Greens’ Sarah Hanson-Young Calls For AFL To Cancel Snoop Dogg
Image: Senator Sarah Hanson-Young/Facebook; SnoopDogg/Instagram
Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young has joined in the call to cancel the Snoop Dogg performance slated for the AFL Grand Final.
In the Senate on Monday, Hanson-Young said that Snoop Dogg’s misogyny and homophobia should have ruled him ineligible for a performance, and argued the AFL should look towards homegrown talent for the mid-show entertainment.
“Why is it that the AFL is bringing in an international artist- a slur merchant- paying them $2 million, rather than backing Aussie talent?” she asked. “The AFL has decided for the grand final, rather than putting on an Australian artist, they’re going to pay Snoop Dogg $2 million to play at the Grand Final.
“The AFL is a cultural institution, and cultural institutions like this should be backing the rest of our cultural institutions. Our artists, our musicians, our music industry, right here at home.”
Hanson-Young also pointed out that while the AFL claim to be working hard to establish a culture of respect, it’s not something that appears to be reflected in its choice of entertainment.
The game is notorious for its deep-rooted homophobia, with players regularly called out for blatant acts of homophobia. Last week, Adelaide Crows forward Izak Rankine was issued a five game suspension over the use of a homophobic slur, although this was later downgraded to a four game suspension, allowing Rankine to participate in the Grand Final.
“The irony is not lost on many of us that while Izak Rankine gets dumped, Snoop Dogg gets $2 million to play his misogynistic, homophobic music on our turf,” Hanson-Young said.
“We need investment in Australian and Aussie talent. We need investment in our music industry, and we need to say that if it’s an Aussie game, it’s an Aussie artist playing.”
She concluded by urging the AFL to rethink their decision.
“Use last week’s outcry and outrage from the Australian community about homophobia and misogyny and dump Snoop Dogg and put in place an Aussie artist.”
Snoop: “I’m scared to go to the movies now”
The criticism around Snoop Dogg’s performance was compounded after comments he made last week on the It’s Giving podcast, while discussing a conversation he had with his grandson about a same-sex family in the Toy Story spin-off film Lightyear.
“I’m like oh shit, I didn’t come in for this shit, I just came to watch the goddamn movie,” he told the hosts.
Snoop claimed the exchange affected him so much, he no longer wanted to go to the movies for fear of being exposed to LGBTQIA+ culture that he might have to talk about.
“So that’s like this, fuck me. I’m scared to go to the movies now, like y’all throwing me in the middle of shit that I don’t have an answer for.”
“It threw me for a loop, I’m like, what part of the movie was this, these are kids that we have to show that at this age, like that?
“They’re going to ask questions, yeah. They’re going to ask, I don’t have the answer.”
In the wake of Rankine’s suspension, AFL CEO Andrew Dillon defended the decision to continue with Snoop Dogg’s performance, but has not issued comments in the wake of recent developments.
“We cannot vouch for every lyric, in every song, ever written or performed by any artist who has or will appear on our stage, Australian or international,” he said.
“But what I can say is our pre-match entertainment on grand final day will be family-friendly and consistent with the audience at the MCG and those watching the broadcast.”
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Of the 2 major football codes, AFL has been the only one I can enjoy watching (only a very big) sometimes. Those nice bums in flimsy shorts, can be a satisfying way to burn through a weekend afternoon! When & if any match is ever televised these days on free to air TV! It would be quite amusing to turn on this year’s GF for the overall puzzlement of most people’s unfamiliarity with a single word or note Snoopy is singing, even IF his name refers rings a tiny bell 🛎️ . In the same way many non hysterical fans would have struggled to accurately name ever member of KISS in the GF 2 years ago {I can almost guarantee 2 would have been consistently confused & mistaken}. One other hand most will have had no difficulty remembering KISS & knowing very well 2 of the 3 of THEIR signature anthems played! & spectators would have even been seen singing & rocking along, with a band or act that can be guaranteed, IF Nothing Else to get people roused & primed for the next couple of hours of over anxious nail biting thrill of the efforts your team has put in, so THE AFL fans can have the fleeting delight Their Team took home the big chocees until the next season rolls around! Is Snoopy someone that can be thought of with one notable song that can draw & unite a population of strangers together, like an AFL GF requires & demands? Couldn’t they have asked or tried for home grown big names & draw cards? Tina Arena, Anthony Callea, Bernard Fanning, Delta? Are they aware KYLIE is an Australian resident again (for a few years now) she definitely knows how to over excite a large crowd of people! What about the colossus Aussie overseas success story that is AC/DC?! They are even touring here in December. You can list 6 {*}of their perennials that can be heard blaring out on the music playlists at any AFL match long before any GF arrives. What a coup the real thing WOULD have been to perform a few live, for one hallowed occasion. *{“Long Way To The Top, Thunderstruck, Highway To Hell, Dirty Deeds, Back In Black, TNT”). Those are the kind of anthems people, appreciate being G’ed up on at either codes GF folks, just sayin’ “OI! OI! OI! OI!”. “Hells Bells!”, See everyone can follow that, and / or pick it up, in real time, real quick! Even if they swear it was for the 1st time!