Rolling Stone Condemns Comments From Founder Jann Wenner About Black and Women Artists
By: Ken Meyer (Mediaite)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Rolling Stone issued a statement condemning remarks from the iconic music magazine's founder, Jann Wenner, comments that prompted his removal from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's board of directors.
"Jann Wenner's recent statements to the New York Times do not represent the values and practices of today's Rolling Stone," the magazine wrote in a statement.
"Jann Wenner has not been directly involved in our operations since 2019," the statement continued. "Our purpose, especially since his departure, has been to tell stories that reflect the diversity of voices and experiences that shape our world. At Rolling Stone's core is the understanding that music above all can bring us together, not divide us."
Our statement on Jann Wenner's recent comments. pic.twitter.com/dL7lMSTP3k
— Rolling Stone (@RollingStone) September 18, 2023
Aside from co-founding the Hall of Fame, Wenner co-founded Rolling Stone in 1967, and he was the magazine's leading editor until he stepped down in 2019 months after it was acquired by Penske Media Corporation.
Wenner sparked outrage with comments in an interview he gave to The New York Times about his upcoming book The Masters, which features conversations with Jerry Garcia, Mick Jagger and other prominent rock icons over the years — all of whom are white men.
When asked why he didn't include any interviews with women or Black artists, Wenner described women as not "articulate enough on this intellectual level" to meet his definition of "philosophers of rock."
"It's not that they're inarticulate, although, go have a deep conversation with Grace Slick or Janis Joplin. Please, be my guest. You know, Joni [Mitchell] was not a philosopher of rock 'n' roll. She didn't, in my mind, meet that test," said Wenner. "Of Black artists — you know, Stevie Wonder, genius, right? I suppose when you use a word as broad as 'masters,' the fault is using that word. Maybe Marvin Gaye, or Curtis Mayfield? I mean, they just didn't articulate at that level."
Wenner was booted from the board of the Rock Hall of Fame in the wake of those comments. Wenner released a statement through his publisher, Little, Brown and Company, admitting he "diminished the contributions, genius and impact of Black and women artists and I apologize wholeheartedly for those remarks."
"I totally understand the inflammatory nature and badly chosen words and deeply apologize and accept the consequences," he said.
Semafor's Max Tanireported Monday that current Rolling Stone editor Noah Shachtman addressed Wenner's comments to the staff of the magazine internally, saying they do not represent their "values."
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What? Rolling Stone doesnt care about his freedom of speech? /s.
I saw an interview with Wenner where he said that Joni Mitchell was not a deep thinker, and said the same about Stevie Wonder.
Like Mick Jagger and Pete Townshend are?
Another old man that damaged his "legacy".
As I believe you know, I knew Joni personally from her first day in Toronto in 1964 when she was Joni Anderson, and IMO she is a hell of a lot deeper thinker than Jann Wenner thinks he is.
Pete Townshend is a deep thinker. Think of the songs he wrote.
Mick Jagger? Not a deep thinker
Liberals always eat their own.
Thought crime Is a constantly moving target
Are they taking away his money? His houses?
Criticism is not censoring.
They removed him from the board.
Someone who makes that kind of ludicrous comment, on the record no less, is asking for trouble.
Rolling Stone co-founder Jann Wenner apologises after claiming Black and female artists aren’t ‘articulate’ enough for his book
Jann Wenner, the co-founder of US music publication Rolling Stone , has issued an apology following controversial comments he made about Black and female musicians not being “articulate” enough to be featured in his new book.
In an interview with The New York Times published on Friday (15 September), in which he discussed his new interview collection The Masters , Wenner said he didn’t include interviews with Black and female musicians because they are not “articulate” enough.
On Saturday, following a backlash to his comments, Wenner apologised “wholeheartedly”.
“In my interview with The New York Times, I made comments that diminished the contributions, genius, and impact of Black and women artists and I apologise wholeheartedly for those remarks,” he said.
“ The Masters is a collection of interviews I’ve done over the years that seemed to me to best represent an idea of rock ‘n’ roll’s impact on my world; they were not meant to represent the whole of music and it’s diverse and important originators but to reflect the high points of my career and interviews I felt illustrated the breadth and experience in that career.
“They don’t reflect my appreciation and admiration for myriad totemic, world-changing artists whose music and ideas I revere and will celebrate and promote as long as I live. I totally understand the inflammatory nature of badly chosen words and deeply apologise and accept the consequences.”
The Masters features historic interviews with rock musicians such as Bono , Mick Jagger , John Lennon and Bruce Springsteen .
When asked in the Times interview how he had chosen who to feature, Wenner replied: “It was kind of intuitive over the years; it just fell together that way. The people had to meet a couple criteria, but it was just kind of my personal interest and love of them. Insofar as the women, just none of them were as articulate enough on this intellectual level.”
When the interviewer, David Marchese, challenged this claim by citing Joni Mitchell , Wenner said: “It’s not that they’re not creative geniuses. It’s not that they’re inarticulate, although, go have a deep conversation with Grace Slick or Janis Joplin. Please, be my guest.
“You know, Joni was not a philosopher of rock ’n’ roll. She didn’t, in my mind, meet that test. Not by her work, not by other interviews she did. The people I interviewed were the kind of philosophers of rock.
“Of Black artists – you know, Stevie Wonder, genius, right? I suppose when you use a word as broad as ‘masters’, the fault is using that word. Maybe Marvin Gaye, or Curtis Mayfield? I mean, they just didn’t articulate at that level.”
Who knew, Jann Wenner, the co-founder of US music publication Rolling Stone, is MAGA.
Wenner defended publishing a rape hoax as good journalism and gets punished for this.