What's Mike said now?

[Heywood]

Bit surprised when this popped up on my twitter feed -

If right wing pieces of sh*t like Guy Fieri and Mike Love would just keep their horrible views to themselves, no one would know how horrible they are. But this is an era where pieces of sh*t seem to *want* everyone to know they're pieces of sh*t. Fine. At least now we know.

[Rocky Raccoon]

It doesn’t even work as a joke. It’s a reference to a trans actress who did an innocuous tiktok sponsored by Budweiser. I don’t even use tiktok, it’s demographic seems to be teens to mid 20s but somehow conservative circles got wind of it and interpreted it as “BUDWEISER DOESN’T CARE ABOUT REAL WOMEN” or something like that. Doesn’t really make any sense but I’m glad Mike thinks it’s HILARIOUS (and also the government is somehow involved because he mentions the FBI? The whole thing is pretty dumb).

[HeyJude]

From what I've heard, Mike's been doing this particular joke schtick for a while now on tour.

He's been doing this for decades. Listen to the '93 Paramount "boxed set tour" show; he does a dumb bit about Clinton and taxes.

Thanks to Elora's great YouTube channel, we can also have easy access to things like this from the truly halcyon days of the year 2000:

"mike love rants like an insane person about good vibrations, weed + bill clinton" - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pv_5pdlgIHM

His latest thing is just more of the same. Yes, it's dumb, and it's *needlessly* polarizing. And it's a straw man argument that I'm sure Mike doesn't believe, but thinks is funny (as one article points out, does Mike really think the FBI is going to bust him for performing "Surfer Girl?").

Nobody has ever stopped Mike from doing whatever songs he wants to, or from saying anything he wants to on stage. I've rarely seen such a privileged person who gets everything he wants have such a strong desire to still be aggrieved about something.

[Jim V.]

I’m confused. What did Mike say?

[Emdeeh]

He's been telling a joke apologizing for "Surfer Girl" being gender-specific, nothing that needs apologizing for in the first place. Once he threw in some off-hand political BS., the joke absolutely fell flat in my estimation. Some people in the audience laughed, I didn't find it funny at all. I wish he would drop that joke altogether.

Heyjude, I agree that it's needlessly polarizing.

Edit: This seems to be the original article, which also references the Twitter item:
https://consequence.net/2023/07/mike-love-surfer-girl-gender-specific/

[juggler]

Folks, Mike Love is gonna Mike Love.  At 82, an old dog isn't going to learn new tricks.  Laugh, cry or cringe at his humor, but he ain't changing.

[Awesoman]

Much ado about nothing.  His joke, good or bad, was just a joke.  And no topic is above making light of no matter how "touchy" the subject is.  

Nobody has ever stopped Mike from doing whatever songs he wants to, or from saying anything he wants to on stage. I've rarely seen such a privileged person who gets everything he wants have such a strong desire to still be aggrieved about something.

I take it you've never been on Twitter before. 

[HeyJude]

Much ado about nothing.  His joke, good or bad, was just a joke.  And no topic is above making light of no matter how "touchy" the subject is.  

Nobody has ever stopped Mike from doing whatever songs he wants to, or from saying anything he wants to on stage. I've rarely seen such a privileged person who gets everything he wants have such a strong desire to still be aggrieved about something.

I take it you've never been on Twitter before.  

Most aggrieved people on Twitter aren't multi-millionaires doing exactly what they want to do every day, exactly how they want to do it. There are some of those as well, sure. And yes, Twitter is awful as well for a myriad of reasons. If even there was ANY evidence that someone actually attacked Mike for performing "Surfer Girl", or tried to prevent him from doing the song, then his aggravation would be understandable. Even then, I don't know if telling a bad joke about it on stage *every night* for a period of time would be the best way to respond to it. But what's happening is Mike is "old man yelling at a cloud" rankled about another hot button issue, and is creating a straw man to argue against in order to do his HILARIOUS joke that is so funny that even people who agree with his politics are saying the joke sucks.

I mean, not even *the other Beach Boys* have prevented Mike from doing a song he wants to do. I don't think anybody else in the band was clamoring to perform "It's OK" or "Kokomo" or "Still Crusin'." And "Surfer Girl" is an especially dumb example to complain about, because when was the last time that song *wasn't* in the setlist? The 60s?

