Nascar driver Brandon Brown isn’t pleased with the “Let’s Go Brandon” meme that his name inspired and has “zero desire to be involved in politics,” according to a new report.
New York Times columnist Ben Smith wrote a piece titled “Brandon Just Wants to Drive His Racecar” and spoke with Brown about his unexpected political tie.
In October, the 28-year-old inadvertently sparked an infamous meme after winning his first Nascar Xfinity Series victory at Alabama’s Talladega Superspeed.
An NBC sports reporter Kellie Stavast tried to cover for the crowd shouting “F*** Joe Biden” by saying they were chanting “Let’s Go Brandon” in support of Brown’s win.
After this, the expression was used to troll by many conservatives.
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In November, former President Donald Trump was caught laughing at the chant while he and Melania attended the baseball World Series Game 4 between Houston Astros and Atlanta Braves.
Conservative rapper Bryson Gray’s “Let’s Go Brandon” song topped the iTunes charts, taking the top and second-top spots. The song also implied that Covid-19 vaccines wouldn’t prevent the spread of the virus.
YouTube ended up banning both the music video and lyric video for Gray’s song over “medical misinformation.”
In the post-race interview with Stavast, Brown was delighted, and the win was “everything [he’d] hoped and dreamed for.”
He also noted that “everything he’s ever wanted to do is take the trophy home to mom and dad.” The sweet sentiment was a stark contrast to what the “Let’s Go Brandon” chant meant.
As Smith noted in the column, Brown at first didn’t hear the chant or realise that he had entered into the world of memes until he checked Twitter.
At first, he said he found it “kind of funny” and even sent out some tweets of his own.
To all the other Brandon’s out there, You’re welcome!
— Brandon Brown (@brandonbrown_68) October 6, 2021
Let’s go us
But as the phrase grew in popularity, Brown became concerned.
“This whole Talladega race win was supposed to be a celebration, and then it was supposed to be something that I was able to use to move up, and I really wanted to capitalize on that,” Brown told Smith.
He also said that as the meme became viral, it became a moment of him staying “more silent” because people seemed to want it to lean on the “political side.”
“I’m about the racing side.”
Brown also noted that as a Nascar driver, he sought “to appeal to everybody, because, all in all, everybody is a consumer,” while adding, “I have zero desire to be involved in politics.”
A spokesman for Brown’s racing team had reached out to Smith after they realised that waiting for the “storm” to cease wasn’t working, wrote Smith, and “his silence on the matter seemed to be a political statement.”
Brown told Smith that he is hoping to turn the phrase into something more positive and “productive,” suggesting a new slogan of “Let’s Go, America!”
Smith ended the column by expressing respect for Brown and his responses, “navigating subjects he’s never really thought about.”
Check out people’s responses to the conversation on Twitter below.
Go for him. I’m glad he’s saying this. He was used to build a brand and he’s pulling the rug out from it. Just by saying he won’t be a part of it.
— Jeanne. Progressive. I love Democracy. (@Mully1897) December 20, 2021
It’s easy for those of us who are very interested in politics to forget that many people aren’t interested at all. And they have the right to not be interested at all.
— AJRFan (@AJRfan55) December 20, 2021
Poor guy, I hope he recovers…
— Matt (@MathewGouldsbo1) December 20, 2021
I'm glad to know that this guy is not involved in this childishness. I was disturbed to see a big church full of people chanting this, especially since it's basically code for "F Joe Biden!". Jesus wept, I'm sure.
— Mo Ray (@mo2dmax) December 20, 2021
People that find lets go brandon funny have 0 personality
— Sam Hall (@samh8876) December 20, 2021
Read more of The New York Times column here.
