The journalists at CBS are obsessing over musicians who are angry at Donald Trump’s use of their music. Evening News anchor Scott Pelley on Tuesday combined this with the alleged plagiarism of Melania Trump, chiding, “Borrowed words are controversial and borrowed music, too.”
Reporter Jim Axelrod intoned, “The Rolling Stones, Adele and Michael Stipe have all voiced their displeasure at Trump using their songs.” The reporter quoted a tweet from tennis star Martina Navratilova (not a singer): “The moment Trump made Freddie Mercury roll over in his grave,’ was one tweet, referencing the contradiction that a nominee of party whose platform anti-same-sex marriage would choose a song written and sung by a gay man who died from AIDS.”
Returning to the mockery of anchor Pelley, Axelrod closed by joking, “But on a night that raised the issue of unauthorized use... the Trump campaign's choice of music made for the perfect soundtrack.”
On July 17, 2015, CBS This Morning reporters warned that Republicans are “in trouble with artists” for using their music. On June 29, 2016, the journalists at Good Morning America whined about Republicans using the songs of singers who don’t agree with them.
A transcript is below:
CBS TM
7/19/16
6:57:10 to 6:59:05
1 minute and 55 secondsSCOTT PELLEY: Borrowed words are controversial and borrowed music, too. Here's Jim Axelrod. [Audio of We Are the Champions.]
JIM AXELROD: Love him or hate him, you have got to admit, the guy knows how to make an entrance. But it wasn't the sight of Donald Trump that set the Twittersphere on fire last night as much as the sound that accompanied him. “The moment Trump made Freddie Mercury roll over in his grave,” was one tweet, referencing the contradiction that a nominee of party whose platform anti-same-sex marriage would choose a song written and sung by a gay man who died from AIDS. Irony not lost on Freddie Mercury's pals like Sting.
UNIDENTIFIED: Do you think Freddie Mercury would approve?
STING: No.
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AXELROD: As for Queen, their message was simple, "An unauthorized use at the Republican convention against our wishes." The second time in two months they've made it clear they don't want Trump using their music and asked him not to. While the song's use was probably legal, says music and film lawyer Marc Jacobson, that doesn't make it right.
MARC JACOBSON: That Trump didn't follow that request, to me as a lawyer is offensive. It's not illegal, but it's offensive.[Audio of You Can’t Always Get What You Want]
AXELROD: The Rolling Stones, Adele and Michael Stipe have all voiced their displeasure at Trump using their songs, but on a night that raised the issue of unauthorized use —
MELANIA TRUMP: That your work is your bond.
AXELROD: — the Trump campaign's choice of music made for the perfect soundtrack. Jim Axelrod, CBS news, New York.
