For the most part, cultural shifts happen gradually enough that it’s hard to notice them until it’s suddenly 10 years later and they’ve already taken place.
And for controversial public figures, that can be clearly seen in how their behaviors are received by the public. Although it would be disingenuous to say that — for example — Eminem’s more homophobic lyrics in the late ’90s and early 2000s weren’t controversial at the time, it’s also clear that this controversy hardly precluded him from mainstream success.
But in the time since he first arrived on the scene, he and other artists who work with dark themes are more likely to consider the implications of the use of slurs either either on a societal level or for their more immediate impact on their careers.
However, it’s clear that one artist who isn’t prone to these kinds of considerations is Kid Rock.
So while some are clearly disappointed by his response following an incident that saw him use a homophobic slur during a performance, they’re not likely to be surprised by it.
While performing at FishLipz Bar & Grill on June 5 in Smithville, Tennessee, Kid Rock apparently became displeased at audience members who filmed the show with their phones.
According to TMZ , after security personnel told fans to put their phones down, he decided to address them through song.
This led him to say, “[Expletive] your iPhone, yeah” before inviting them to post his crotch if they wanted to post something.
Immediately after this, he referred to those who had their phones still out with a homophobic slur.
This soon resulted in some backlash across Twitter, where users criticized him for not maturing and never moving past the same homophobic and misogynistic tropes attributed to him during the ’90s.
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Others simply expressed their lack of surprise with one user saying , “I, for one, am shocked that noted LGBTQ ally Kid Rock would say something homophobic.”
For them, there was likely as little reason to be surprised by his Twitter response that came four days after the incident occurred.
As he wrote , “If Kid Rock using the word [expletive] offends you, good chance you are one.”
This prompted some to respond that it wasn’t a matter of whether or not his critics were gay themselves. In the words of one user, “Do not normalize the use of the F word. It really is a matter of life or death for some of these kids.”
But while that was the part of his response that most people responded to, it wasn’t the extent of what he said.
As his tweet continued, “Either way, I know he has a lot of love for his gay friends and I will have a talk with him. Have a nice day. -Bob Ritchie”
If you’re wondering who Bob Ritchie is, it will likely help to know that Kid Rock’s birth name is Robert James Ritchie.
As one commenter put it , “I am so confused right now. You used your real name to justify your stage persona’s bad behaviour? And trotting out the old Clanger ‘some of his best friends are gay’.”
Although it’s unclear why he chose to address his critics in the third person, what is clear is that Kid Rock isn’t terribly concerned about the controversy.
If you would like to see the recording of the incident for yourself, it can found here . Be advised that the clip contains explicit language.
h/t: TMZ