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There were many inauguration balls last Monday, which is fairly standard. But given the bigly-sized ego of this particular baby-fisted president, I was surprised that he allowed one ball to proceed that wasn’t wholly and dictatorially focused on him. I’m talking about the Make America Healthy Again gala (I know, vomit), that feted Trump’s pick for the Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., along with 800 of RFK’s nearest and dearest. Cheryl Hines even came to support her worm-eaten brained, beached whale beheading, dead bear cub relocating, rumored dog and goat-eating husband. (What affair with a New York Magazine reporter?) Well, another guest at the bash was the surprise singer for the evening: Jewel. Apparently, Jewel’s fans doubted the singer’s good intuition in joining forces with the dark side the MAGA/MAHA front, so she posted a video on Instagram on Friday in which she explains her participation.
In a video posted to her verified Instagram, the “Who Will Save your Soul” singer started off by identifying herself as “a mental health advocate” and saying, “if there’s anything that I’ve learned in the past 20 years, it’s that mental health affects everybody’s lives, across party lines.”
Jewel went on to say, “I believe I can help, and if I believe I can help, I have to try. And if I wait to try until I agree 100 percent with the people that might be willing to help me, I’d never get off the bench. I don’t think that’s how activism works, waiting until everything’s perfect enough to participate. It’s actually because things are so imperfect that we have to find ways to engage and to participate.”
“We cannot wait another four years,” the Grammy nominee continued, in reference to Trump’s nascent second term. “I believe there are people in the new administration that are willing to help on this issue, and I dod not agree on all the politics, but if I can help shape policy, make sure mental health is in the conversation when it comes to American health, if I can help put resources or mental health tools into the hands of the most vulnerable who need it, I’m going to try, and I’m going to fight.”
She referenced the political polarization in the US post-election, “Half of our country feels hope right now, and I honor that,” while “half of our country feels disenfranchised and scared and vulnerable, and that is unacceptable.”
“I am so sorry that some of my longtime fans feel that I let them down,” Jewel said.
“I am so sorry that I caused pain, especially in my LGBTQIA+ community, because you guys are treasures,” she added. “You make the world a better place. You’ve made my life a better place. And I will not stop fighting. None of us can afford to stop fighting, and I really believe that the only way we change is in relationship. It isn’t in isolation or by isolating, it’s by being in relationship, by reaching out, by having hard conversations.”
I feel like I’m missing something, so let’s walk through this together please. Jewel is “a mental health advocate.” Great, the more the merrier (ideally). So she agreed to sing at the MAHA party because it’s health related, right? Even though RFK, Jr. has been more vocal about physical health issues like ensuring Americans are freed from vaccines, pasteurized milk, and seed oils… But ok sure, it’s all under the health umbrella. It’s the progression to “we cannot wait another four years,” that’s tripping me up. I must really be an idiot (don’t answer that!), because I would’ve thought that Jewel, or anyone, could champion mental health causes, still during this Voldemortian administration, without doing a gig for this administration. But clearly, the way Jewel lays it out, the only choice was to perform for the worm or she’s given up on mental health. I’m sure you can hear my eye roll through the interwebs. I’ll be honest, I couldn’t stomach watching her whole video. Her affect is so sanctimonious. But I did enjoy that she wrote “please be kind to one another in the comments.” From the comments I saw, people were kind to each other… just not so much to Jewel. I guess it’s not kind of me, but I can’t say that I mind the messes Carrie Underwood, Billy Ray Cyrus, and Jewel experienced as a result of performing at this inauguration.
PS — A Vogue reporter got to tour the MAHA ball before the dinner started, and the article included snaps of artwork that was up for auction of RFK, Jr. with various animals, and I’m DYING to know if the theme was “Animals RFK, Jr. has abused post-mortem.”
Pretentious garbage. How much was she paid?
Any word yet from her to the mental health of the inspectors general who were fired summarily in an overnight purge without cause, because tRump wants absolute control of multiple federal agencies? Or specifically to the Inspector General of the Health and Human Services Department?
Other performers have said that they didn’t get paid, their travel expenses are covered only. I don’t know if that applies to all performers but knowing Trump, that tracks.
The one hit wonder got paid and got attention. That’s the only reason she did it the rest of what she’s saying is gobbledygook. or if she didn’t get paid, she still got attention because she languishes in obscurity.
That apology did not help.
Didn’t help at all, indeed.
It’s possible to block an artist from being played on Spotify.
If you’re listening to a playlist, it sometimes adds songs by “recommended artists”, which are usually famous artists from the US regardless of whether or not you listen to a lot of American music, not Petra and Katarina with a good song they made in a Swedish garage.
To prevent any songs being played from those who performed at the inauguration, you can simplex block the artists when you’re on your phone.
I blocked all of them.
I have Apple Music, not Spotify, and I very seriously doubt I’ve ever been served up Billy Ray Cyrus, Kid Rock, Carrie Underwood, or Jewel based on my other music selections. But just in case, who else should I be thumbs down on if they show up in a ‘recommended’ type playlist?
