Black Roses

You!

You there.

I've got a court order to shut you down,

we're going to close this show.

Are you insane man?

Get him out of here.

No.

No.

No, no, no, no.

Let go!

No!

Janey I want you to eat your breakfast.

I don't want you to just to stir it around.

You can't go to school on an empty stomach.

Good morning Toona.

Hi Toona.

You're looking good.

What is that?

It's my record cover.

Black Roses?

It's just a record cover.

Oh God.

Oh you're just like your father.

Tony, get up.

You're going to be late for school, you lazy bum.

And I suppose my mother works at the

Beverly Hills Polo club?

Your mother loves waitressing.

She's been doing it ever since you've been around.

I'm well aware.

Julie, look Julie.

Now, what's that supposed to mean, huh?

That I don't take good care of your mum?

You know I haven't heard any complaints from her lately.

Evil.

Evil propels me.

And the reform of evil propels me.

I stand indifferent.

Well, it's hard to believe these words were written

by the same Walt Whitman that talks about the beauty

and perfection in a single blade of grass.

What did Whitman mean when he said evil propels him?

Forum.

So, Whitman and evil.

Johnny?

Evil?

Yeah Johnny, Evel Knievel.

We're talking about Whitman and evil.

Now Whitman says, that evil propels me.

Is he advocating evil,

is that what he's doing?

Oh yeah, he's doing it alright.

I understand exactly what he's doing.

Well what exactly is it that you understand, Johnny?

It's easy, it's happening here in this town

with the Black Roses concerts.

Yeah.

Like here we got this whole town filled with people

who claim to be good, right?

Who go to church every Sunday,

good God fearing people.

Good, good, good.

All this talk about good,

and so now here comes the biggest thing

to hit Mill Basin ever, and they try to stop it?

You call that good?

You see they figure there must be something evil

about the band if we all like it.

Yeah.

That's what I think Whitman was talking about.

They like evil, and they like getting rid of evil.

They're ugh...

Hypocrites.

Hypocrites, right.

Only what they think is evil, is evil.

You know, they call the shots 'cause they're the adults.

Yeah.

I think Whitman was talking about Mill Basin.

Yeah, he was a cool guy.

Well, that's ugh,

a very interesting monologue, Johnny.

But I think you may have missed

the point of the poem, perhaps.

I think all Whitman was trying to say,

though maybe in a back asswards kind of way.

Is that one should remain open minded.

I don't think your parents want to stop the concert

just to annoy you.

It's just that they're afraid of change.

There's never been a rock concert in this town.

They probably don't know what to do with one.

Well we know what to do with one.

Enjoy yourselves.

Have a good time for once.

They don't understand what a great honor this is.

They didn't have to pick Mill Basin for their first concert.

They could have started their tour any where in the country.

And this is the reception they get.

Well it's your mom trying to stop the concert.

No comity is going to stop concerts

from being played in Mill Basin.

Okay, now let's try to remember what Whitman said, huh?

Let's keep an open mind.

Maybe the parents comity is right.

No, come on.

Okay, maybe not. Maybe not.

Okay pages 40 to 52 in your anthologies tomorrow.

Aww.

Aww that's right, 12 whole pages, it's tough out there.

Oh Julie, aren't you going to class?

Give it up.

What'd ya mean?

Oh come on.

So I like Julie, so what's the big deal?

No big deal.

But I'd say she's taken.

Your own papers now can I?

I can't believe all the fuss in the paper.

Have you heard anything about these

Black Roses concerts, son now?

A lot of the parents are raising a big stink about it.

It's all they talked about down at the shop today.

Jenny's dad came in for a haircut,

he was telling me all about it.

Sure pop,

I just bought myself tickets to the first two shows.

Are you sure you should go?

Everybody seems to feel it's a bad idea.

Janey's dad bought her a ticket.

Oh he did, did he?

Well, I guess it's alright then.

Right.

We're a good people here in Mill Basin.

We are a church going people,

and we are a law abiding people.

Our police don't have to carry guns

like they do in the big cities.

And our children grow up to be fine young citizens

we can be proud of.

Because we have had no corrupting

influences here to speak of.

Until now.

And now we find that disciples of the devil

are invading our town, and threatening

to steel our children away from us.

Yes, yes.

Their image.

Their image alone

has become a symbol of evil to our young.

Their satanic music and subversive lyrics

threaten to undermine the very fabric of our society.

Would you care to hear some of their propaganda?

Yes.

You just listen to this,

and you tell me if this isn't the work of the devil himself.

Tear down the walls of hell,

make room for lust to dwell,

carry in your hands a sword,

tear away the image of the Lord.

What just a minute, wait a minute, that's not all.

That is not all.

Pull down society,

only then can we be free,

in the world alone to roam,

destroy your happy home.

Now if that doesn't say it as clearly as anything else...

Now calm down.

Folks just,

excuse me Ellen.

Folks just a minute.

Now we're talking about music here.

Not revolution.

Now this group, this Black Roses.

I'll be the first to admit,

some of their stuff is a little antisocial.

But that's the very nature of rock and roll, isn't it?

Trying to shake us up a little bit?

It's the very nature of poetry too, isn't Mr Moorehouse?

Yes, ugh.

Sometimes it seems so.

Yes sir, Mr Mayor.

See rock and roll is about rebellion.

What about Elvis?

Little Richard?

Chuck Berry?

Remember when he first came out,