So, I almost made the catastrophic mistake of saying something nice about Ed Sheeran. Don’t get me wrong, what I almost said wasn’t THAT nice. I was tempted to say that he deserved one cheer, as opposed to three. It’s conceivable I came close to saying he deserved a square of applause, as opposed to a round of applause. And I think, I may have came very close to saying he was slightly more useful than a roll of toilet paper where all of the toilet paper is already gone. You know. The cardboard bit. The bit everyone can’t be bothered going to trouble of throwing in the bin. Everyone’s like that, not just me. Right? Right?
To this day I still have horrific Vietnam style flashbacks about how I almost said something pleasant about Ed Sheeran, and I’ll admit “to this day” is a strange way to put it, because it was only four days ago. Sometimes I wake in the middle of the night, and sit bolt upright, covered in sweat, and then I realize, it’s okay, it was just a nightmare, I never said Ed Sheeran was slightly more useful than a lawnmower at the beach. Sometimes, while walking through the streets of Cork, I will see a red haired man, and I will turn in the opposite direction and run, run for dear life. People tell me, I need to let it go, and move on with my life, but they don’t understand how horrifically close I came to absolute disaster! Do you know what it feels like, to realize you were so close, so very, frighteningly close, to saying Ed Sheeran was slightly more valuable than a paintbrush where the handle and bristles were missing?
People will never understand!
So, how did I come so very, very close to disaster? Well, hopefully talking about it will let me exorcise some of my demons, so let’s get into it.
It all started when I learned that Macklemore, a famously pro-Palestine rapper, would be opening for Ed Sheeran on his Loop Tour. As I saw it, thanks to Ed Sheeran, a musician who was passionate about the cause of ending the horrific genocide in Gaza would be granted a huge platform, where he could spread his message to tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions of people. Now, I had no illusions about the fact that Sheeran wouldn’t be joining Macklemore on stage to condemn the horrific genocide of the Palestinian people. He has a reputation as an empty void to maintain. But I was, slightly impressed, that Ed Sheeran was willing to expose an artist like Macklemore to a massive audience by including him on his tour.
So essentially, Sheeran wasn’t willing to “tarnish” his image, as he saw it, by getting involved with the “complicated” issue of Palestine. But he was willing to grant a voice to those who were.
And I almost said it. I almost let some dirty, disgusting words escape from my vocal cords. I almost, ALMOST said:
“Fair play to Ed Sheeran!”
But luckily, before this combination of syllables almost escaped from my throat, I learned that this vaguely pro-Palestine thing that Ed Sheeran was supposedly doing, was all a bunch of nothing. Because, Ed Sheeran would make a very poor school superintendent. Because he has no principals.
So what exactly did Sheeran do?
Well, his lyrics are utterly vapid and devoid of substance.
He has insured a highly overrated piece of technology called the loop pedal will be inescapable until the end of time.
He thinks he’s Irish.
I hate “Shape Of You”
He thinks he’s Irish.
Something about the hat he wears in the video for “Shape Of You” really gets on my nerves.
He thinks he’s Irish.
I hate when he uses his loop pedal to not play ANY of the parts live. A loop pedal is not an excuse for musical laziness Sheeran!
He thinks he’s…
Oooops, my mistake, I thought you wanted to know about all of the many, many reasons why Ed Sheeran is bad, though now I realize you want me to talk about what he did lately that has gotten me so annoyed. Okay then, I’ll get into that!
Kicking Macklemore Off The Tour
On Monday 14th, Macklemore was removed from the tour. Robert Craft, an extremely pro-Israel billionaire, and owner of Gillette Stadium, which is part of the tour, stated that Macklemore would not be allowed to perform in his stadium:
Craft gave the usual drivel about Macklemore’s words being antisemitic, despite Macklemore saying this:
“To all of my Jewish brothers and sisters; criticism of Israel, criticism of apartheid, being against genocide, in no way is a criticism of you,” he said on stage. “My message is for peace, love, for all human beings to be treated with dignity, respect and equality.”
https://deadline.com/2026/09/macklemore-free-palestine-in-no-way-criticism-jewish-people-1237070434
Frankly, I am beyond sick of antisemitism being conflated with opposing the mass slaughter in Gaza. And let me say this. Anyone who trivializes the evil of antisemitism, a disgusting ideology that killed more than six million Jews, by saying that anyone who wants Palestinian men, women and children to not by murdered, is a piece of shit. Antisemitism is the hatred of Jews, love for the people of Palestine is NOT antisemitism. People who continue to make this sickening conflation cannot be allowed to get away with it any more.
Nothing Macklemore did at the tour was even remotely antisemitic. However, he DID do something that was antisemitic many years ago, so I need to address that.
The Infamous Costume
Unfortunately, Macklemore did once perform while wearing a costume that evokes many deeply offensive Jewish stereotypes:
This was definitely a “what the fuck were you thinking” moment for Macklemore. And I’m not defending it. Wearing this costume was fucking stupid. This was 12 years ago. Which doesn’t make it alright. When I was younger, and stupider, I regularly used homophobic and misogynistic language, and I still feel a lot of guilt for it even to this day. So, if any Jewish people are upset about the costume he wore, I’m not here to tell them they’re wrong, because wearing this costume was a really, really idiotic decision on Macklemore’s part. I will say two things in his defense. He apologized for wearing it, and, at the time, the Anti Defamation League accepted his explanation that the costume’s similarity to Jewish stereotypes was a horrible mistake on his part rather than deliberate malice.
