Kid Rock Played The Gullible, Politically-Charged Media Perfectly to Promote His Shitty Music
WARNING: Language
If you ever thought that there was even an inkling of a chance that Kid Rock was ever going to run for the United States Senate—or even worse, if you actually wrote an article for or against it, or took to your dumbass social media feed to pontificate about it one way or the other, and followed it up again earlier this week when he stated the obvious that it was always bullshit—then you probably don’t deserve to be offering opinions on music or politics at all.
Of course Kid Rock wasn’t running for the fucking Senate, and none of your think pieces tying Kid Rock to the plot of Idiocracy or the erosion of American values were ever going to amount to a hill of beans beyond being a vehicle for his skeezy, drunk ass to promote his shitty music for free through the forum of the free press. He played you losers like a cheap fiddle, exploiting the hyperventilating, oversensationalized, and myopically-focused attention on all things politics in 2017 that has encroached overbearingly upon every single sector of American life, and music especially.
Now don’t get me wrong here, I’m not dogging Kid Rock for what he did. My hat is off to him. Bravo. The crime here isn’t that some scuzzy pseuo rock/hip-hop anti-hero was able to arrest the national narrative on multiple occasions to garner free advertisement through media infrastructure that’s supposed to be covering actual news. It’s that the media let him. I think it’s a masterstroke of genius on Kid Rock’s part, and possibly the most creative and intellectually arresting thing he’s ever done in his otherwise diabolically awful career. Well, that Sheryl Crow duet wasn’t terrible I guess.
To have CNN, Fox News, and all the rest eating out of your hands as you take the stage barking a good piece of bullshit about what you would do as an elected leader was such grand theater, they should give Kid Rock a Grammy, or an Oscar. You can’t josh about anything these days without principled tight-asses getting so fervently incited that they’re willing to proclaim the end of the world, while the entire media en masse preempts actual news coverage to post reports of what Kid fucking Rock said from a podium with a seal that says “‘Merica” while flanked by bikini floozies. You fools.
Even if people know something is not true, it’s like deep down they want it to be, because it plays into their heartfelt desire to see everything go to shit as validation for their extreme ideals. And when did we become so inept at sniffing out sarcasm? Idiots in both political parties saw Kid Rock’s fake Senate run as a bonanza for fundraising, even to the point where actual political infrastructure was constructed around the possibility.
Kid Rock—The Wet Cigarette of Music—understood that with such political acrimony and divisiveness swirling in the air, and such incredible laser focus being given to politics by all sectors of American media, gaming the system with a political angle was the only way to get people to actually pay attention to his rehashed music and dwindling career. Now Kid Rock is back on top, making use of the fact that America is now all politics, all the time, instead of suffering from it like many musicians and media outlets who refuse to play ball.
So what was all the bluster about in the first place? Does Kid Rock have a new song, an new album on the way, tour dates, and all with ties to country music to make the long-awaited Kid Rock “gone country” moment come closer into focus?
Fuck you, find that info yourself. I may distantly appreciate the devilishness of Kid Rock’s ruse, but I refuse to participate.
CountryCharm
October 25, 2017 @ 9:37 am
Kid Rock thanks you for this coverage.
CountryKnight
October 25, 2017 @ 9:38 am
The media and social media are so easily played.
They overreact more than a three year old denied their favorite toy.
james
October 25, 2017 @ 9:58 am
ik and no one plays them more than the great donald trump
CountryKnight
October 25, 2017 @ 10:03 am
It is beautiful to watch and they never learn.
Joe Doran
October 25, 2017 @ 8:51 pm
The “great Donald Trump” is excellent satire. Kudos, man.
Honky
October 26, 2017 @ 7:29 am
Just because the media is dumb, really really dumb, doesn’t mean there’s anything great about Donald Trump. It’s just one liar successfully trolling a pack of liars.
Whiskey_Pete
October 25, 2017 @ 10:48 am
Well said. The media/social-media just love to sensationalized every dam thing.
Wayne
October 25, 2017 @ 9:49 am
I regard Kid for his talent and his success, especially in his original genre. I could do without some of the lyrics on some of his songs. But there is no denying his success and abilities.
There is also no denying the irony of an article posted on “Saving Country” about him. Laugh on Kid, there are plenty of “critics” wasting pen and paper of which this article is a prime example. He is pretty smart. Others who write “stuff” like the above, not so much.
Mike W.
October 25, 2017 @ 5:00 pm
What “original genre” is Kid Rock a part of? Mixing Skynyrd and Warren Zevon ain’t being original. Nor is his current style of basically playing modern Hank Jr. music.
