In the past, many musicians such as Nikki Sixx, Tommy Lee, Rikki Rckett have expressed disappointment when fans slam them for their opinion on politics.
Today it’s Dee Snider, who has slammed people who question his opinions on politics.
In a new interview on “Appetite For Distortion” podcast, Dee talked about it, saying:
“It’s mind-numbing, actually — the ‘stay-in-your-lane,’ ‘know-your-place’ mentality. I mean, they are plumbers or lawyers or doctors — they’re speaking their political minds. Why shouldn’t an actor or a musician be allowed to speak theirs? I think the thing that is the rub is that we have a greater outlet to more people to express it to. But after having a B-movie actor as president and a reality-show star as president, shouldn’t [‘stay in your lane’] have been said to Ronald Reagan and Donald Trump? ‘Stay in your lane. You’re not a politician.’ So, it’s wholly offensive. It goes against everything democracy has ever stood for. And music has been political forever. Politics has been expressed through music since… Before rock and roll, since the beginning of time, it’s been one way of getting your message out there, has been through music.
“Someone said the other day, ‘You’re losing half your audience, Dee.’ And then somebody said, ‘Well, CROSBY, STILLS, NASH [& YOUNG] sang ‘Four Dead In Ohio’, and it didn’t seem to kill their career.’
He continued:
“We should be allowed to express ourselves.”
“And then, of course, don’t get me going. I mean, [the 1984 TWISTED SISTER anthem] ‘We’re Not Gonna Take It’ was all about that. I just never thought that I’d have to be turning my guns on fellow rockers. That was a ‘f*ck you’ to parents and teachers and bosses and ‘The Man,’ and now, all of a sudden, I’ve got my fellow rockers behind me going, ‘Hey, you can’t say that. You can’t do…’ What the f*ck? And now I’m sticking guns on them. I’m sticking it at the people that I wrote it for in the first place.
“So, I haven’t changed my stripes one iota — same belief system, the same person. I mean, I’ve grown, I’ve matured, I’m a better person, I will say that. But as far as beliefs and the things I stand for, nothing’s changed. And if you expect them to, you’ve got the wrong rock star, okay?”