How many times have you seen the name Tony Bennett and immediately thought of Jason Aldean?
If your answer was never, you’re probably not a CNN fan.
The news outlet is apparently so obsessed with the country singer that it turned even the death of the entertainment legend Tony Bennett into an opportunity to write a hit piece on Aldean.
Bennett died July 21 in New York City.
Tony Bennett was the one of the most important interpreters of American popular song during the mid to late 20th century. He championed songwriters who might otherwise have remained unknown to many millions of music fans. pic.twitter.com/IsopRo8jQ8
— Billy Joel (@billyjoel) July 21, 2023
Very sad to hear about Tony Bennett’s passing. Rest in Peace pic.twitter.com/Q0OTK5OJfC
— Ozzy Osbourne (@OzzyOsbourne) July 21, 2023
On Sunday, CNN published what on the surface looked like a tribute piece to the legendary singer, although it was labeled “analysis.”
The article, titled “Tony Bennett sang in a key that Jason Aldean’s song can’t reach,” by John Blake, began with a touching anecdote about Bennett’s life — a heartwarming story of friendship and overcoming depression.
Analysis: Tony Bennett sang in a key that Jason Aldean’s song can’t reach | CNN https://t.co/EwzBWL3LEA
— John K. Blake (@JohnBlakeCNN) July 30, 2023
But then, with a barely relevant segue about “timing,” the article shifted gears, diving into the tired controversy surrounding Aldean’s hit song “Try That in a Small Town” and its music video.
“But there’s also something about the timing of Bennett’s passing that makes our loss cut a bit deeper. Bennett died the same week that country singer Jason Aldean found controversy with his hit song, ‘Try That in a Small Town,’” Blake wrote.
The author, who focuses on “race, religion, politics and other assorted topics,” went on:
“The song, which celebrates what Aldean calls ‘good ol’ boys’ ready to grab their guns and go after those who carjack old ladies and rob liquor stores, is the most popular country song in the US. The song’s video, which was filmed outside a Tennessee courthouse where a White mob once lynched a Black man, has received more than 21 million YouTube views. One writer has called it ‘the song of the summer’ for right-wing America.”
Blake continued to trash Aldean for two more paragraphs in a piece that stretched more than silly putty to find connections between Aldean and Bennett.
“But the best example for what’s tone deaf about Aldean’s song and video hasn’t come from pundits or politicians. It came from Bennett — in the stories of how he sang and lived,” the article said.
If you’re scratching your head trying to figure out what in the world a single by a 46-year-old country singer has to do with the legacy of a 96-year-old legendary crooner, you’re not the only one.
A genuine obituary tribute for Bennett would have focused on his remarkable contributions to the world of music and the impact he had on countless lives without attempting to push an anti-conservative narrative at the same time.
An analysis piece would require the writer to present the facts and draw conclusions in an unbiased manner.
The piece CNN published was neither.
What it was, was a twisted pretzel of an attack disguised as a tribute/analysis of Bennett’s music in an attempt to get one more article in about a story that was never a story to begin with.
Tony Bennett was a great artist and an admirable human being.
Jason Aldean is not a racist.
The two are not connected in any way, despite Blake’s attempt to claim: “The many tributes to Bennett can also be read as a rebuke to the artistic sensibility that gave us ‘Try That in a Small Town.’”
Actually, they can only be read that way by a writer who’s desperate to make a point — and doing it badly.
There was never any there, there.
But apparently, at CNN, no depth is too low to sink, and even in the solemnity of a memorial, the adages of “never let a crisis go to waste” and “race-baiting raises ratings” seem to be the policy.
CNN should be ashamed.
Tony Bennett deserved better.
The American people deserve better.
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