Dustin Lance Black is the director of the new series “Rock Out” about the gay influence in rock music. As much as you think you know, you’ll learn more, especially about Brian Epstein. The documentary is available to stream for free at revry.com starting on September 20th. Dustin Lance Black won an Oscar for his screenplay for “Milk,” created the miniseries “Under the Banner of Heaven” and was a writer on “Big Love.”

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dustin-lance-black/id1316200737?i=1000790335607

https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9ff4fb19-54d4-41ae-ae7a-8a6f8d3dafa8/episodes/7275ef35-7008-4748-9d02-7335d9fda2c3/the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-dustin-lance-black

1

This is a rights issue, not one of censorship.

The Geto Boys had a deal with Geffen Records, but once David Geffen became aware of the content of the act’s debut, which contained graphic, violent and sexually explicit lyrics, he decided not to put out the album and released the Geto Boys from their contract with the label. A matter of free speech? No, a matter of rights. Geffen didn’t say the Geto Boys couldn’t make music, couldn’t have it distributed, that it couldn’t be available in retail stores, he just didn’t want the music to come out on his label!

And Robert Kraft and his compatriots didn’t want Macklemore to perform in the stadiums they own/control. They did not say Macklemore couldn’t perform at all, couldn’t say what he wanted to, just that he was not going to be given a platform in their buildings.

So no censorship is involved.

As for the underlying issue of Judaism/Palestinian rights…

There’s history here. I point you to this article:

“Macklemore apologises for ‘Jewish caricature’ costume”:

https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-27483970

This was 2014. You may not remember, but I certainly do. I saw these pictures of Macklemore with a prosthetic hooked nose and fake beard and immediately saw a classic antisemitic trope, it’s over twelve years later and it’s still lodged in my brain, it’s the first thing I thought of when I heard about Macklemore’s performance at MetLife stadium. If you’re not Jewish, you may not recall, but if you are Jewish, you can never forget.

Antisemitism… It’s kind of like racism, if you’re white and Christian you may have never experienced it, but if you’re the party being attacked…

As for Jews… The stories are true, people ask us where our horns are. We killed Jesus, we are the enemy. Many people have never even encountered a Jew, but they have negative feelings about Jewish people.

Now I’ve got to ask you… If a performer stood up on stage at MetLife and spewed anti-Charlie Kirk hate, do you think everybody would have shrugged and moved on? No, all hell would have broken loose.

You see there’s a double standard here. Jews are an acceptable target, others no. If Jews kill a civilian in war it’s over the line, if non-Jews do this, people shrug.

So what did Macklemore actually do? He said much more than “Free Palestine.”

As for the lack of a huge negative reaction to his previously released song “Hind’s Hall,” which he performed on stage, it is anything but a hit, with not even a hundred thousand streams on Spotify, and that might sound like a lot, but that’s bupkes in reality. “Bupkes” or “bupkis,” there are alternative English spellings of this Yiddish word. But chutzpah, schlep, schmooze…these words are part of the regular English lexicon these days. Anyway, in a world where it’s hard to gain attention, who has even thought of Macklemore recently, the fact that everybody was not aware of this song is not a defense.

But it was more than “Free Palestine.” Macklemore praised the Columbia University protesters who occupied Hamilton Hall in 2024. This act and the lack of protection of Jewish Columbia students led to the president of the insitution losing their job. Do you remember those antisemitism hearings in Washington, D.C? Maybe not, but the issue was twofold…did Jewish students feel safe and would the demonstrations be allowed if in reverse? In other words, was there a double standard.

As for the images on screen at MetLife, let’s just say they depicted one side and not the other.

You can read the background/Macklemore’s history here:

Why was Macklemore removed from Ed Sheeran’s tour over his Israel remarks?

But to bottom line it, this was not a first instance situation, Macklemore has a history of antisemitic behavior. Furthermore, the message was far beyond “Free Palestine,” look at the images and the other words that were said.

2

Pink had a problem with Macklemore’s performance.

Did you see a lot of other Jewish entertainers also stand up?

No, not whatsoever, because they’re afraid.

Same deal with Jews inside the music industry.

