of her \"Special\" tour. Matt Walsh hypothesized that the Library of Congress did this \"as a form of racial retribution\" loading Something is\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Entertainment&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":82047,"url":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/maga-dweebs-lose-their-shit-over-lizzo-playing-james-madisons-crystal-flute\/","url_meta":{"origin":86733,"position":4},"title":"MAGA Dweebs Lose Their Shit Over Lizzo Playing James Madison&#8217;s Crystal Flute","date":"September 29, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Conservative media stars and far-right provocateurs found their latest outrage cycle this week when pop superstar Lizzo thrilled concertgoers by playing a 200-year-old crystal flute once owned by former President James Madison.Rather than appreciate an accomplished and classically trained flutist showing off a priceless piece of American history to her\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Entertainment&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":80854,"url":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/how-lizzo-came-to-play-james-madisons-crystal-flute-on-a-dc-stage\/","url_meta":{"origin":86733,"position":5},"title":"How Lizzo came to play James Madison&#8217;s crystal flute on a DC stage","date":"September 28, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"A day before Lizzo's public performance, she spent a private afternoon at the Library of Congress, playing several flutes from its impressive collection updated September 28, 2022 at 11:57 am EDT|published September 28, 2022 at 10:32 am EDTPop star Lizzo played various collectible flutes in the Reading Room and flute\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Entertainment&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.thebulwark.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/lizzo-flute-america.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86733"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=86733"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86733\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=86733"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=86733"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=86733"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}