Kid Rock Rocks the Anti-War Crowd (Politicians and music don't mix. It's like whiskey and wine)

Flip on the TV, open up a newspaper or go to a show-everywhere you look there's some Hollywood hot shot or music biz bigwig taking a courageous stand against the 'Bush/Blair Bomb Squad.'

The latest to join the debate is rock n' roll bad boy and self-proclaimed redneck, Kid Rock-although you probably haven't heard about it, since, true to his rebellious reputation, the multi-platinum artist isn't toeing the party line.

At a pre-Grammy party, Kid answered a reporter's question about the War in Iraq, and made it clear that he isn't part of the music industry's anti-war faction. "Why is everybody trying to stop the war? George Bush ain't been saying, 'You all, make sh*#%y records.' Politicians and music don't mix. It's like whiskey and wine. We ought to stay out of it."

Kid knows he's no policy wonk or geo-political strategist, but couldn't resist adding, "We got to kill that mother-f@cker Saddam," he says. "Slit his throat. Kill him and the guy in North Korea."

Asked about innocent Iraqi civilians casualties, Kid answered pragmatically, "Yeah. But [Bush] is doing the right thing. You got money; you sit around talking about peace. People who don't have money need some help."

In what may have been the most ironic moment of the 45th Annual Grammy Awards, Kid Rock joined Sheryl Crow on stage for a performance of her single, "You're An Original." (Kid and Crow also have the Number 6 song in America this week, "Picture," which appears on Kid's latest CD, Cocky.)

Crow has made several not-so-subtle statements against military action in Iraq in recent months, wearing t-shirts emblazoned with antiwar catchphrases to several high profile events. Her Grammy appearance was no exception, she performed wearing a guitar strap with the words, "No War" conspicuously inscribed in shiny, tacky sequins successfully creating the made-you-look effect she was, no doubt, going for.

The appeasement proselytizer passed out "No War" buttons backstage on Sunday night, and like most of her recent recordings, they flopped. By my count, only two people-Sheryl and one of the N'SYNC boys actually put one on. (Hey, 4 out of 5 boy band members can't be wrong.)

Sheryl's journey from sweet little USO Girl to Saddam's Little Helper is hardly the exception among Hollywood's conscientious objector class. Despite comprehensive probing, and we looked everywhere, there is scant evidence of a similar celebrity outcry at Democratic President Bill Clinton's military excursions in Bosnia, Haiti, Somalia, and yes, Iraq.

Earlier this week, actress/activist Janeane Garofalo bluntly admitted that it just "wasn't hip" to protest back then. Apparently, war is not a problem if the U.S. President has a (D) next to his name.

In fact, when Clinton deployed U.S. Armed Forces in Bosnia, Sheryl Crow seemed to support the policy-even accompanying First Lady Hillary Clinton to the frontlines, where she performed for the troops.

Don't think the hypocrisy ends there. In addition to her guitar strap sloganeering, Sheryl's Grammy ensemble featured an oversized, diamond-encrusted peace symbol dangling from her neck.

And even more embarrassing than the 40-something singer's tight white mini-skirt and inch thick makeup were her pre-show red carpet comments about the jewelry. The blissfully clueless Crow inadvertently ate some of her words when she told Joan Rivers, "Nothing says peace like diamonds."

Oops. Sheryl and her people are, evidently, unaware of the politically incorrect nature of supporting the diamond trade. So much for her 'enlightened' global sensibilities.

And while I would be inclined to slap her a high-five for such chicanery, someone in such obvious pursuit of that Utopian level of PC consciousness is likely to get a much different response from even her own friends. Like a slap in the face or a kick in the tush. (Good thing she runs with the non-violent crowd.)

Blood diamonds, as any good liberal can tell you, are the product of third world violence and oppression, often resulting in the exploitation of women and children. In fact, purchasing diamonds may even rank higher than driving an SUV on the liberal's list of unacceptable behavior-although not quite as bad as watching the Fox News Channel.

Plus, those blood diamonds support terrorism. Seriously. Bin Laden and the al-Qaeda gang use them to move money around the globe and launder cash. Of course, if they advance the cause of the 'freedom fighters' of the world, maybe diamonds will soon be cool again.

I love Kid Rock! I just wish I could enjoy his music.

