33 Comments

The worst of Kid Rock makes me cringe. This new track lives down to that.

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Nov 30, 2021Liked by Matt Labash

While my 58 yo ears and brain (IMO) consider Rock and Eminem talentless hacks your commentary and writing is not to be considered with the above opinion. I believe you have become a sharper wordsmith since you started this journey down the Substack path. You engage us to open our eyes and minds with your writing. You continue to write outside of the lines and box of what we have been taught what to expect from writers. Thank you.

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Dude, Slim Shady is Eminem, not Kid Rock (Head), they’re both from Macomb Co. Michigan, but they’re completely different people. Methinks Eminem has a much subtler and objective mind.

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True, two different people. I've listened to both since they became became nationally known. My point isn't about Kid Rock. It's about Mr. Trump's rhetorical elixir for his base and their yearning to prominently say and do things that aren't politically correct. Or, as the real Slim Shady would say, "The only difference is I got the b**** to say it in front of y'all, and I don't gotta be false or sugarcoat it at all."

I agree with you re Eminem has a much subtler and objective mind. Although, this is the first time I've considered Eminem as subtle. But your comparison is true.

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author

Racists! All white rappers do not look alike. Also, I just wanted to put a plug in for forgotten white rappers: 3rd Bass.

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You say 3rd Bass. I say House of Pain.

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Mr. Trump got himself elected by becoming / amplifying a real Slim Shady persona, and by focusing that defiance / resentment on wokeism. Ms. Clinton, despite her credentials and experience, stood no chance against the real Slim Shady and the crusade against wokeism.

I'll continue listening to Kid Rock when I need mindless sensationalism and good bad defiance. When I need political clues, I'll continue listening to anti-Kid Rocks such as Bill Kristol and Charlie Sykes...who sponsor a more subtle yet equally firm anti-wokeism stance.

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A lot of people don't know that Bill actually had an offer to become the first white member of the Wu Tang Clan, but he turned it down to start the Standard.

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Hahahaha I laughed so hard at this

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I think of Mr. Kristol more as Yoda in a Star Wars context than as a contributing Wu Tang Clan member. But it's intriguing to consider the serious and publicly responsible voice / content Mr. Kristol would have added to Wu Tang Clan's music.

But back to Kid Rock's Ain't Nobody Gonna Tell Me How To Live video. Mr. Rock exercised incredible restraint in the video production content. What restraint you ask? That video would have been a shining platform for certain elected public officials who pursue sensationalism and attention at all cost. Imagine a guest appearance by MTG training her eye on a certain (fictional of course!) Brandon character. And a guest appearance by representative Cawthorn pulling up to the Full Throttle Saloon to clearly and unequivocally demonstrate belonging and strength. And a guest appearance by representative Bobert. I refrain from further comment.

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Wokeness may be putting many of us to sleep, but I doubt we’ve even reached its radioactive half-life. Cultural laggards can get up to speed with the November issue of Commentary, which is devoted to “Woke: The Threat.” This is the encyclopedic guide to the metastasizing effects of wokeness on: Jews, racial harmony, the English language, medicine, comedy, science and courage. You think Kid Rock reads Commentary?

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author

Not sure he reads, period. But I believe he has people to read to him.

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Nov 27, 2021Liked by Matt Labash

I find it harder and harder to figure out what, exactly, the MAGA crowd wants these days. We’ve got Michael Flynn telling us what this country really needs is one religion, but also, Kid Rock telling us that ain’t nobody gonna tell him how to live. I’ve been told that Trump is a strategic genius, so I’m sure this all works towards some kind of outcome that’s too much for my little brain to handle, but it certainly seems like a cluster in the meantime.

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Kid Rock's privileged background was a bit of a surprise to me. So that means he's white trash by choice?? Wow.

Maybe I shouldn't be surprised. I've always found it ironic that the term "snowflake", as an insult, has been used mostly by the white, privileged class (note the comma there). You know the type. They live in their rural or suburban "white flight" neighborhoods, only hang out with their white family and friends (they may have one or two "friends of color", but only if they tow the conservative party line) and are willfully ignorant of what white privilege (oops! No comma this time) actually means. They remain in their vanilla circles in the midst of their marshmallow world, snowblinded by their own whiteness. And yet...those people on the Left are called sensitive snowflakes.

Well, I've been accused of being a SJW, even as an Independent, but I'm also from P.G. County and I love my Mossberg 500. I got your "snowflake" right here. 😆😆

Just messing with you, brother. 😁 I know we're both hanging out on the middle edges.

