Kid Rock was once a semirebellious rap rocker who mostly advocated for drinking and having a good time.
He was a sort of antiauthority character who lived a loud life, dated famous women, and got a lot of airtime on MTV back when that channel still played music videos.
In recent years, Kid Rock has taken a hard turn to the right. He embraced former President Donald Trump's messages and even opens his concerts with a message from the "Make America Great Again" figure.
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At least over the past couple of years, Rock has been more famous for his politics than his music. The singer took a stand against Bud Light after the Anheuser-Busch InBev (BUD) -) brand made a small marketing deal with the transgender social-media influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
That marketing campaign was not something Rock liked at all. And while he never specifically mentioned Mulvaney, he posted on social-media a video in which he shot up cases of Bud Light with an automatic weapon.
Rock's actions led to a massive boycott of Bud Light that caused the beer brand to lose about 26% of its sales while pushing it out of its long-held spot as America's top beer.
Now, Rock has a new target, which he's using to get attention for his upcoming tour with the controversial "Try That In a Small Town" singer Jason Aldean.
Image source: Shutterstock
Kid Rock calls out Target over LGBTQ+ merchandise
It's reasonable to think that Rock might be playing to his base rather than experiencing actual outrage. After he inspired the boycott he was seen drinking Bud Light, and his bar never actually stopped selling the beer.
But whether Rock's words are savvy marketing or true conviction, they seem to have impact. Now, as the singer prepares for his 2024 "Rock the Country" tour, he's playing to the base prejudices of some of his fans by going after Target (TGT) -) for selling inclusive merchandise.
"Black Friday is here! You could go to Target and get a great deal on a women's swimsuit with a penis pouch ... or you could buy tickets to the most patriotic music gatherings in the world! http://rockthecountry.com Hope everyone had a terrific Thanksgiving, God Bless. -Kid Rock," he posted on X, formerly Twitter.
The reference? Target, which had to pull its Pride merchandise from store shelves to keep its employees safe, had faced a wave of criticism when it was falsely accused of selling so-called tuck-friendly bathing suits in kids' sizes.
That never actually happened, according to the Associated Press.
The "tuck-friendly" swimsuits are offered only in adult sizes, according to a spokesperson for the company and Target’s website. "Kids’ swimsuits in the collection do not feature this label," the news organization reported.
Target took its Pride collection out of its stores
Target has faced a lot of right-wing criticism for making its bathrooms available to people based on the gender they identify as, not their birth gender. That led to some protests and boycotts, but there was no material effect on the chain's business.
This year, however, Target had to pull Pride merchandise off its shelves to protect its workers. Chief Executive Brian Cornell addressed the matter during the company's second-quarter-earnings call.
"In the second quarter, many of our store team members faced a negative guest reaction to our pride assortment," he said. "As you know, we have featured a pride assortment for more than a decade. However, after the launch of the assortment this year, members of our team began experiencing threats and aggressive actions that affected their sense of safety and well-being while at work."
Cornell said that while he was not apologizing for the Pride collection, he was making choices to keep his employees safe.
"I want to make it clear: We denounce violence and hate of all kinds. And the safety of our team and our guests is our top priority. So, to protect the team in the face of these threatening circumstances, we quickly made changes, including the removal of items through the center of the most significant confrontational behavior," he added.
The CEO also emphasized that he remained committed to celebrating diversity.
"Pride is one of many heritage moments that are important to our guests and our team, and we'll continue to support these moments in the future," he said.
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