I love his musical style - Southern Rock-Hip hop mix is actually prtty cool sounding. That said - I bought Cocky (mostly because I love the song "picture" even if Sheryl Croak is on it). That song and about 3 others are awesome (He has a version of "Midnight train to Memphis that is great), but the rest of his songs are MF this, F that, B*tch this, A** that. I loved the beat and the music but the lyrics were so putrid I pulled the tracks I like off it and tossed the CD.

The Kid has so much talent, his duets with George Jones and Hank Jr. were super and he is a damn good actor too, that it is a shame he thinks he has to be so vulgar on his albums.

I had to send this email out to the Hollyweird people...Mike Farrell in particular, after reading this piece on Kid Rock. I know it will be meaningless to them but it felt good...
------- Start of forwarded message -------

From: xxxxxxxx
Date: Thu, 27 Feb 2003 06:13:17 -0800 (PST)
To: mike@artistsunitedwww.org,
robert@artistsunitedwww.org

Your comment concerning the Balkan's.....
"I think it's appropriate for the international
community in situations like this to intervene. I am in
favor of an intervention."

I assume the Muslims in the Balkan's had it much
tougher then those under Sadam? You have already
probably convinced yourself that Sadam has not killed
any of his people and any deaths in the past, present
and the future in Iraq are of course the fault of
America.

TRULY, TRULY THE HEIGHT OF HYPOCRISY!!!! IF YOU WOULD
HAVE CONDEMNED THE US INVOLVEMENT IN THE
BALKAN'S....MIND YOU, WITHOUT UN APPROVAL...THEN AT
LEAST YOU COULD BE RESPECTED FOR YOUR CONSISTENT STAND.

Let's face it, the true colors of you and the rest of
your crowd are much more of "I hate Bush" then it is a
"anti-war" statement. We have 175,000 troops ready to
go into Iraq and you have Sadam questioning Dan Rather
whether the President of the US has support of his
people because he see's you and your like protesting.
You serve only to embolden this man and the blood of
American soldiers who will die will be on your hands.

It would not be hard to imagine that if the President
was backed by you, your friends and the misguided
segments of Europe Sadam would possibly escape to
another country without a shot being fired.
Unfortunately, with your hypocritical stance, based
purely on your opinion rather then solid intelligence
which you have no privy to, you only serve to make
Sadam believe he can win...the losers will be many
Iraqi civilian deaths and deaths of young American
soldiers. Thank you so much for your stupidity.

Damn, I hate the thought of a war. I hate the fact many
people will die. I also hate to think that if nothing
is done but useless shell games of UN inspections that
some day down the road we will be hurt when his WMDs
are used on us directly by him or indirectly through
other groups. Then it will my young daughters who will
pay the price for your ignorance.

This email will go in one ear and out the other. Go put
on your "I hate Bush shirt" and continue to embolden
Sadam. Perhaps if you can understand just how dangerous
the game you are playing is and you realize the
incredible hypocrisy of yourself and the other
Hollywood "I hate Bush" crowd, then perhaps you will
realize just how those American soldiers poised to
invade Iraq need your support to over throw this evil
man. Being it is George Bush pushing America to
confront this man I seriously doubt you will.

_______________________________________

It all gets so confusing. He says he supports Bush, but he's known to hang around/date porn stars. Porn stars, obviously, by and large, do not like Bush (no pun intended, sorry). Speaking of which, who's he dating now? *scratch*

I'm never offended by words...I mean, I get *bored* with Kid using f-this and f-that all over the place, but words are just words. Then again, he could get the same rockabilly/rapabilly style through without so much vulgarity, that's certainly true. And I'll give him this...I had his career pegged as gone about, oh, two to three years ago, his resiliency has surprised me.

Of course, nobody should be getting their opinions from Kid Rock OR Sheryl Crow, but it's nice to hear when a celeb actually breaks from the herd and says something like that...takes balls...he's going to get a lot of upturned noses, but given what I know about him, I don't think he really cares (or, since we're talking about Kid Rock, "give a bleeping bleepity bleepity bleep about those bleeping bleepity bleeping bleepches").

Tangent: Kid Rock was also known for showing up routinely at parties thrown by the creators of "South Park"...submitted for your consideration...the signpost up ahead...you are entering...La-La Land.

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