Five Ringed Circus: VANOC v. Artists

They'dLikeToForceTheWorldToSing
InPerfectHarmonyVille

Marsha Lederman of the BellGlobeCTVTSNRDSCHUMEverythingElseYouCanThinkOfMedia Empire had the story last week:

The arts-festival portion of the 2010 Olympics risks sliding into a squabble over free speech, as artists who signed on to be part of the Cultural Olympiad learn of a clause in their contracts that prohibits negative comments about the Games and its corporate sponsors.

Some artists contacted by The Globe and Mail, along with organizers of other Olympic and Commonwealth Games cultural events, called the requirement unusual and disturbing. Several artists didn't realize they had signed such an undertaking.

"This is Canada. I can't believe that we're being asked to limit our comments to the press," said Andrew Laurenson, artistic director of Vancouver's Radix Theatre, whose critical comments about arts funding and the Olympics have drawn the attention of the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC).....

Hmmmmmm......

Wonder who Our Neil would be singing for if he were to come to the Circus....

As for Jeff Tweedy?

Well, we'll just have to wait and see.


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Update: Silent running reader Big-(notso)-Audible-Deen-O-Mite has noted that Ms. Lederman's follow-up indicates that VANOC is kinda/sorta standing by its gag-a-clause by saying they have no intention of using it, so why worry.....Ha!

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