Protesting musicians ‘occupied’ with ulterior motives

With the tough economy and political unrest plaguing our generation currently, I see why protesting is making such a huge comeback in this country.

I suppose, in some respects, I could compare the present day upheaval to the 60s; our issues are more economically rooted, but we're still concerned with civil rights, racial divides and war just as our parents and grandparents were back in the day.

And then there's the music to consider, as well. An article off of salon.com titled "Will a new Dylan emerge from Occupy Wall Street?" explores the potential for great modern day protest music.

When I think about some of the artists that are often categorized as protesters, Green Day, the Dixie Chicks and John Mellencamp come to mind. That doesn't mean, however, I think they belong in that category.

I have a hard time qualifying any musician, from yesterday or today, as a protester to be honest—that includes Bob Dylan.

Musicians are in a business fueled by attention and money. Yeah, there are musicians that claim "[they] aren't in for the cash or fame," but they are. Every last one of them.

And when an event like 9/11, a crooked politician or a war comes along, musicians jump right on that because controversy equals big bucks and a heaping pile of publicity.

Dylan started out as a starving musician and was catapulted to infamy once the protesting masses discovered his work. How famous would he be without the 60s? How famous would he be now had he not jumped on the bandwagon?

Another example hails from Pink. During George W. Bush's presidency in 2006, Pink penned a song titled "Dear Mr. President," which took shots at Bush's conservative views and the economy. The song garnered praise from fans and critics alike, but I wasn't sold.

Bush had been in office for 5 years when the song became popular.  In that time span, Pink had plenty of opportunities to write a politically charged ballad, but didn't. It wasn't really until bashing the president gained momentum that she released anything. Why? She was striking when the iron was hot.

Had she performed "Dear Mr. President" a few years earlier, the song wouldn't have generated nearly as much publicity (or downloads on iTunes) as it did in 2006—when Bush criticism had reached fever pitch.

Protesting is a trend. One person decides it would be rebellious to scream and shout about something, and then other people figure they'll join in because it looks cool.

I'll offer an educated guess and say that the majority of the people on Wall Street don't even know what they're truly protesting about.

What makes musicians any more informed than the general public? What makes their outcries over dirty politics or the poor economy any more genuine?

In regards to Salon's article, it's very possible that another Bob Dylan will step forward in my lifetime.

But with all of the bandwagon protesters and faux beliefs, it wouldn't be difficult for the next Bob Dylan to find the spotlight anyway.