MUSE Benefit Snubbed

One of the purposes of the MUSE concert at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, Calif., Aug. 7, in addition to rallying support to end nuclear energy once and for all, was to raise money for the victims of the Japan earthquake and tsunami of March 11.

The connection was relevant since the disaster caused enormous damage to the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear reactor, which continues to release radiation and has led to the evacuation of thousands of residents.

This benefit component – not to mention the appearances of stars like Jackson Browne, Crosby, Stills & Nash, and Jason Mraz – should have assured major coverage of the concert in Japan, but except for a few diehard fans and anti-nuclear activists tweeting about the live Internet feed, it received no notice at all.

The lack of coverage is because nuclear energy remains official state policy, even if the prime minister himself and a good portion of the public believe it should be phased out eventually.

In recent weeks, any show-business celebrity speaking out against nuclear energy in Japan has either been locked out of the media or forced to recant the opinions.

One popular actor, in fact, was pulled from a TV series and dropped by his talent agency, which means his career is effectively over.

It’s not as if the show business establishment is a strong supporter of nuclear energy. It has more to do with the unspoken proscription against making stances that can be deemed political and, therefore, divisive.