I watched her video explanation and was disgusted by her condescending gaslighting. She so arrogant and full of herself. This administration has and will again contribute to mental health issues. This administration wants to strip away healthcare, monetize Medicaid, and take away social security. Let’s not forget how his Supreme Court has taken away abortion rights. I notice the didn’t share how she was getting funding for mental program from that administration. Quid pro quo strikes again. Disgusting fraud.
She’s also been maga for awhile. People have been unearthing receipts left and right. She may not call herself that but she’s been hanging out with these people for a few years at least.
I only know her artisy name, but can’t remember a single song of her.
Big attitude for what seems to be a C-lister to me.
I think Meant For You was her biggest song. I’m sure you’d recognize it if you heard it.
Who Will Save Your Soul and Hands are the other two I remember.
My parents were both crying last night. A bunch of folks were crying in my (very liberal) church yesterday morning. All because of politics.
It’s not “politics”; it’s real life.
bisynaptic, absolutely. My point was that politics is affecting the mental health of myself and others around me.
@Michaela
The only song of hers that I recall is called, “Who Will Save Your Soul” from sometime in the Ninties. Very ironic, I thought!
“The only way we change is in relationship.” That might be true of reasonable people, but the MAGA’s have proved over and over that they think their way is the only one and have shown that they plan to push it down people’s throats by executive order because they won by a bare margin because there are too many people in the US who think a woman can’t be president. There have been those who voted for DT saying they only voted because of the economy. That they don’t want the mass deportations or the pardoning of criminals. He told them plainly what he was going to do and took their votes as sanction. You can’t vote like all that matters in the world is your pocket. As the Bible DT doesn’t read says “love of money is the root of all evil.”
If you told me that RFK Jr was trying to make Jewel one of his mistresses I would believe you.
I saw that she’s being it linked with Kevin Costner.
Kevin was specifically asked about her and their relationship by Howard Stern and he was crystal clear, they are friends and have never been out together or on a date, ever. He figures that the rumour about a relationship started when they were part of a group of nine people that visited Necker Island, Richard Branson’s private island.
People love to bring mental health into it when they want to gaslight
Considering how much dealing with MAGA has damaged *my* mental health, she can fuck all the way off.
Another has been trying to be relevant by cozying up to these fascist monsters. You can call it whatever you want to, Jewel but you’re still a sympathizer. You’re still on the wrong side of history and people will remember.
I wish she had just said that she needed the money.
Her music is soooo boring. Is she even making music worth listening to? She recently starred in a couple of Hallmark movies. Not quite sure how she landed that gig as she’s not an actress. So, yea, she needs someone to pay attention to her and some platform that she can get paid on.
Heh. One doesn’t need acting talent for Hallmark movies–just great cheekbones and an eternally-winsome look. 😈
I think, she meant that she did them a favor, so she can ask them for a favor in return. She is either too stupid or she thinks we are, because we all know Trump doesn’t work like that.
Sort of reminds me of Jackie Evancho when she agreed to sign at trump’s inauguration last time. She agreed so he would have a meeting with her and she thought she could advocate for her transgender sister. At the time she was just a teen and naive. She did get a meeting with him but it didn’t really help. .
Let’s touch on one of the groups which she specifically mentioned: LGBTQIA+ people. The number of people in that community who struggle with mental health issues is astronomical. For trans people in particular, worldwide, AT LEAST 1/3 have, or will at some point, attempt suicide. The US currently fares somewhat better, relatively speaking, than much of the rest of the world (US numbers for attempts seem to vary, and are assumed to be underreported in any case, but I believe ideation is at least 50%); the statistics are obviously even more appalling in places where they are denied affirming healthcare. How fucking dare she condescend to them while carrying water for an administration that intends to implement such restrictions here. She can fuck all the way off with that vile bullshit.
All her “apology” tells me is she didn’t care enough about any of her vulnerable fans to turn down a gig from a guy who famously doesn’t even pay his bills.
Exactly, Miranda. I just find it so fucking insulting that she thinks she can just erase her actions by talking about how much she loves the LGBTQ community. “You guys make the world better” like wtf? You’re speaking about fully-formed, complex human beings, not rainbows and butterflies. It’s so patronizing.
Isn’t she Canadian? And isn’t Trump trying to annex Canada? Her mental health excuse is bad, but if she’s cozying up to a govt threatening her own country, I have no words for that stupidity.
No, I think she’s from Alaska.
She’s Alaskan. Her dad and brothers are on that Discovery channel show Alaska: The Last Frontier. (She’s also apparently appeared on the show)
She also went to a prestigious arts boarding school in Michigan (which I know about from one of her classmates). Maybe it’s all true that she was poor and homeless and was there on a scholarship but in any case she didn’t just live in a trailer. She had great opportunities that never seem to get mentioned in her PR narrative.
Alaskan residents actually get a government stipend for living there (isn’t it always funny that things like UBI only exist in red states?) because of how expensive it is, so I’d imagine her family might have been poorer but hardly on the streets. You literally can’t survive there, otherwise.
