Today's Scripture Reading (June 29, 2026): Jeremiah 8
In the late
1970s and early 80s, the United Kingdom was experiencing tough economic times.
Unemployment nationwide was higher than anyone had thought possible. The
pessimists were foretelling the end of civilization. Unemployment for those
under the age of twenty-five had reached fifty percent. Half of the young
people in the Kingdom could not find a job. There was no way forward, no way to
survive as a nation, at least, in the opinion of some.
It was a
moment in time that was perfectly suited to a revolutionary movement. And that
revolution, as seemed appropriate for the times, came on television. The
revolution was unveiled on the Today Show, a regional magazine program that aired
on Thames Television, part of the ITV network. Today Show host, Bill Grundy,
had prepared for musical guests "Queen" on that December morning of
1976. But disaster struck in the form of a toothache. Freddy Mercury, Queen's
frontman, had developed a severe toothache, and it was so bad that the singer
decided he had to make his first visit to a dentist in 15 years. (Apparently,
Mercury liked dentists about as much as I do, no insult intended for all the
great dentists out there.) As a result, "Today" producers had to find
a replacement quickly. On that December morning, Queen's replacement came in
the form of "The Sex Pistols." The Sex Pistols' only studio album,
"Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols," wouldn't be
released for almost another year, and at the time of the interview, they
weren't even recording yet. The band couldn't get a concert. And Sid Vicious,
who would become the poster boy for the punk rock movement, wasn't yet a part
of the band. But that didn't stop the Grundy interview from blowing up.
First, it
didn't really seem that Grundy had any interest in interviewing the band. The
interview itself has become famous for the foul language used by "The Sex
Pistols" during the broadcast. However, a rewatch of the video shows
Grundy egging on the band, which consisted of a bunch of teenagers. At one
point, Johnny Rotten swears under his breath, and Grundy asks what he said, to
which Rotten replies, "A rude word, next question." But Grundy
demands that Rotten say the word. From there, Grundy tells the band to say
something worse, and the band, eventually, obliges.
It is a
moment where the band shows that they know what is acceptable and what is not.
And they try to do the acceptable, even in the face of the inane. But that is
not what Bill Grundy wanted. Bill Grundy wanted the uncontrolled rebellion of
youth. It was a moment that cemented the reputation of "The Sex Pistols."
If we are looking to blame someone for the interview, I would suggest that the
blame should not be directed at John Lydon's (Johnny Rotten) teenage band.
God looks at
the people of Judah and says that they don't even recognize the wrong that they
have done. And so, they pursue their interests like a warhorse charging into
battle. It might be tempting to say that was exactly what took place on that
December morning in 1976. But much as I would place the blame on Grundy for
winding a bunch of teenagers up who at least tried to act appropriately, it was
the false prophets who wound up the people of Jerusalem and Judah during
Jeremiah's time. The people might have listened if they had been given the
chance, but instead, the false prophets told them that nothing was wrong and
sent them into exile, their religious deception still tickling their ears.
Tomorrow's
Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 9
No comments:
Post a Comment