Elvis Costello and George Allen and Mel Gibson

Just watching the Bill Maher show with Chris Hitchens. Interviewing Elvis Costello -- one of my favorite artists, until Spike, leastaways -- Maher flattered Costello by saying he'd never had a scandal, never done anything stupid.

Costello said, basically, "Well that's not really true, but it's nice of you to say that."

It wasn't really true. Costello had stepped in it big-time in 1979.

His success in the US was severely bruised when, during a drunken argument with Stephen Stills and Bonnie Bramlett in a Columbus, Ohio Holiday Inn hotel bar, Costello referred to James Brown as a "jive-ass nigger", then upped the ante by pronouncing Ray Charles a "blind, ignorant nigger".

Bramlett and friends had evidently been baiting Costello with derisive comments about British rock music in general and "sawed-off Limey"-type comments aimed at him in particular.

A contrite Costello apologised at a New York City press conference a few days later, claiming that he had been drunk and had been attempting to be obnoxious in order to bring the conversation to a swift conclusion, not anticipating that Bramlett would bring his comments to the press.

According to Costello, "it became necessary for me to outrage these people with about the most obnoxious and offensive remarks that I could muster". In his liner notes for the expanded version of Get Happy!!, Costello writes that some time after the incident he had declined an offer to meet Charles out of guilt and embarrassment, though Charles himself had graciously forgiven Costello ("Drunken talk isn't meant to be printed in the paper").

Well! You don't have to go hunting for the definition of that particular slur, now do you?

Just curious about the limits of forgiveness for racist or antisemitic remarks. As always, there seems to be a greater amount of give for those beloved by intellectuals and whose liberal papers are in perfect order.

posted by Ace at 11:57 AM

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