Everyone was abuzz Tuesday morning about Michelle Obama’s keynote speech from the first night of the 2020 Democratic Convention, but what many people missed is what happened when the cameras cut away from her emotional rebuke of the sitting President.
Most networks went straight to their own talking heads for insight and analysis but in doing so deprived millions of viewers at home of this brilliant piece of performance art from Emmy Award winning actor Billy Porter. It had to be hard to follow up Obama’s speech, but Porter rose to the occasion with his rendition of Buffalo Springfield’s 60’s protest anthem “For What It’s Worth.”
If you missed the performance, it is my absolute delight to bring it to your attention now.
Accompanied by guitarist Stephen Stills, who wrote the song in response to the Sunset Strip crew riots of 1966, Porter stood in front of green screen that flashed images from today’s Black Lives Matter protests.
Decidedly and deliberately low tech, the number can really only be described as art, because like all good art, it really makes the viewer pause and wonder what the heck is going on.
Wearing a long, black vest with tails that he used to great affect, Porter’s stylized performance was over the top and the exact opposite of everything the DNC had done for the past two hours. There was nothing flashy about it, nothing that looked slick and over produced, which was the point. It had the feel of a cheap, 90’s home movie made in someone’s basement, which at least made it feel emotional and authentic.
He sang and danced while images of protests, NBA athletes kneeling and an inverted American flag flashed behind him. Like Porter himself, there’s nothing subtle about this performance and it’s designed to hold your attention (it literally features a giant screen with the word STOP written on it). It was easy to tune out much of the ideologues from last night, but it was not easy too look away from Porter and Stills.
Regardless of your political leanings —whether you’re a Republican or a Democrat or Libertarian or plan to vote for Kanye —Porter’s total and absolute weirdness should be embraced. Everyone wants slick, pre-produced messages that don’t actually say anything. Always wiling to go against the grain, Porter’s message was joyous, powerful and impossible to ignore.