[Newspoetry] newspoem --ClearChannel bans Nobel Laureate

[Robert Porter]

ClearChannel Bans Nobel Laureate

ClearChannel Communications announced today that it would instruct its 
hundreds of affiliate radio stations to stop playing songs by American 
Nobel Prize laureate for Economics George A. Akerlof.

Akerlof, who won the Nobel Prize for Economics in 2001, was quoted in the 
German magazine Der Spiegel as describing the George W. Bush 
administration as "the worst government the US has ever had in its more 
than 200 years of history".  He went on to call for mass civil 
disobedience on the part of the American public, Declaring "I think it's 
time to protest - as much as possible".

A press liason for ClearChannel  insisted that the ban on Akerlof's music 
would send a clear message to the Nobel laureate that, "just because he's 
in Europe, he can't go around insulting the President of the United States.
   We sent that message to the Dixie Chicks, and we're sending it to 
Professor Akerlof."

Dixie Chicks singer Natalie Maines, when told about the ban on Akerlof, 
commented, "Well, when ClearChannel banned us, our record sales 
skyrocketed and we played packed arenas on tour.  So I'm guessing Dr. 
Alkerlof is in for quite a windfall."

A spokesman for Entertainment Weekly said that the magazine had already 
approached Akerlof about appearing on the cover of an upcoming issue of 
the publication.  "We pointed out to Dr. Akerlof that being photographed 
in the nude was strictly up to him, but that more people would be likely 
to buy his music if he posed without clothing.  We anticipate that an 
issue of Entertainment Weekly featuring a nude photo of American Nobel 
Prize laureate for Economics George A. Akerlof will become quite a 
collector's item."

Akerlof has been recognized for his research that borrows from sociology, 
psychology, anthropology and other fields to determine economic influences 
and outcomes. His areas of expertise include macro-economics, monetary 
policy and poverty.  He's also developed a small but loyal cult following 
for his groundbreaking musical compositions in the Celtic Industrial genre.