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Nov 27, 2021Liked by Matt Labash

Not a bad place to hang. May be a bit more in from the edges myself, but best company (and allies) found within their boundaries. Don't care for real injustice, social or otherwise, and ain't afraid to say so in mixed company, which I often find myself in, considering my neck of the woods is pretty Trumpy. Guess my 870 and a couple of other things must give me a bit of cred one way or another with certain folks, since none of them have ever tried pinning that moniker on me on the occasions I called BS on some of their BS. At least not to my face, anyway.

Yeah, from the middle edges on in is terra firma for me. And we'd all better hang together if we don't want to end up somewhere more resembling the Middle Ages.

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Well said, kindred spirit.😉

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To be honest, I prefer the more obvious forms of hick humiliation, like this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wteVZ3Llhto

The subtle form you link to is too subtle, feels a bit cruel.

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That's pretty good, actually.

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You’ve never let me down.

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There's still time.........

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Re: K. Rock, The Nuge' & similar performers and their late and current music (I suppose more or less hollerin' and cussin' with the most shopworn profanities along to some background noise has been considered music for a while now):

ZZZZZZZZZ... (snort, roll over)...ZZZZZZZZZ...

Michigan seems to have been rather fertile ground for this sort of white-trash tripe. Apologies for that. (Not really... Bob Seger pretty much balances the score on that count.)

We get a hell of a lot of snow some winters here in The Wolverine State. But you can count on all those snowflakes to melt in the spring. Well, depending on the year and which side of The Straits one's located on, by early summer anyway. Sometimes there's a bit of cussin' involved before their departure, since when enough of them accumulate at any given time they do cause some problems and can be more than just a bit annoying. But hurling profanities at 'em never made them go away any faster, though I have to admit that it sometimes feels kind of good to let fly a couple of F-bombs in their direction while alone in the cab of my old truck, plowing through a particularly deep drift in my driveway...for the 2nd or 3rd time.

Still, nature always takes its course, and come late June or early July all that aggravation is just a faded memory. Until winter inevitably rolls around again.

So, though I may be a relic, old fashioned and over the hill...

Just take those old records off the shelf.

I'll sit and listen to 'em by myself.

Today's music ain't got the same soul.

I like that old time rock and roll.

As to Rock, Nugent et.al., as soon as I wake up, I'll lift an enthusiastic middle digit in salute to their immense talents, musical and otherwise.

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Kill it and grill it! (Nuge!)

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I assume you have seen the Pure Michigan spoof commercials - Downriver is a favorite of mine!

https://youtu.be/VDCCcxlKzDU

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Hey...actually, no. Had heard about them, but never bothered to look them up.

The Downriver thing is a real hoot and fits so well...especially liked the tattoo bit, cars and all. But then went on to The Mackinac Bridge Walk which was queued up next.

Not from MI originally, but been here near 50 years now, and having spent a good deal of vacation time in that area the past couple of decades, I was almost in tears. My youngest, who was born and raised here, is home with her family for a visit and was sitting across the room from me as I watched it. Just listening to the audio as it played was enough to crack her up!

Thanks so much for that! Have a farmer friend who goes up nearly every year to watch them drive the tractors across. Will have to check and see what they have about that little soiree. He no doubt would appreciate that one.

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Nov 27, 2021Liked by Matt Labash

Apologies...got lost in the fog of nostalgia and forgot the main point of this. Which is a big salute to Matt, sans digits of any kind, for some excellent wordsmithing in the cause of calling it the way he sees it. Good one!!

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Maybe Trump was reaching for kafaybe when he tweeted cofeve; clearly his true brilliance was lurking under the surface /s

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author

He's practically a genius. His uncle went to MIT. But he doesn't like to brag. It's not his way.......

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Nov 27, 2021Liked by Matt Labash

Foock is a perfectly good pronunciation, even now. Especially with in-ell attached to it.

With you on the woke wars - it’s like watching a repeat of the Salem witch trials, except there’s a large chunk of society forming covens in solidarity with the imaginary witches. None of this is a good use of the limited number of spins we get around the sun.

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Actually there are any number of classy enunciations in The Gentlemen - and Colin Ferrill does use "fookin' idjit"

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Nov 27, 2021Liked by Matt Labash

This sentence is why I read......"Rock went on to visit all the stations of the white-trash cross:"

Damn, I love that sentence. 😂

Your wordsmithing is topnotch Matt!

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Nov 27, 2021Liked by Matt Labash

Me too…such a pearl.

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Nov 27, 2021Liked by Matt Labash

Well Matt, I did learn there is a word assigned not only to the world of pro wrestling? Also to the political world. Kafaybe😏I feel so woken.

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Nov 27, 2021Liked by Matt Labash

I’m always happy to see a new Slack Tide piece in my inbox, love your writing.

I think Gregory Thornbury gets the credit for the kayfabe idea.

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