The LIPA Affair (not that kind of affair)

I LOVE LIPA. (not that way)

I think he's very talented. and he is fresh stuff, after all the old, typical Jewish songs (low part, low part, high part, high part, some fancy music, yay, its a song!)
He's FUN! and Geshmak! and you have to smile when you see him in action on his little videos. He is full of lebidigness and Simchas Hachaim, something we can all use.
In addition every single one of his songs has a POSITIVE message and if you listen to the lyrics, they are full of yiras shomayim and beauty of yiddishkeit.

I have two teenage sons, and believe me, with all the stuff out there (even in the Judaic stores) I am very happy when they listen to Lipa.

The article about the concert ban, and Lipa pulling out, on yeshivaworld.com garnered 330 comments last I checked. most praising him for backing out. I respect him, but tuchis oifen tish - what kind of choice did he have? If he didnt his career would be ruined, he'd be an oisvarf.
Despite being strongarmed and basically blackmailed, he was very gracious about it in the message he gave on that website.

And what do people have against him, and what was the reason for the ban? I still havent heard one good one, and I read thru alot of the comments and articles.
This upsets me. Not because I am personally affected, cuz I cant afford these concerts, so I never go anyway.
1- people think he's a little over the top, and to that I say - GO LIPA! and everyone else take a chill pill. Its time to stop taking ourselves so seriously.

2- people have a problem with him using goyish tunes.
so, why hit on him? this is nothing new. MBD has done it, and Country Yossie- all his songs were originally goyish songs.and many others as well. ABI MELEIBT is great - and it's a really old song that was pretty kosher when it started out, not like one of today's trashy songs. So why hassle HIM?
Show me one kid whose yidishkeit has been damaged by Lipa. I dont think that kid exists.

I think that banning a concert so close to the date,without even trying to negotiate with the organizers ( who, according to what I read, were trying to make it a very kosher event - sep. seating only, no intermission, etc.)
sounds really fishy. According to what I read they didnt know about the ban until it was published in the paper, when everyone else found out. It sounds as though they were judged without having a chance to present their side of the story- which is just WRONG.

I dont know who signed this ban, cuz I never saw it.

All I can say, is that I hope that there is some reason that they have for doing this that they are privy to, that I dont know about. Because the reasons I mentioned above seem very flimsy for such drastic action.

Maybe (hopefully) there are some rabbanim out there who listen to both sides of the story before making a psak, and maybe (hopefully) there are some rabanim who look into the story themselves and are not making a psak based on the rantings of some fanatic with an agenda, or some warped rebetzin with misinformation.

Finally, there is the issue of banning stuff constantly, and taking away kosher outlets for kids. Eventually, there will be nothing left for kids to do,and they will be forced to hang out in the woods of the Catskills, drugging and doing who knows what with Bais Yakov girls.