MMMBlackmail
The MMMBop dudes are facing demands from fans that they speak out politically...or else.

No one expects politicians or political theorists to play bitchin' rock guitar. Pop stars should likewise not be expected to put out political statements. https://t.co/ZxRbPnxD6M

— Amy Alkon (@amyalkon) November 11, 2020

At VICE, Ashley Spencer reports:

Unlike most other late 90s pop groups, Hanson has stayed quietly active since their chart-topping teen idol days, operating largely outside of Hollywood while still consistently touring and releasing new music as indie artists. The result: a tight-knit, loyal base of "Fansons," mostly women in their 30s who still follow every move made by Isaac (39), Taylor (37), and Zac (35).

Catering to the elder millennial set, the official Hanson store currently stocks multiple baby bibs, cookie cutters, and a branded earplug holder. In Facebook fan groups, women share stories of naming their pets and children after the brothers or monikers mentioned in the band's songs titles; a daughter named Lucy, a basset hound called Penny. And a thousand-member strong "Hanson Tattoos" group exists solely for enthusiasts to show off their Hanson-related ink.

But for some Hanson fans, including many in the Black and queer communities, a wake-up call came in late May, when they say they felt gaslit and ignored by the band and other fans in the wake of George Floyd's death.

...As protests swept America following Floyd's May 25 killing, widespread support for the Black Lives Matter movement soared. Within a matter of days, country acts like The Highwomen sent a clear message to their followers by using the #BlackLivesMatter hashtag, and K-pop group BTS donated $1 million to BLM, a sum their fans quickly matched. But as tensions ran high, Hanson stayed largely silent on the mounting racial strife, instead posting about the SpaceX launch and their personal fitness. For a group known to cite Motown artists for inspiring their music and who have covered songs by Stevie Wonder, Chuck Berry, and Bill Withers, the omission felt especially pointed to their fans. "This really was never about politics. It was about human decency. And just, why is our favorite band not saying anything?" said Janice, a 31-year-old Black fan from New York who had previously converted her husband into a Hanson fan as well.

Because they aren't politically literate or they want to focus on the music!

These demands that people speak out -- businesspeople, musicians, and others -- lest they be excommunicated, deposed from their current social or business position, and/or otherwise ruined are really out of hand.

I just try to ignore any celebrity's political statements, because, more often than not, the most gorgeous girl from Wherever, Ohio, is not exactly going to be the next de Toqueville.