Rolling Stone Founder Faces Backlash For Bigoted Remarks, Ousted From Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

In an interview with The New York Times, Rolling Stone founder and co-founder of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Jann Wenner, used the word “articulate” in reference to Black and female artists. He used the term to justify why his new memoir, “The Masters,” a collection of interviews he’s conducted over the years, only featured white men. During The New York Times interview, Wenner was asked why he didn’t interview women or Black musicians. “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,” he told The Times. The list of artists he’s interviewed included Bruce Springsteen, Bono, Pete Townshend, John Lennon, Mick Jagger, Bob Dylan, and Jerry Garcia–all white men. “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 said, and added, “I mean, look at what Pete Townshend was writing about,...