Bottom line, if you don’t toe the agreed upon line, that Palestinians good/Israelis bad, the blowback will be deafening, and there will be a cost to your career. Whenever I address the issue, I lose subscribers. But most people in a similar position won’t even weigh in, for fear of loss to their career and livelihood. Want to talk about censorship? This is SELF-CENSORSHIP, what they call a “chilling effect” in Constitutional Law.

As for Ed Sheeran… If he could not foresee Macklemore making a statement on stage, then he is ignorant. Macklemore had a history of this, and he was opening your show. Everything is political these days, Ed Sheeran does not have an obligation to make a political statement, but he does have a duty to be informed.

As for the other acts who promptly left the bill… That is their right, but I’ve got to ask how informed they are, especially in a world where the “New York Times” reports:

“But Israelis still largely view themselves as the victims of Oct. 7.”

Wait a second, weren’t they attacked? And the paper of record is saying this?

This is a huge story online, but what are the odds that Finneas and the rest of the people who left the Sheeran tour are aware of this?

As for those who actually read the “Times”…

3

Now the nature of the algorithm is it shows you more of what you’ve already seen and liked. This is less of a case on TikTok, but it’s especially true on X and Facebook/Instagram.

Such that yesterday my X feed was filled with posts from people about the Macklemore situation, almost all of them on one side, in solidarity with Robert Kraft.

Now all the comments to these posts weren’t in agreement, but I wondered, were these the tweets others were seeing?

One of the first tweets that came across in my feed (the “For you” feed to be exact, the algorithmic one), was by this woman Eden Cohen, who posts at @edencohentweets:

“I don’t know the first thing about Ed Sheeran besides the fact that he hired a really talented friend of mine to open for him after that friend faced a terrible family tragedy. So I always assumed he was a stand up guy. ?
“With the exception of Finneas and Lukas Graham, the openers who canceled (and even his band) aren’t artists with mainstream careers. And even Finneas doesn’t have remotely the same profile as a solo artist. For all of them, opening for Ed in stadiums was an extraordinary platform.?
“And they canceled for what? To stand in solidarity with a guy with a history of disgusting antisemitic performances who has turned the Israel / Palestinian conflict into performative political theater??
“This is so basic but something none of these jokers get: it is possible to care about a resolution to the conflict without endorsing antisemitism. You can advocate for Palestinians without demonizing Jews or Israel.?
“‘Free Palestine’ has become a shield for behavior that would be recognized as blatantly antisemitic if it were directed at almost any other minority.?
“People can say they’re criticizing a government while making sweeping statements about Jews. They celebrate or excuse people who glorify violence against Jews. They erase Jewish history, deny Jewish connection to Israel, apply standards to Israel that they don’t apply anywhere else, and repeat conspiratorial tropes about Jews, all while insisting that none of it is antisemitic because they’re apparently just ‘advocating for Palestinians.’?
“That isn’t solidarity with Palestinians. It is using Palestinians as a pretext for hostility toward Jews. And it hasn’t helped Palestinians, it isn’t helping Palestinians, and it won’t help Palestinians.”

Do I think the foregoing will convince you, sway you from your opinion that the oppressed Palestinians are good and the oppressor Israelis are bad?

I highly doubt it. But if you’re a Jew, Eden Cohen’s post resonates.

But it’s hard to get your message heard when there’s a tsunami of statements from the other side.

4

And then we have the vilified Robert Kraft’s statement:

“Gillette Stadium has a longstanding commitment to providing a welcoming environment for all guests and ensuring that events held at our venue do not provide a platform for hate speech. Based on Macklemore’s recent actions, material shared from the stage during Ed Sheeran’s shows in New Jersey, and a broader history of antisemitic rhetoric and imagery that we believe has been deeply offensive and hurtful to the Jewish community, we determined that his participation in the September 25th and 26th concerts at Gillette Stadium would cross that line.

