And Finally Beef Of The Week

CMU Beef Of The Week #35: The New Pornographers v Calvin College, Michigan

By | Published on Saturday 18 September 2010

I’m sure The New Pornographers’ name has caused them a few minor problems over the years. Like, maybe it was a little uncomfortable telling their grandparents the name of the band they were in. However, I reckon it’s probably safe to say that this week was the first time the band had a gig cancelled because people had mistaken them for actual pornographers.

Yep, that’s right, a Christian college in Michigan had to cancel a gig by The New Pornographers this week because too many people thought the educational institute was staging an event showcasing some up-and-coming filth peddlers.

To be fair to Calvin College, management there weren’t the ones who were confused as to what had been booked to entertain their students – in fact they were rather complimentary about the band – but apparently enough local stakeholders expressed concern to justify canning the event. Well, at the very least, they just got bored of having to explain that The New Pornographers are a band.

A statement from the college’s activities office said: “We believe that the decision to invite the band fit our rubric of engaging culture through a Christian lens. The band makes good, thoughtful music, and we invited them here based on their artistic merit. However, after weeks of discussion and consideration, the irony of the band’s name was impossible to explain to many. The band’s name, to some, is mistakenly associated with pornography”.

And just in case there was any doubt, the college added: “Neither the college nor the band endorses pornography”.

So, to make sure we’re all absolutely clear…

The New Pornographers: youtu.be/_KZANuDcRO4

Actual porn: youtu.be/rBalKXCaXOM

This Beef Of The Week comes from this edition of the CMU Weekly. Subscribe to the CMU Weekly here.

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