Brown Eyed Handsome Man
October 26, 2017 @ 11:50 am
Rap rock?
Mike W.
October 26, 2017 @ 1:03 pm
Kid Rock did not invent Rap-Rock. He didn’t even come close to inventing it unless he time-traveled back to the 80’s and joined Run-DMC or Aerosmith.
Brown Eyed Handsome Man
October 26, 2017 @ 1:20 pm
The genre of his early music was rap rock, which is what I presumed “original genre” was referring to.
Smokey J
October 25, 2017 @ 10:07 am
“Wet cigarette of music”. Brilliant. Lol. I gotta say, though, that I didn’t find the idea of him running for Senate that outlandish in the current climate. The fact that his campaign website was on his label’s site should have been a giveaway, though.
Kid Rock is just awful. The way he connected himself to the legacy of Hank was pretty gross, too, even if he had Bocephus’ blessing. The Sheryl Crow duet was damn fine, but would have been better with an actual singer.
BJones
October 25, 2017 @ 10:07 am
Some of his songs are actually pretty catchy and pretty good for what they are.
Funk Soul Bubby
October 25, 2017 @ 10:23 am
I am going to share this with all my friends.
MikeCorker
October 25, 2017 @ 10:23 am
I personally don’t find “Tennessee Mountain Top” that terrible (at least compared to other recent pop/rap country material). But I also quite liked “Those days are gone” from Hank Jr.’s last album for what it is.
Jeffro
October 25, 2017 @ 10:28 am
That duet with Sheryl Crow was fucking awful.
INDK
October 25, 2017 @ 10:28 am
Somebody on my Facebook feed said he was “one of the great songwriters of the last 30 years.” I blocked said person immediately. I can’t risk have a person that mentally unstable possibly around my children someday.
Lee
October 25, 2017 @ 2:28 pm
I’m waiting for the inevitable day one of my sons comes home and asks, “Dad, what’s a Kid Rock?”
Joe Doran
October 25, 2017 @ 8:58 pm
Just show him a pebble and hope he never learns any better.
Wayne
October 25, 2017 @ 10:34 am
INDK, I am sure you think Trump is unstable as well? Hillary would be your preferable baby-sitter?
INDK
October 25, 2017 @ 11:08 am
It was a joke. I said nothing about KR’s politics, only poking at his songwriting abilities. Lighten up.
Mattdangerously
October 25, 2017 @ 8:32 pm
I think he’s pretty obviously unstable. How is this even a question at this point?
Joe Doran
October 25, 2017 @ 8:49 pm
Kid Rock or Trump? No idea about the appalling country rock rapper’s mental state, but Trump’s as unhinged as a set of sliding doors.
It’s cool though ‘cos he juts his chin out like a real man, cuddles the flag a lot when he’s not out golfing, and talks about how utterly tremendous he is, believe me. He’s great for the comedy value alone, though I’m glad he’s not my country’s leader. That said, loads of you seem to love the guy for reasons that I’ll never quite work out, so why not? He’s entertaining, at least.
Kevin Wortman
October 26, 2017 @ 12:50 am
Joe…it’s cool…not everybody should be in this country.
Joe Doran
October 26, 2017 @ 8:21 am
Cheers man, and please don’t mistake me laughing at your president for laughing at your country, I love the US. The food, the music, Christ, I even like some rap, though not that autotune pop pretend gangster stuff, the landscape, the women, the beer. Also, every single American I’ve ever met has been a genuinely fantastic person.
Trump is…odd, that’s probably the kindest thing I can say about him, but I don’t judge a nation by its politicians (because they tend to be the worst of the worst) and hey, what’s the worst that could happen? Possibly best not to think too hard about that…;-)
Splitear
October 26, 2017 @ 9:29 am
Yep, only people who agree with Kevin Wortman should be here…SMH. There’s room for plenty of opinions and beliefs in this country, it’s what makes us so great. Never mind the close-minded people of this country Joe, you’re welcome here anytime my friend regardless of I agree with you or not. Hell, my next door neighbor likes Sam Hunt, and you don’t see me running them out of town 🙂
Kevin Wortman
October 27, 2017 @ 1:51 pm
Splitear…not just people who agree with me…we have places like San Francisco for your type.
RD
October 25, 2017 @ 10:37 am
Kid Rock running for senate would have been better than the alternative of some closeted, fully-compromised “family values Republican” smiling creepily while doing the bidding of the oligarchs. Kid Rock is a scumbag, but he embraces it. Of course, in his former ghetto persona, having grown up rich in the suburbs, was as phony as Tom Hanks’ dimwit gangsta son. In his current incarnation, Kid Rock’s music is drab 70’s rock, but that is a lot better than hick hop, or whatever crap he used to make. Its largely inoffensive, with a catchy song here or there.