My Alaskan friends have said for years that the Kilcher family is wealthy and they didn’t buy her origin story.
Thanks for the help. Looks like I need to head to Wikipedia.
Mango has threatened to force the mentally ill into tent cities. Lort. What a stupid, broke c#nt.
Not Canadian. You must be thinking of someone else.
Jewel posting her excuse for doing something inexcusable happened *after* Felon47 and his maladministration’s goons pulled the US out of the WHO, pulled all kinds of health-related info from the official government sites *and* after the CDC was told it would no longer be reporting about minor inconveniences like the spread of bird flu on farms/in states/in humans or the percentage of COVID-19 infections per 100.000 citizens.
So… she’s part of the problem by apparently living in cloud cuckoo land when she could be telling her followers where they could find quality health information instead.
But yes, no self respecting Canadian would do this. Also, we need to talk about invading Canada, not annexing. Because that’s what it is with threatening to take over other countries. It’s like Putin saying he wants to “annex” Ukraine. In other words, we ought not use their framing.
I’ve been a fan of her since her first album. I even own her book of poetry. I don’t have many social media accounts but I went to hers, unfollowed, and told her why. Not that she’ll ever see it. But she needs to understand she’s on the wrong side of history.
You did the right thing.
She referenced the political polarization in the US post-election, “Half of our country feels hope right now, and I honor that,” while “half of our country feels disenfranchised and scared and vulnerable, and that is unacceptable.”
I am pretty sure there are also people on the Republican side who are feeling scared and vulnerable right now due to the policies this Republican government are enacting. She is unobservant to have not noticed this.
She got what she honors and what she finds unacceptable backwards.
🎯
Did she play her song “Pieces of You” for the crowd, because that song is about THEM.
I would just like to know how supportive you are of the LGBTQIA+ community when you choose to perform for this administration’s inaugural celebration, as this community is being targeted for annihilation by Trump’s agenda. I don’t know how anyone can try to justify doing so on the grounds of it being an opportunity to advocate on mental health issues.
Is she so tone death that she thinks being targeted & legislated against during Trump’s term in office is not going to cause intense fear and force people into “hiding” causing them & their families extreme mental distress?
She’s revealed herself to be a self-deluded idiot narcissist. There’s a lot of them around.
Why do so many “closet magaTs” feel the need to “explain?” They’re either grifting opportunists, or actually like what trump stands for. Once they’ve outed themselves there’s no turning back. They should either own it, or STFU.
#ETTD, #FAFO
So many words to say “I’m a vile person who only cares about herself.”
I’m sorry, who does she think she is? Does she think this administration is going to ask her for pointers to help shape policy or something? Girl, just admit you’re broke.
Who is this??? What a name lol, “Jewel”, really? What a gem
If you were in your teens/20s in the late 90s, you’d vaguely remember her. If you were not, you could easily be forgiven for scratching your head at this entire thing.
I have a friend who worked at a hotel in Boston many many years ago. She once told me a story of a woman who came to stay there because she was playing a local gig.
She said she had no idea who she was at the time but that she was by far the rudest person she ever encountered, making outlandish demands and acting very “don’t you know who I am??”
After she left the front desk her coworker said “omg that’s Jewel”.
Also, this from someone who attended her Hampton Beach show in 2004. She has a history of being a terrible person:
“People were literally walking out of the show,” she said. “As soon as she came out, she began to insult us. We thought she was joking at first because it was kind of weird.”
Witnesses said Jewel went on a tirade of insults from poking fun at fat people to others with no teeth. At one point, she asked the audience to yell requests and then told them to “shut the hell up.”
“I saw her live in Boston and it was the greatest show I’ve ever been to,” Dion said. “I don’t know if she was having a nervous breakdown or what. She told everyone to stop looking at her teeth and look at her breasts.”
Jewel was on stage for about an hour and played only four to five songs. Halfway through the show, Dion said Jewel began to talk about Zoloft and Paxil for about 10 minutes.
https://www.buffettnews.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=24351
She might have mental health issues but she’s also just a Grade A asshole.
I worked in a coffee shop where with Jewel played when she was up-and-coming. She was rude, entitled and one of the worst customers I ever served. So color me unsurprised by her MAGA/MAHA turn.
Given RFK Jr’s opinions on health in general I’m sure that he has great views on mental health.
Oh my days, it’s not a pick-n-mix selection at the local Bulk Barn! These are criminally cruel policies that affect just about every aspect of every person’s daily life, both nationally and globally. You can’t be of any help if you’re on stage yodelling for the enemy. It couldn’t be clearer; you’ve picked your team. At least have the nuts to be honest about it.
The hypocrisy is something else. See ya, Jewel. You’re full of bs.
I went and checked the comments. How are there so many maga blue checks? Nearly every blue check was maga. That says something (I’d expect it on twitter but not as much insta).
The magats are talking about tolerance. Mind boggles at the brain washing.
Jewel, Clarkson and other deluded souls are desperate to claim the “Aryan Princess Of The Fourth Reich” crown (since Taylor Swift said hell, no. 😂)