Last weekend, Kid Rock performed at FishLipz Bar & Grill in Smithville, Tennessee. The show was definitely memorable, albeit not for a great reason: While on stage, he got frustrated with his audience and responded by using a homophobic slur. Addressing one attendee who was filming the performance with their phone, Rock said, “F*ck your iPhone, yeah!” After singing about his crotch for a little bit, he added, “You f*cking f*****s with your phones out!”
Now, Rock has responded to the situation, although instead of putting out the fire, he fanned the flames.
On Twitter yesterday afternoon, Rock shared a tweet, written from the perspective of “Bob Ritchie” (the musician’s full legal name is Robert James Ritchie). In the tweet, he writes about “Kid Rock” like he’s a completely different person, but that’s not even the most baffling thing about the post: Rock decided to address his use of the slur by using the slur again. He wrote, “If Kid Rock using the word f***** offends you, good chance you are one. Either way, I know he has a lot of love for his gay friends and I will have a talk with him. Have a nice day. -Bob Ritchie”
If Kid Rock using the word faggot offends you, good chance you are one. Either way, I know he has a lot of love for his gay friends and I will have a talk with him. Have a nice day. -Bob Ritchie
— Kid Rock (@KidRock) June 9, 2021
The response to the tweet has been divided. Some Rock fans told detractors to “calm down” and one praised the artist for “standing up to the woke bully left.” Then there are those who mocked Rock’s decision to discuss himself in the third person. One user replied, “thanks Bob, be sure to tell him no one respects him,” while author John Pavlovitz responded, “You’re both idiots.”
thanks Bob, be sure to tell him no one respects him
— fatty pinner (@fattypinner) June 9, 2021
You’re both idiots.
— John Pavlovitz (@johnpavlovitz) June 10, 2021