Musicians often aren’t too keen about Donald Trump playing their music at his rallies or other events. Artists like Axl Rose and Pharrell have insisted that Trump stop using their songs or even taken legal action against the president. Trump again got musical at a rally in Florida yesterday, this time dancing to the Village People classic “YMCA,” which many people found ironic.
After “Village People” and “YMCA” started trending on Twitter, one user summarized the situation well, writing, “The song’s lyrics appear to extol the virtues of the #YMCA. However, in gay culture from which the Village People stemmed, the song is understood as celebrating YMCA’s reputation as a popular cruising & hookup spot, particularly for younger gay men. And once more for the particularly delusional or hard of thinking: Trump’s support base is the Christian Right – who hate gay people. You’re welcome.”
The song’s lyrics appear to extol the virtues of the #YMCA. However, in gay culture from which the Village People stemmed, the song is understood as celebrating YMCA’s reputation as a popular cruising & hookup spot, particularly for younger gay men.pic.twitter.com/oYsZMwwTe7
— GET A GRIP (@docrussjackson) October 13, 2020
And once more for the particularly delusional or hard of thinking: Trump’s support base is the Christian Right – who hate gay people. You’re welcome.
— GET A GRIP (@docrussjackson) October 13, 2020
Another user shared a clip of news coverage of the rally and noted, “Watch as Anderson Cooper stares off into the middle distance upon realizing that Trump is using gay anthem ‘YMCA’ to amp up his radically homophobic base at a mask free rally after testing positive for COVID-19 less than 2 weeks ago. Enjoy Macho Man!”
Watch as Anderson Cooper stares off into the middle distance upon realizing that Trump is using gay anthem “YMCA” to amp up his radically homophobic base at a mask free rally after testing positive for COVID-19 less than 2 weeks ago. Enjoy Macho Man! pic.twitter.com/F0XY3GhWbV
— Mix Andrist (She/Her/Sir) (@MixAndrist) October 13, 2020
After Trump played “Macho Man” at an India rally earlier this year, Village People spoke out about the POTUS using their music, saying in a Facebook post that while they weren’t trying to block their songs from being played at his events, they be no means support him or his use of their music:
“TO OUR FANS:
We have received numerous requests demanding that we prevent or ban President Donald Trump’s use of our songs, particularly ‘Y.M.C.A.’ and ‘Macho Man.’
With the latest use of ‘Macho Man’ in India, we are being inundated and can no longer remain silent.
Since our music is not being used for a specific endorsement, the President’s use is ‘perfect[ly]’ legal.
He has remained respectful in his use of our songs and has not crossed the line; if he or any other candidate were to use any of our songs in a manner that would suggest our endorsement, or in a promotional advertisement, that would cross the line.
Like millions of Village People fans worldwide, the President and his supporters have shown a genuine like for our music.
Our music is all-inclusive and certainly everyone is entitled to do the YMCA dance, regardless of their political affiliation. Having said that, we certainly don’t endorse his use as we’d prefer our music be kept out of politics.”
One user re-shared that story and noted, “Doesn’t it seem that The Village People are sort of punking Trump with his desire to play their music at his Covid Spreaders. Sure, play our music they said. [laughing emoji]”
Doesn’t it seem that The Village People are sort of punking Trump with his desire to play their music at his Covid Spreaders. Sure, play our music they said. https://t.co/STjbcHgS4t
— B. Janine Morison (@bjaninemorison) October 13, 2020
Check out some more reactions below, including some criticism’s of Trump’s dancing abilities.
And when his new exit song, The Village People’s “YMCA,” blaring over the loudspeakers, the president did what has become his trademark dance, pumping his fists somewhat in time to the beat as the crowd roared.
But he kept his distance from the audience. https://t.co/kq0iwqbCqN
— Jonathan Lemire (@JonLemire) October 13, 2020
YMCA and some of Trumps Covid steroids looks like a cracking night out pic.twitter.com/AT0NzjafFl
— Keeley (@lovekeeley_) October 13, 2020
Those dance moves tho RT @AndyOstroy: What the fuck in the fucking fuckity fuck is this?? #Trump pic.twitter.com/1mckl3wipK
— M (@pabnuetz) October 13, 2020
First he said he’d kiss men and now he dancing to YMCA the steroids got him acting fruity as hell https://t.co/xShx88mrRF
— noi on these hoes (@newhastings) October 13, 2020
America: 8,038,037 infected, 220,018 dead, 1 dancing to YMCA.pic.twitter.com/jQz01VpClq
— Andrea Junker ® (@Strandjunker) October 13, 2020
middle aged white ppl hate gays but love doing the ymca dance
— da (vince)y? (@_vicne) October 12, 2020
The village people are the only group that hasnt given Trump a cease and desist order to stop playing their music because its seriously funny to watch homophobes dance to a gay anthem.
— mike (@1kingsbay) October 13, 2020
YMCA#VillagePeople
Trump man
There’s a need to feel down
I said, Trump man
Find yourself on the ground
I said, Trump man
Cause you’re soon out of town
There’s a need to be unhappyIt’s fun to take all that
Dexamethasone
It’s fun to take all that
Dexamethasone#MachoMan #YMCA pic.twitter.com/cdJIrxKxzN— Tomi Ahonen The Rat In The Hat (@tomiahonen) October 13, 2020