“This decision is not about diminishing the suffering of innocent Palestinians or denying anyone the right to advocate on their behalf. Their pain and loss are real. But that advocacy should not come at the expense of the Jewish community or obscure the responsibility of Hamas, a United States and globally (including Canada, European Union, United Kingdom, and Japan) designated terrorist organization whose horrific actions have caused immeasurable suffering for Palestinians and Israelis alike. I agree with Macklemore. Too many lives have been lost and there has been too much suffering, but only sharing selective information and ignoring the actions of Hamas is not honest and only advances more divisiveness and hate. ”

“Over many decades, I have directed resources to Palestine and created athletic and entrepreneurial opportunities for Palestinians who I admire and respect. Standing with the Palestinian people and standing against Hamas, antisemitism and hate should not be mutually exclusive.

“Much of my time and attention for the last decade has been focused on the fight against antisemitism and hate of all kinds, and I feel a responsibility to stand up when I believe that line has been crossed. I have tremendous respect for Ed and his music, particularly his unique ability to bring people together and spread joy, and I have always been proud to welcome him and his fans to Gillette Stadium.

“I would welcome the opportunity to sit down with Macklemore and discuss the facts, because ultimately our goal is the same – peace for all people, an end to suffering, and an end to all hate.”

Are those fighting words?

Doesn’t seem so to me. They seem reasonable, they invite dialogue, but rather than sit down at the table, Macklemore made a million dollar donation to Palestinian relieft and challenged Kraft to do so, which Kraft promptly did.

What does this remind us of most?

The history of Isaeli/Palestinian conflict. The Palestinians say they want peace, but then keep attacking Israel. And the Palestinians have consistently denied a two state solution, saying they want all of the Israeli land. How can you come to an agreement with these people?

Then again, Macklemore has never impressed me as a mental giant. Then again, maybe he just has a rigid opinion on this issue. As a result should Robert Kraft be obligated to amplify it under his aegis, do Jews who want to enjoy Ed Sheeran’s music live have to endure it?

5

Makes a great headline. Billionaiares silence poor artist.

But once you get into the details, you can see it’s much more complicated.

We Jews want just what the rest of you do, to live in peace and harmony, to be able to pursue our lives without undue interference.

Israel was attacked on October 7th.

I’m not going to to through the history of the conflict, never mind the history of Jews in Palestine for millennia, never mind the last seventy five years of the state of Israel. All I ask of you is to dive a bit deeper before you render a statement that you’re so sure of.

There is debate to be had on the Israeli/Palestinian issue. That’s not what Macklemore is auguring for.

As a matter of fact, seems like most of the world has Macklemore’s viewpoint. Right or wong, how do you think most Jews feel?

So freaked out that they don’t dare react for fear of hatred being rained down upon them.

Talk about free speech…

I had no idea it was a Temptations song.

I’m not quite sure if I thought the Peter Tosh take with Mick Jagger was an original composition, but that’s the one that rings in my head when I hear these words (when I don’t think of the movie…oops, research tells me the name of that classic Nicolas Roeg film with Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie was “Don’t Look Now,” that’s right). Actually, the Tosh take was a greater commercial success than the original, which only made it to number 83 on the Hot 100, then again, Tosh titled it “(You Gotta Walk) Don’t Look Back.” And when Buddy Miller was talking about doing a cover of the Temptations song “Don’t Look Back” it was the Tosh record played in my head, but I didn’t expect it to be the same song.

I came upon this Buddy Miller interview after returning from one of my umpteen eye appointments. The radio was set to Outlaw Country. I’m trying to break my news habit…actually, I’ve been listening to Morgan Wallen’s station on the satellite…they even played Rüfüs Du Sol, really! The stations in that vicinity are the best, I also listen to Chris Stapleton and Chesney’s No Shoes Radio.

Now they were in the middle of conversing as I was exiting the parking lot. I didn’t know if this was an interview, long-form promoting a new album, or just an interstitial bit, but…Buddy started talking about Dan Penn and that piqued my interest, so I stayed on the station.

Now I first became aware of Buddy when he was playing with his wife, Julie. And then he had that heart attack, resulting in triple bypass surgery, don’t know why that sticks with me, but whenever I hear his name…

And Buddy’s a great guitarist, very talented, and when he started out the world was separated into winners and losers, but not anymore. Sure, there’s a hit parade, but those songs reach fewer people than ever, and if you’re a journeyman (woman) you can have higher status than people like this have ever had, you see people are no longer judging you on your chart numbers, but your music alone. Funny how the business has lost control of the business, the record labels are off to the left, in their own world. They used to be the dominant force in music, now it’s the acts themselves. You have a direct connection with your fans which is cemented online and live. The intermediaries, the gatekeepers, mean less than ever before.

