Kid Rock has refused to back down or apologize after he verbalized his “controversial” feelings about talk show queen Oprah Winfrey.
Kid Rock gave Fox News host Tucker Carlson an in-depth interview as part of his series titled Life of a Rock Star. The Michigan native, whose real name is Robert James Ritchie, has strong opinions about politics and the Hollywood culture, which he expresses with an “in your face” attitude that has been called too abrasive and too extreme by his detractors.
Carlson wanted to give Kid Rock an opportunity to address one of those “too extreme” incidents that captured headlines around the country when the controversial rocker lashed out at Oprah Winfrey. The video of the event went viral on TMZ, showing an admittedly intoxicated Kid Rock on stage at a Nashville honky tonk, yelling, “F*ck Oprah Winfrey,” and, “F*ck Joy Behar!” He was accused of racism after his anti-Oprah rant, even though his son is half African-American.
According to Daily Caller, Carlson questioned Kid Rock on his anti-Oprah rant during an episode in which the Fox News host received a tour of Kid Rock’s Nashville Ranch. “A drunk man’s words are a sober man’s thoughts,” Kid Rock told Carlson about the Oprah rant. “I own what I said and I won’t apologize to anybody. I’m not an Oprah Winfrey fan.”
The rocker continued to explain the incident to Carlson. “So, I got drunk and the next thing I’m on the stage and saying like ‘f*ck Oprah, suck my d*ck sideways!’” Kid Rock recalled. “The f*cked up part is I was trying to go after Kathy Griffin, you know, for holding up Trump’s head but I’m so out of it I’m like ‘f*ck Kathy Lee Gifford.’ When it comes back on TMZ or whatever a few weeks later, I’m like ‘oh man, I like Kathy Lee Gifford.’ We’ve been kind of friendly throughout the years.’”
Carlson also asked the Michigan rocker why he is immune to those who try and “cancel” him for his politics and controversial statements. “I don’t give a f**k, and I’m not in bed with any big corporate things,” Kid Rock said. “At the end of the day, there’s nobody I’m beholden to. No record companies. No corporate interests. No nothing. You can’t cancel me. I love it when they try.”
Kid Rock’s feelings toward Joy Behar also made headlines in a separate incident when he tripped the censors during an interview on Fox News with Steve Doocy. True to his word, the Grammy-nominated singer stood by the remarks he made about the ABC talk show host when Doocy asked him about “political correctness.”
“People need to calm down, get a little less politically correct,” Kid Rock said to Steve Doocy. “And I would say you know, love everybody except I’d say screw that Joy Behar b*tch. Everybody but that.” Of course, Kid Rock calling Joy Behar the “B-word” on live TV caused quite a commotion with the Fox News team and Doocy immediately apologized to the viewers.
However, the platinum artist stuck to his guns while dialing back some of the content after Doocy asked, “You do apologize for that language, right?” Kid Rock responded by declaring, “I did apologize for the language. Not the sentiment.” In other words, the Michigan musician is seemingly saying, “sorry, not sorry.” He apologized for using the “B-word” on live TV, but not for thinking Joy Behar is one.
During his interview with Tucker Carlson, Kid Rock had been promoting a single he dropped in the summer of 2021, We the People, which caused quite a reaction with the mainstream media. Rolling Stone gave the song a “thumbs down,” claiming it was offensive.
“On the song, [Kid Rock] taps into the right-wing agenda by dropping F-bombs about social media platforms, criticizing President Joe Biden, and repeating the phrase ‘Let’s go Brandon’ 13 times,” Rolling Stone reported before going on to quote more of the lyrics. “‘But Covid’s near, it’s coming to town/We gotta act quick, shut our borders down,’ he rap-sings before kissing up to his MAGA daddy: ‘Joe Biden does, the media embraces/Big Don does it and they call him racist.’”
Tucker Carlson was amazed that Kid Rock survives the “woke” culture, considering his conservative politics and controversial statements. For example, Rolling Stone also blasted the Trump-supporting rocker for opening up his concerts with a message from the former president. “Over the past year Rock — perhaps Trump’s biggest supporter in the music world — has been floating in the jetsam of the one-term presidency, making music that would only appeal to Trump-loving Rock fans,” Rolling Stone reported.
As far as the message from former President Donald Trump that opens Rock’s concerts, one would find it hard to find the controversy. “Hello, everyone. I love you all. I know you’re having a great time at the Kid Rock concert tonight,” Trump says. “Quite frankly, he’s amazing. All of you in attendance are truly the backbone of our great country. Hard-working, God-fearing rock-and-roll patriots.” Much like Donald Trump, Kid Rock brings out the extremes in Americans. You either love him or hate him, and there seems to be no middle ground.