Book review underscores America's need to hold national conversation on beach privilege

As pressing as the 2016 election might seem, whichever candidate prevails will confront an America in many ways more divided than ever before.

Consider, for example, the Beach Boys. Some may remember when the country unified behind President Reagan to demand that the band be allowed to play the Independence Day concert on the National Mall, despite a caution by Interior Secretary James Watt that rock bands attracted the wrong element to the festivities.

Those were simpler times, and the idea that the Beach Boys were ever a national treasure shared by all has been challenged recently in the New York Review of Books. Ben Ratiff made his own waves by exposing the ugly truth: the Beach Boys’ biggest hits were nothing more than “poem of unenlightened straight-male privilege, white privilege, beach privilege” that played no part in helping anyone achieve their social rights.

https://twitter.com/drewharwell/status/791854872731582468

https://twitter.com/lachlan/status/793184963143360513

What was that again, after straight-male privilege and white privilege?

"Beach privilege"?

— Nick Confessore (@nickconfessore) October 31, 2016

"Beach privilege."

For real.

— The Nats Won The World Series (@EsotericCD) October 31, 2016

https://twitter.com/RocheStrategies/status/793188412903854081

Definitely putting the s/t debut by Beach Privilege on my year-end list.

— Steven Hyden (@Steven_Hyden) October 29, 2016

"beach privilege" …. okay, 2016. You're done. https://t.co/UkjvIUwUtC

— Alex Wilkes (@AlexandraWilkes) October 31, 2016

Pet issues meet Pet Sounds.

— Daniel Walters (@danielwinlander) October 31, 2016

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@AndrewStilesUSA in addition to benefiting from "unenlightened straight male privilege" The Beach Boys were also White #Problematic

— “Bob” The Emotional Support Hamster (@bob_emotional) October 31, 2016

"Next up, a 5K tome on why Jimmy Buffet's music is problematic and lacks recognition of beach privilege"

— 4th Class Officer (@4thClassOfficer) October 31, 2016

Oh wow, just saw a three year old boy crying. I asked why. He simply responded, "beach privilege."

— Maxwell (@MaxwellRBR) October 31, 2016

kill me now

— Christine Rousselle ??‍♀️ (@crousselle) October 31, 2016