And the readout says “Don’t Look Back” with both Miller and Penn’s names, and now I’m confused. I thought Buddy was just referencing Penn and his talents.

And then the song started to play, and lo and behold, it was the Peter Tosh song! Which of course I now knew was originally a Temptations song. And I’m listening…

Everybody does covers these days. It’s seen as a way to get attention, traction, it’s so hard to do this with originals. And I’m not expecting much, but…

I mean the guitar intro gave me no tip that it was the same song, but then Buddy started to sing.

But it was like he was on that porch in “Deliverance,” but without an audience.

And then comes a fiddle, and the song starts to saunter, and there’s a female chorus, and then the second verse begins and the vocal duties have been handed off to Dan Penn, and then the both of them sing the chorus and then the rhythm becomes more emphatic.

This is not a rote rendition, using someone else’s arrangement, sure, it’s a well-known song, but this is a somewhat unique spin, not quite a Joe Cocker version, but you’re not listening thinking you just want to hear the original.

And as soon as I got home, the first thing I did was go to Spotify to see if this version had been released already, or I had to scrounge for a live take on Spotify or if it was one and done, floating into the ether forevermore.

Now it turns out “Don’t Look Back” is part of an album, just released on Friday, not that I was aware of it, not that almost anybody was aware of it. How do I know? It’s not even listed on Buddy’s Wikipedia page! So either Buddy’s fans are unaware or they’re not rabid enough to do the update or maybe it’s just another case of a musician not knowing that they’re their own promotion team these days, and that your social media presence and your mailing list are key to sustaining your career…if you’re depending on your label, you’re depending on vapor in most cases.

Actually, I read this article in today’s “Los Angeles Times”:

“He sold out a DJ set in a California state park: Here’s how Chris Lake made it happen”:

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2026-09-08/heres-how-dj-chris-lake-financed-his-biggest-la-show-to-date

I had no idea who Chris Lake was, but obviously a segment of the public does, because he played two nights in L.A. and sold 40,000 tickets, and much of the Spotify Top 50 is unable to do that.

And he’s his own label. He’s doing his own promotion. He focuses on the live show. Read the article. You may think “EDM” is different, but it’s not… In a live concert world it’s about a bond with your audience, selling an experience. Concerts triumph in a digital world, a live show is one and done, you were either there or you were not, it’s never to be repeated, like a recording.

Now I played another track on Buddy’s album, but really I wanted to hear the Temptations original from 1965.

Yup, it’s the same song, but it sounds Motownified, unlike the Peter Tosh/Mick Jagger remake, with its reggae beat.

In any event, it’s a great song. Check it out.

It’s not quite as good as previous seasons…

But that does not mean it’s not a must-see.

Either you’re a fan of “Fauda” or it’s lying in wait for your discovery. There’s something visceral and honest in it that you don’t find in American series. Maybe it’s the characters themselves…they’re willing to die for the cause, and you really believe it.

Having said that, Lior Raz as Doron is a macho yet sensitive superstar eclipsing anybody in the English speaking realm. It’s funny, he’s not tall, and he’s not handsome, but he radiates intensity, belief, he’s willing to go all the way whilst continually looking out for his buddies.

You see they’re all in it together, which is a far cry from our world, where it’s about being a solo superstar. The show would not work with Doron alone, it needs all the players, at least the ones who returned for these episodes.

You see “Fauda” was done, history, wrapped up…

And then came October 7th.

Now if you’re tuned into Hollywood, you know that the biggest issue today is the Paramount/Warner Bros. Discovery merger. If only these actors were as passionate about external affairs, those that didn’t affect them directly.

Oh, but they are! They’re pro-Palestine. Not all of them, but beware of not taking the party line.

