Screenshot via Turning Point USA
Kid Rock’s alternative Super Bowl halftime show on Sunday night resulted in increased scrutiny surrounding some of the rock star’s past comments, as many on the MAGA right called Bad Bunny’s performance immoral and un-American while lauding Kid Rock’s appearance at the Turning Point USA event.
Many users online pointed to a 2001 song Kid Rock released called “Cool, Daddy Cool.” In the song, Kid Rock, whose real name is Robert James Ritchie, sings about liking underage girls. One of the lyrics in the song goes, “Young ladies, young ladies, I like ’em underage, see. Some say that’s statutory (But I say it’s mandatory).”
Kid Rock’s Saturday Night Live appearance from April of 2001 also went viral ahead of his Sunday show, as he said on the episode that Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen “were old enough to pursue” – despite the famous twins being 14 at the time.
During the regular Weekend Update skit on SNL, Kid Rock joked, “Why is every guy in America waiting for these chicks to turn 18? I mean, you know what I’m saying? If there’s grass on the field, play ball!”
Kid Rock appeared on Laura Ingraham’s Fox News show on Monday night and took a victory lap of sorts, after being widely praised for his performance by the right all day. Fox’s Emily Compagno said earlier in the day that the alternative halftime show had her “moved to tears.”
Kid Rock’s critics, however, had a very different take. Zeteo’s Mehdi Hasan shared the rocker’s comments on SNL and wrote, “This is their hero. This is who brought Megyn Kelly to tears and who RFK was hanging out with.”
“It’s hilarious that the conservative alternative to Bad Bunny was Kid Rock rapping about porno, meth, crack heads, gang violence & hookers. These are the lyrics to the first song he performed,” added political commentator and hip hop artist An0maly.
Below are some additional reactions:
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