The Black Republican

Bob Dylan is an icon of the 60's cultural revolution, the poet intellectual whose sometimes cryptic song lyrics seemed to lead the challenge to establishment views. But, even as he inspired so-many others; he was always his own man. When the folkies thought that he was theirs, he plugged in an electric guitar. When he was labeled a rocker he went religious. If the media or fans sought to define him within their terms he always gave an answer that left them confused while he continued on, as unpredictable as ever.

Jann Wenner got a taste of that the other day. Wenner is Rolling Stone magazine, and he made the mistake of believing that Mr. Dylan shared his, and Al Gore's, hysteria over the climate change.

The poet prophet of the 60s is being questioned by Rolling Stone founder Jann Wenner, and Dylan refuses to relive the old protest days.

"Do you think it's gloomy on the horizon," Wenner asks Dylan. "In what sense do you mean?" Dylan replies. "Bob, come on," Wenner says. "No, you come on. In what sense do you mean that?" Dylan demanded.

Bronson writes, Wenner tries again: "We seem to be hell-bent on destruction. Do you worry about global warming?" "Where's the global warming?" Dylan asks. "It's freezing here."

Beautiful, and classic Dylan, a man who thinks for himself. Wenner is just another lemming.

John Gibson put it well.

Dylan may have disappointed Jann Wenner and all of the old hippies who now drive a Prius and still like to lecture the rest of us. But for me, with that one exchange, he proved himself an intellectual hero all over again.

PS- By way of full disclosure, to the best of my knowledge I am not Dylan's Mr. Jones. :)