Then there’s the creator of “Fauda”:

“‘Fauda’ Creator Calls Mark Ruffalo a ‘Rare Combination’ of ‘Stupid’ and ‘Ignorant’ After his Viral Statement on Paramount: ‘Do you Understand What It Means, “Genocide”?'”

https://variety.com/2026/politics/global/fauda-creator-mark-ruffalo-genocide-remarks-1236851588/

Now irrelevant of the content, it’s the attitude that strikes you in Avi Issacharoff’s words. He’s not going to get down into the gutter, he’s got more pressing issues to address, but he’s got to weigh in as the correction factor. You sense this, whether you agree with his words or not, but here are some of his words:

“‘Do you understand what it means “genocide”? Do you, as a lead actor in Hollywood, understand that when Israel allows every day 600 trucks of food and supply to go into Gaza, they are not intending or planning to kill the people of Palestine? Do you understand if more people were born during the war in Gaza than died, so no one was trying to eliminate those people and the only ones that were trying to commit genocide were Hamas people? And that guy and many other people don’t get it.'”

You may disagree. But the truth is so many opining about Gaza and Israel are unaware of the facts. Just go on social media to see. TikTok is riddled with protesters being asked about “From the river to the sea.” They’ve got no idea which river and they certainly don’t know that the phrase means the total elimination of Israel.

However, there are those that believe Israel is in the wrong, under the Oppressor/Oppressed doctrine. Since Israel is rich and Gaza is not, Israel is at fault. This is the prevalent theory on college campuses… I’d like you to explain that to me.

And no matter what anybody says, they can’t put a dent in this thinking. And if you think this has nothing to do with music, just look at the Macklemore situation. Funny how Robert Kraft has more cojones than anybody in the business, who can’t see that Macklemore was over the line here… Hell, let’s send him to Gaza for a week, even a day, then see what he has to say.

And there is major media blowback, Bill Maher went on record on Friday during his “New Rules” segment:

Now let me be clear, don’t get your knickers in a twist, I’m not trying to convince you to change your opinion here, all I’m saying is “Fauda” is number one in Lebanon.

HUH? How do you explain that?

And it’s fourth in Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar; sixth in Bahrain and Morocco: seventh in Oman; eighth in Kuwait; and tenth in Egypt.

But not in the top ten in the U.S. The people that the pro-Palestinian Americans are in support of, they’re tuning in… This is like with Latinx… Woke whites like the term, but Latin people hate it and don’t want to use it!

Now first and foremost “Fauda” is good television, irrelevant of your political views. And believable in a way no American stuff ever is. There’s a sheen in American productions, war may have a ton of special effects, but it very rarely resonates.

But there’s a warning before episode 7 of this 11 episode arc stating that you may not be able to handle what’s coming in episodes 7 &8, and you can skip ahead to episode 9 and not lose the thread of the story.

I was taken aback. I mean how bad can it be?

Not as bad as that movie I saw about the music festival Hamas attacked. I won’t say the depiction of October 7th in “Fauda” is tame, but it’s astounding how all over the world people are testifying that they had NO IDEA!

Not hard to believe in a world where even the “New York Times” is biased:

“New York Times’ reporting displayed ‘deep and systematic’ bias against Israel after October 7, study claims The study claims the paper paid extensive attention to the suffering of Gaza’s population while largely overlooking Israeli casualties and acts of Palestinian violence”

https://www.thejc.com/news/world/new-york-times-systematic-bias-against-israel-jrbwcf52

That’s from a Yale professor, by the way.

But, once again, I’m not here to argue the issues, I’m here to write about a Netflix TV series. Will you not watch it because of your political viewpoint?

And if you do watch it…

How would you feel if a family member was slain, on either side of the political fence. Is life really worth living when you’re the last person standing?

This season of “Fauda” is not a cartoon. It may be fiction, but it’s totally true. One side is focused on mass destruction, the other is trying to defend against it. How far is each side willing to go?

This is what we’re looking for in our artistic productions, fantasy might seem appealing, but there’s nothing like reality. “Fauda” starts off a bit slow, but it gradually becomes more and more intense… Less humorous and more serious than previous seasons, with less action, but with more at stake.

Is this the best way to reach people on this issue, a TV series?

Watch it and get back to me.