And, I can’t help noticing the convenient timing of this ill advised costume choice on Macklemore’s part resurfacing. He wore this costume in 2014, and it was largely forgotten, until now, when he said “Free Palestine”. The fact that this whole escapade was a really dumb idea on Mackelmore’s part, in no way alters the fact that the reason it’s being brought up NOW is to bolster an utterly moronic argument that supporting the people of Gaza is antisemitic.
What About Kanye?
Do you know who’s definitely antisemitic? I mean, unambiguously so? Where it isn’t the case that he made a really dumb choice more than a decade ago, but is a full blown Nazi apologist and Jew hater? That’s right, Kanye West.
I am sure many, many people have tried to explain to Kanye that the Nazis hated black people, but, nevertheless, apologizing for Hitler is the hill that this strange, hate filmed man has chosen to die on. You can learn about Kanye’s unreleased album “Cuck” here.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuck_(album)
It contains songs with titles like “Heil Hitler”, “Gas Chambers” and “Hitler Ye Jesus”. So that’s Kanye, full blown anti-Semite Kanye. And he is still welcome to play pretty much anywhere in the United States:
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/macklemore-kanye-west-stadium_n_6aa9695be4b0288deb0cf3cb
The distortion of the word antisemitism is beyond absurd. Wanting justice for the people of Gaza is now considered antisemitic, but actually hating Jews isn’t? The word has been reduced to utter meaninglessness.
The Infinite Cowardice Of Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran is worth 400 million dollars. That means he’s worth an Adele and a Harry Styles, one entire Brad Pitt, ten Shawn Mendezes, and if he works really hard, he might soon be half of a Beyonce.
https://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-celebrities/singers/ed-sheeran-net-worth/
Now, I’ll grant that Robert Craft is considerably richer than Sheeran, after all, he’s a billionaire, but I simply refuse to believe that Sheeran’s hands were tied, and that he couldn’t do anything to help his friend of 13 years! On his Instagram Macklemore describes his friendship with Sheeran, and I found his lack of animosity towards him after everything he’s done surprising:
Perhaps the friendship is so strong that it will survive even this. I don’t know. It’s impossible for me to see the year to year reality of a friendship between two people that has lasted more than a decade.
So, back to the fact that Sheeran is worth half a Beyonce. Was there really nothing he could have done to keep Macklemore on the tour? Was it really not possible to use his one entire Brad Pitt money to book some new venues? Could he have not pulled the plug on the entire show in solidarity with the people of Gaza, or, failing that, at least in solidarity with his friend?
And before people say, “Oh, people would have been so disappointed!”, it just isn’t possible to fight for a better world without inconveniencing people. Yes, I’m sure it would be very frustrating if the whole tour was cancelled, and lifelong fans of Ed Sheeran didn’t get to see him. Okay, do you really think the boycott of South Africa wasn’t frustrating for the white people who lived there? I’m sure it was, but it was decided, that apartheid was such a sickening and cruel system that it was worth the boycott, worth the triviality of inconveniencing a few white people. And, protesting the mass slaughter of the people of Gaza, is worth the triviality of a few people not getting to see a performance by an English man who thinks he’s Irish.
Sheeran tried to play the “apolitical card”. He doesn’t take sides when children are being butchered you see! Here on his Instagram he uses the apolitical excuse:
Okay then, but what about this you fake Irish git!:
There he is, at one hour and eleven minutes in, at the concert for Ukraine! The fact that people want to help the people of Ukraine is something I have never had a problem with. What I DO have a problem with is people taking a stand for Ukraine and then hiding behind being apolitical when it comes to Gaza. Fuck Putin and the devastation he has wrought on the people of Ukraine. But also, fuck Ed Sheeran for pretending to care about Ukranians in order to advance his career.
The Way This Turned Out Has Given Me A Lot Of Hope For The Future
Here’s a joke. How many opening acts for Ed Sheeran does it take to change a lightbulb? None, they all abandoned him because he’s a shithead.
It gives me indescribable joy to inform you that ALL opening acts for Ed Sheeran’s Loop tour, have quit the tour, in solidarity with Macklemore, and more importantly, in solidarity with the people of Gaza. Including Beoga, who are Sheeran’s backing band on some of his songs.
This is really big news. Not one, not one single act, decided to stay behind and stand with Sheeran. They ALL decided to take a stand for Palestine.
Would you believe I have tears in my eyes as I write this? It is so beautiful to reflect on the fact that not one musician could be persuaded to stay on the tour, an utterly corrupt tour that has come to represent a despicable cruelty towards the people of Gaza. I’ll say it again, not one single musician could be persuaded to take part in this hideous fiasco.
Aaron Rowe, Beoga, Lukas Graham and Finneas. At a time when the media has increasingly ignored the genocide in Gaza, at a time when those in power still persist with the despicable “antisemitism” card, at a time when it too often feels like all hope is lost, none of these musicians were willing to put their future career prospects above the people of Palestine.
They have shown that hope is not lost. They were powerful enough to leave one of the richest, most popular musicians in the world to play on an empty stage. They have shown that no matter what tactics the architects of this horrific genocide use, there will ALWAYS be ways to defeat them.
FREE PALESTINE AND FUCK ED SHEERAN, WHO IS ENGLISH NOT IRISH!!!!
Ponderings Of An Autist 