Joe Doran
October 26, 2017 @ 10:22 am
Nice one mate, and yeah, that welcoming spirit of inclusiveness is one of the many things that make your country great. Oh, and you’re welcome over here anytime too. The weather’s a bit shite and the music’s worse, but other than that we ain’t too bad.
Joe Doran
October 26, 2017 @ 10:25 am
Sorry, that was meant for Splitear, above (though obviously the welcome bit applies to anyone!). I’m useless at the internet..
Fat Freddy's Cat
October 25, 2017 @ 10:37 am
I dimly remember hearing something about this, but confess I didn’t pay any particular attention to it. Something more important was on my mind (I think the toilet needed to be scrubbed). So I didn’t miss anything? Well damn that’s a relief.
Kevin Wortman
October 28, 2017 @ 2:55 pm
But certainly important enough to comment on.
DJ
October 25, 2017 @ 11:02 am
I read the article in Rollin Stone about his interview with Howard Stern and it seems as though he also has a problem with the music industry….. just sayin…..
I was hoping he’d actually run. It’d be hilarious to see him win and all the empty suits in DC have to be exposed to his crassness. And I’m neither Republican or Democrat. DC insiders could use some “real” in their arrogance and he is more real than ANY politician, or follower of said politician who tows the Party line because….Party line.
And BTW, he’s the only “modern” rock star I like, mainly because he says what he thinks in person and in his music. His take on “Long Haired Country Boy” ain’t bad either….. and the lyrics fit here…..
“if you don’t like the way I’m livin’, just leave this long haired country boy alone.”
Trainwreck92
October 25, 2017 @ 3:31 pm
I can understand the appeal of electing an outsider to political office is that outsider has demonstrated higher than average intelligence or an understanding of civil policy, politics, etc. In the nearly twenty years that I’ve been aware of his existence, Kid Rock hasn’t demonstrated any of those things.
DJ
October 25, 2017 @ 4:01 pm
Higher than average intelligence? In DC? LOL. They’re a bunch of drunk lawyers with pseudo intellect who pretend their’s is an esoteric knowledge. It ain’t.
Lawyers pay others to teach them to lie legally. That doesn’t make them intelligent, or grant them special knowledge.
Being a politician isn’t rocket science. It only takes a good line of BS. Most celebrities acquire that early in their careers and I’d say Kid Rock is pretty good at what he does, which is sell a lotta stuff, just like politicians, only difference being Kid Rocks “stuff” doesn’t have an effect on your life, and is tangible. Politicians sell “stuff” as well, it’s called bullshit and effects your life and is not tangible. Reagan was an actor. Sonny Bono was a senator. Clint Eastwood was a mayor. Kid Rock would do as well as any clown in DC and has some real life experience to draw from vs bubble babies who’ve never lived outside their privileged bubbles.
As an aside: politicians aren’t our “leaders”. They serve. That makes them servants. We the people are the masters, read “leaders”. That means they are supposed to ‘follow’ what we want. Keep that in mind in all political thoughts.
Trainwreck92
October 25, 2017 @ 4:51 pm
Trust me, man, I’m the last one to think that DC is filled with geniuses, but if you want to send an outsider to Washington, why not send someone with some degree of political knowledge instead of a mostly talentless butt-rock peddling knob like Kid Rock. What exactly constitutes “real-life experience” to you. KR grew up in an upper-middle class home, son of a successful car dealer and as an adult became incredibly wealthy by singing songs. I’d posit that he exists within a “privileged bubble” as well, just a different bubble than most politicians.
DJ
October 25, 2017 @ 6:07 pm
We have over 200 years of History to show us what lawyers and politically knowledgeable gets us.
Mike Honcho
October 26, 2017 @ 8:24 am
Intelligent people know well enough to stay away from DC. Unless they want to line their pockets, that is.
marky mark
October 25, 2017 @ 6:08 pm
Ain’t ain’t a word.
DJ
October 25, 2017 @ 7:51 pm
Is ain’t a word?
Although widely disapproved as nonstandard, and more common in the habitual speech of the less educated, ain’t is flourishing in American English. It is used in both speech and writing to catch attention and to gain emphasis.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ain%27t
Higher than average intelligence? In DC? LOL. They’re a bunch of drunk lawyers with pseudo intellect who pretend their’s is an esoteric knowledge. It ain’t.
