I recent times I have been reading a lot about AI and have been experimenting with it in various scenarios. I thought I would experiment with a blog post. I gave ChatGPT my draft of this post and asked for a suggested post. In finalising this post, I used a combination of both my original draft and that of the AI interpretation. 

I am very interested to see what readers think about the concept of AI as an aid to blogging. For me the jury is out. This post was very much an experiment. I used it here because this post is a departure from my normal subjects. 

Photo sourced from the official trailer, Searchlight Pictures.

Over the 10 years or so that I have had this blog I have adopted a strict policy of steering clear of three topics: politics, religion and s$x. Growing up, these were definitely taboo at the dinner table. It seems the times have changed with everyone from celebrities to everyday people more than willing to share their views on these topics. I’m not sure our society is the better for it, in fact, I’m sure we are not!

In this post I depart from my policy as I reflect on Bob Dylan, a cultural icon and his avoiding canvassing his political views other than through his music. The release of A Complete Unknown, a story about Bob Dylan’s early years, highlights this unwillingness, while at the same time being more than willing to engage in the public discourse.

This isn’t a movie review, although having seen it, I can recommend it to those who like Dylan.

I was prompted to think about the topic by an article in  The Free Press timed to coincide with the movie’s release. The article discussed Dylan’s unwillingness to be pinned down on his political views. This is something I’ve always appreciated about him. Dylan was at the very heart of folk in the 1960s, but unlike so many of his contemporaries who seemed only too happy to use the stage as their soapbox for their political views, he let his music do the talking.

A former teacher of mine who had a significant influence on my musical interest said to me many, many years ago, that Dylan was both ‘the barometer of our times’, and ‘the beginning the middle and the end’. my former teacher’s words have resonated with me ever since. Dylan’s music has reflected an ever changing world without his ever needing to take to the stage to spell out his personal politics. I think his own silence on the matters has given his songs even more power.

Today, however, it feels like so many musicians, athletes, and actors can’t wait to tell us where they stand on every political issue. They tell their audience what they think about issues, who they support, and what their audience should do. I find it such a turn off.

I’m so glad Dylan didn’t stray down that path.

I don’t expect the politicians I support to sing and, I don’t want the music artists I listen to, to tell me how to think or vote!

For me music is about connection and reflection and not a call to action. Bob Dylan’s approach of letting the music speak for itself speaks volumes on its own. I think his music remains as powerful and relevant as ever because it’s not bogged down by his own politics.

PS: Yes, I know he got caught up in one very high-profile mess, but perhaps that is the exception that proves the rule!