After backlash, Shania Twain apologizes for saying she would have voted for Trump

[Stevicus]

After backlash, Shania Twain apologizes for saying she would have voted for Trump

I came across this story today. Obviously, Shania Twain can't vote in U.S. elections because she is a citizen of Canada. The original quote appeared in an article in The Guardian where she discussed many things - mostly about her personal life and career. But she also mentioned that if she could have, she would have voted for Trump.

“I would have voted for him because, even though he was offensive, he seemed honest,” the 52-year-old singer said. “Do you want straight or polite? Not that you shouldn’t be able to have both. If I were voting, I just don’t want bull—-. I would have voted for a feeling that it was transparent. And politics has a reputation of not being that, right?”

Her quote went viral on social media, and hours later, “Shania Twain” was trending worldwide on Twitter. Given that lots of people were not pleased by her comments, the hashtag #ShaniaTwainCancelled had hundreds of tweets.

Twain, the highest-selling solo female artist in country music history, apologized Sunday night after the backlash intensified. She called her answer to the Guardian “awkward” and said that she wished she had given it more context. Twain also emphasized that she does not endorse Trump.

Personally, I've never been a huge fan, but I never had anything against her. A few of her songs were catchy back in the day. But many of her fans are quite upset now, and some are even calling for boycotting her new album and tour. All because she said she would have voted for Trump if she could have.

I guess what I'm wondering here is what this actually says about the current political climate. The dissension and consternation about Trump almost seems to produce this kind of knee-jerk, hair-trigger response, where even the slightest thing can cause a massive backlash.

Based on her responses and apologies after the backlash, it seems that she didn't really even realize what she said - or failed to anticipate the kind of response it would get. (There was a suggestion in the article that she may have said that in the belief that most Country music fans are Trump supporters.)

But then, people are jumping all over her like a pack of wolves on a three-legged cat. There seems to be a recklessness in the air, a kind of mob mentality at work when these things take place. Could they make a martyr out of her? Could this boost her standing among Country music fans who are also Trump supporters?

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Could this boost her standing among Country music fans who are also Trump supporters?

Since she apologized for the remark, I doubt it.

 

[Augustus]

OMG she expressed support for one of two major candidates in a 50/50 election...

 

[Stanyon]

According to the standards we have seen for foreign election meddling, her stated support for Trump was meddling therefore it is easy to conclude that Canada meddled in the 2016 U.S. election.
Frogs

 

[HonestJoe]

I think this is just another example of a wider issue, largely triggered by mass media and (abuse of) social media. There are people and organisations who will take any throwaway comment or minor dispute and spin it up in to a grand controversy, typically just to grab attention for advertising clicks and the like.

I mean, this was a throwaway line at the end of an article about a (with respect to her) C-list Canadian signer in a UK newspaper. Nobody was going to notice and make anything out of it unless they were specifically trawling for something to stir up.

 

[HonestJoe]

Since she apologized for the remark, I doubt it.

Yea, but that don’t impress me much.

 

[YmirGF]

OMG she expressed support for one of two major candidates in a 50/50 election...

Indeed. Heaven forbid one be entitled to their opinion. Ostracize and shun for daring to brook the herd. Welcome to the new acceptable form of bullying.

 

[Stevicus]

Since she apologized for the remark, I doubt it.

Yeah, although I just scanned through some of the tweets on #ShaniaTwainCancelled, and it appears a lot of people aren't buying her apology. Here's an example:

Rather than apologizing for what was clearly an awkward interview, you should simply DENOUNCE TRUMP FOR BEING A SERIAL SEXUAL ABUSER, RACIST & BIGOT. Thank you. #ShaniaTwainIsOverParty #ShaniaTwainCancelled

5:31 PM - 22 Apr 2018

She seems kind of wishy-washy at best or that she may not know exactly where she stands. But in this current political climate, we see a lot of "those who are not with us are against us" types out there. Taking a neutral stance may not be possible. Or those who seem conciliatory or otherwise not sufficiently alarmed by Trump might be castigated as just as bad as the most ardent Trump supporters.

I'm just a bit uncomfortable with where this can lead. It feels like one is being forced to choose one side or another, with one side being rabidly pro-Trump and the other being rabidly anti-Trump.

 

[icehorse]

Indeed. Heaven forbid one be entitled to their opinion. Ostracize and shun for daring to brook the herd. Welcome to the new acceptable form of bullying.

I think you guys missed the alt-left memo - this is on the list of topics for which there is only one acceptable opinion, and they're working towards having those state opinions enforced by law.

 

[Yerda]

OMG she expressed support for one of two major candidates in a 50/50 election...

Indeed. Heaven forbid one be entitled to their opinion. Ostracize and shun for daring to brook the herd. Welcome to the new acceptable form of bullying.

I think you guys missed the alt-left memo - this is on the list of topics for which there is only one acceptable opinion, and they're working towards having those state opinions enforced by law.

This isn't the jokes section lads...

 

[YmirGF]

This isn't the jokes section lads...

Oddly, I rather thought it was.

 

[Stevicus]

Oddly, I rather thought it was.

It's the politics section, which is oftentimes even funnier than the jokes section.

 

[columbus]

I guess what I'm wondering here is what this actually says about the current political climate.

You're really wondering that?

Tom

 

[YmirGF]

It's the politics section, which is oftentimes even funnier than the jokes section.

I had noticed but thought most of the comments quite laughable.

 

[Augustus]

This isn't the jokes section lads...

Satire is only partly about the joke...

 

[Wirey]

Twain grew up in Timmins, Ontario. If you've ever been there, you'd know that saying you would vote for Trump still makes her the classiest broad in town. The only place (this is completely true) I ever saw a woman take off her skidoo helmet so she could spit out her chewing tobacco.

 

[idav]

Celebrities that bash on Trump also get bashed pretty bad from his loyal trolls.

Check out the YouTube comments when De Niro trolls Trump. Some love De Niro’s comments but the Trumpiteer comments are grotesque.

 

[Stevicus]

Celebrities that bash on Trump also get bashed pretty bad from his loyal trolls.

Check out the YouTube comments when De Niro trolls Trump. Some love De Niro’s comments but the Trumpiteer comments are grotesque.

One of the comments stated that De Niro has since apologized to Trump, but I couldn't find a link for that.

I agree that the rhetoric seems to be heated and escalating from both sides.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

I guess what I'm wondering here is what this actually says about the current political climate. The dissension and consternation about Trump almost seems to produce this kind of knee-jerk, hair-trigger response, where even the slightest thing can cause a massive backlash.

Certain things can elicit a strong, quick response, and rightly so.

Imagine if an entertainer just came out and said "I support banning immigration by Muslims." Would you be surprised at a negative reaction?

Since Trump made it clear before the election that he wanted to ban Muslim immigration (and tried to follow through on his promise after he was elected), saying "I would have voted for Trump" implies, at the very least, "in November 2016, I supported banning Muslim immigration."

Now do the same exercise for Trump's campaign other promises. Hopefully you can see just how much awful stuff is wrapped up in saying "I would have voted for Trump."

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

I agree that the rhetoric seems to be heated and escalating from both sides.

At some point, you just have to take a stand. If actual neo-Nazis and the worst corruption since the Iran-Contra scandal aren't worth strongly opposing, what is?