ShadeGrown
October 25, 2017 @ 4:48 pm
What we need is to stop electing lawyers. They knew they were good liars so they went to school to get even better at it. Not saying we need to elect dipshits like Trump either, but lawyers are the reason we can’t believe anything politicians say.
dave
October 25, 2017 @ 11:08 am
I actually am a big hank 3 fan and a big kid rock fan not many can say that
Stringbuzz
October 25, 2017 @ 11:24 am
he is a pretty shrewd business man.
He keeps his ticket prices low, owns the t-shirt company, does his own promotions, etc.
Mike W.
October 26, 2017 @ 1:09 pm
I would argue his biggest strength as a business man is knowing when to pull out of whatever genre he is in at the present. He shifted out of Rap-Rock before that genre crashed, did the same at mainstream Country radio, and now is all-in on appealing to the growing “I like ‘Country Music’ but only listen to Spotify/Pandora” crowd.
He’s a no-talent hack and makes terrible life choices, but he knows when to bail on a genre before its too late.
Del Smith
October 25, 2017 @ 12:18 pm
President Donald Trump has just announced he’s dropping Vice President Mike Pence and replacing him with Kid Rock…
I just saw it on that there internet…so it must be true…
Splitear
October 26, 2017 @ 9:06 am
The sad part is that this wouldn’t be the most shocking headline to come out in the past 9 months…
Spoony
October 26, 2017 @ 2:38 pm
What are you even talking about? Posting from your safe space I hope.
Kevin Wortman
October 25, 2017 @ 12:20 pm
What makes Kid Rock a scumbag?
Benny Lee
October 25, 2017 @ 12:27 pm
Preface: Yes, I attended a Kenny Chesney concert. We all make mistakes.
Kid Rock was my guilty musical pleasure for a time. He’s very good at the business of music.
He showed up for Kenny Chesney in Detroit over a year ago, and exposed himself as someone who is incapable of singing country music. He sounded even worse than Old Dominion. Of course, the crowd loved him.
I’m almost positive he would have been elected if he actually ran. The whole damn state is in love with the guy. Why are we so in love with ass holes these days????
james
October 25, 2017 @ 5:44 pm
hes a right winger, id rather have him than a lib- and i live in michigan so i actually could have voted for him lol
Splitear
October 26, 2017 @ 6:49 am
Therein lies the issue, to so many we have “rightwingers” and “liberals” and few are aware enough to see the middle ground…
scott
October 25, 2017 @ 12:43 pm
I gotta admit, it was funny watching Elizabeth Warren shit all over herself at the thought of the Kid running.
Splitear
October 26, 2017 @ 9:04 am
I’m sorry to tell you, but whether you like Warren or not, she would have chewed him up and spit him out. I’m fairly certain if she had any fear at all over the whole situation it was fear of the cumulative intelligence of the voting public (or lack of intelligence) that made this story even plausible.
scott
October 26, 2017 @ 10:54 am
Of course she would have, Splitear. He’s a rock singer, she’s a lying politician.
Kevin Wortman
October 27, 2017 @ 6:09 pm
Warren would kill him with her tomahawk.
Gumslasher
October 25, 2017 @ 2:26 pm
But you do participate.
Trainwreck92
October 25, 2017 @ 3:21 pm
I mean, two years ago Donald Trump was known mostly as a real estate guy that had a shitty reality show and got into Twitter arguments with Rosie fucking O’Donnell, and no one took him seriously when he ran for office, but he now sits in the oval office. With that being said, is it so absurd to take a celebrity seriously when they say that they’ll run for office? No, I didn’t think that Kid Rock would actually run and be elected senator, but I had the same attitude with DJT and was proven wrong.
jimsouls
October 25, 2017 @ 5:02 pm
The “F Word” duet by Kid Rock and Bocephus is the worst song in the history of the world.
dan_GA
October 28, 2017 @ 10:14 am
I have to respectfully disagree. Hell, it isn’t even the worst Hank Jr/Kid Rock song (“Titties and Beer”, anyone?). And Jr has had some real stinkers over the years (“Fax Me a Beer”? That hasn’t held up very well. Or maybe the one about discovering you can rent pornos on VHS?). At least “The F Word” name-drops III (Shelton).
Bill Williams
October 29, 2017 @ 3:40 pm
What was the song title about renting porn on a VHS?
Dan_GA
October 29, 2017 @ 4:38 pm
“Video Blues” off Major Moves https://youtu.be/A6s2DoVdaOQ
HayesCarll23
October 25, 2017 @ 5:04 pm
I like Kid Rock. His music is fun.
Wally Cockcroft
October 25, 2017 @ 5:54 pm
Talk about public douchebag #1.
marky mark
October 25, 2017 @ 6:13 pm
Trigger, you refer to him as a “ rock/hip-hop anti-hero”. Don’t you mean rock/hip-hop/quasi-country anti-hero? Not defending kid rock, but I have to say, most of his quasi-country songs are still more country than most the stuff that’s played on country radio. …..and definitely more country than Sam Hunt.
Trigger
October 25, 2017 @ 8:15 pm
I think people give Kid Rock too much credit for a few good songs because he’s a guilty pleasure of theirs. Even a broken clock is right twice a day. Florida Georgia Line and Luke Bryan have a couple of good songs too. You take the body of work as a whole and I think it speaks for itself. But that’s my opinion, and not necessary meant to dissuade anyone from theirs.
Willie Potter
October 25, 2017 @ 7:00 pm
Didn’t even read the article…headline was more of the same.
Kid Rock is more country than 80% of what gets passed off in this day and age.
Very talented guy.
HayesCarll23
October 25, 2017 @ 7:40 pm
Kid Rock actual does have talent. I get the criticism, but at the same time…I don’t.
Ulysses McCaskill
October 25, 2017 @ 7:03 pm
Kid Rock ain’t no son of Hank.
wayne
October 25, 2017 @ 7:51 pm
Kid’s original genre was rap. But he does not come out and say he’s country. He makes music and it falls where it falls. He said himself he was asked to write with Nashville writers but isn’t interested because he doesn’t play the CMA politics game.
I can respect that much more than those who claim to be “country” and doesn’t know the first thing about it.
Mattdangerously
October 25, 2017 @ 8:34 pm
“while the entire media en masse preempts actual news coverage to post reports of what Kid fucking Rock said from a podium with a seal that says “‘Merica” while flanked by bikini floozies.”
Holy crap, did that actually happen?
JohnWayneTwitty
October 25, 2017 @ 9:49 pm
Kid Rock being a senator is no more ludicrous than that dumbass piece of fuckhead shit donald trump (he’s not worthy of capital letters) becoming the president. Rock would be a better politician than anyone since Lincoln. Hank Jr has been a douchebag clown since the mid 80s, yet he’s a “great American”.
Andrew
October 26, 2017 @ 12:38 pm
What is it with you people coming online and bashing Trump? Do you think you’re smart or something because you don’t like him like the media tells you to? He’s the best president we’ve had in modern history sand fighting every day to make the country better. So keep your garbage to yourself.
Trainwreck92
October 26, 2017 @ 2:10 pm
The media doesn’t have to persuade folks to dislike Trump, he’s doing that all on his own.
Spoony
October 26, 2017 @ 2:40 pm
Bullshit.
JohnWayneTwitty
October 26, 2017 @ 7:29 pm
I’d bash him to his face if I could meet him. trump persuades me to hate him because he is a terrible person, just like every other terrible person I hate. It isn’t rocket science. However, take your pro trump ranting to a fox news forum. I was making a point that doesn’t need trumpeteers arguing for their idol
Splitear
October 26, 2017 @ 7:00 am
Kid Rock is just one of the many washed up old rockers who think by making crappy “Patriotic” re-worked rock songs will allow them some sliver of the success that they one had. Unfortunately this works for some of the ie. Hootie, and more fortunate for real country fans, it often doesn’t work ie. Steven Tyler, Bon Jovi, Uncle Kracker, etc.
On the political side, it’s such a minefield. You either love Trump or your a “libtard”, you either hate Trump or your a “rightwing nutjob”. Everyone sits at their Facebook feed waiting for their next talking point that they can mindlessly throw at the “opposition” without thinking for themselves. Stugill said it best “our egos begging for food like a dog from our feed..”
The biggest problem we have in politics today isn’t Donald Trump or Bernie Sanders, it’s the millions of people who can’t think for themselves. As Winston Churchill once said “The best argument against democracy is a 5 minute conversation with the average voter.”
Honky
October 26, 2017 @ 7:25 am
Off topic a little bit, but Bill Cody just played a song about being country while loving rock n roll, called “Hick ‘N Roll”.
😖😖😖😖😖😖😖😖😖😖😖
Willie Potter
October 26, 2017 @ 7:39 pm
Bon Jovi’s “Lost Highway” album is frigging excellent.
FlippyInvader
November 2, 2017 @ 1:12 pm
did kid rock piss on your dog’s corpse
your bias is too strong in this one
Andy Nauga
January 14, 2023 @ 10:12 am
Kid rock stole his breakout hit from The Sprinkle Genies song “Bum”