And you know what, I don't think what Mike's doing on stage is really a "joke." As in, he just thought of a funny joke and wants to tell it on stage. It's a topical comment on a clearly polarizing present-day issue. I think most or all of Mike's on-stage political "jokes" are born out of his personality and politics. This has only become more prevalent and transparently political (and conservative) in the post-2016 era as far as Mike's concerned. I think that was the point at which is was no longer a realistic possibility that Mike was even partly unaware of how polarizing his politics are. He no longer cares.

Yes, we should all be aware that, especially at 82, Mike Love is indeed gonna Mike Love. I'm not surprised by any of this. It's kind of fascinating to watch someone be unprofessional at 82 years of age after 62 years in the industry.

I guess he's gotta find an outlet for airing his politics on stage, as his previous go-to of doing political events with the "Beach Boys" name attached was shut down (no pun intended).

[Awesoman]

Much ado about nothing.  His joke, good or bad, was just a joke.  And no topic is above making light of no matter how "touchy" the subject is.  

Nobody has ever stopped Mike from doing whatever songs he wants to, or from saying anything he wants to on stage. I've rarely seen such a privileged person who gets everything he wants have such a strong desire to still be aggrieved about something.

I take it you've never been on Twitter before. 

Most aggrieved people on Twitter aren't multi-millionaires doing exactly what they want to do every day, exactly how they want to do it. There are some of those as well, sure. And yes, Twitter is awful as well for a myriad of reasons. If even there was ANY evidence that someone actually attacked Mike for performing "Surfer Girl", or tried to prevent him from doing the song, then his aggravation would be understandable. Even then, I don't know if telling a bad joke about it on stage *every night* for a period of time would be the best way to respond to it. But what's happening is Mike is "old man yelling at a cloud" rankled about another hot button issue, and is creating a straw man to argue against in order to do his HILARIOUS joke that is so funny that even people who agree with his politics are saying the joke sucks.

And you know what, I don't think what Mike's doing on stage is really a "joke." As in, he just thought of a funny joke and wants to tell it on stage. It's a topical comment on a clearly polarizing present-day issue. I think most or all of Mike's on-stage political "jokes" are born out of his personality and politics. This has only become more prevalent and transparently political (and conservative) in the post-2016 era as far as Mike's concerned. I think that was the point at which is was no longer a realistic possibility that Mike was even partly unaware of how polarizing his politics are. He no longer cares.

Yes, we should all be aware that, especially at 82, Mike Love is indeed gonna Mike Love. I'm not surprised by any of this. It's kind of fascinating to watch someone be unprofessional at 82 years of age after 62 years in the industry.

I guess he's gotta find an outlet for airing his politics on stage, as his previous go-to of doing political events with the "Beach Boys" name attached was shut down (no pun intended).

...or more realistically he's just poking fun at the whole Bud Light debacle because that's what has been topical lately.  He's been making politically-tinged jokes (for better or for worse) for decades now.  I don't think he's really "aggravated" about anything but was merely being facetious.  I think you and others are reading way too deeply into this.  Groan at his sense of humor all you want but he's allowed to make jokes, even politically sensitive jokes you might not agree with, all he wants. 

[HeyJude]

Much ado about nothing.  His joke, good or bad, was just a joke.  And no topic is above making light of no matter how "touchy" the subject is.  

Nobody has ever stopped Mike from doing whatever songs he wants to, or from saying anything he wants to on stage. I've rarely seen such a privileged person who gets everything he wants have such a strong desire to still be aggrieved about something.

I take it you've never been on Twitter before.  

Most aggrieved people on Twitter aren't multi-millionaires doing exactly what they want to do every day, exactly how they want to do it. There are some of those as well, sure. And yes, Twitter is awful as well for a myriad of reasons. If even there was ANY evidence that someone actually attacked Mike for performing "Surfer Girl", or tried to prevent him from doing the song, then his aggravation would be understandable. Even then, I don't know if telling a bad joke about it on stage *every night* for a period of time would be the best way to respond to it. But what's happening is Mike is "old man yelling at a cloud" rankled about another hot button issue, and is creating a straw man to argue against in order to do his HILARIOUS joke that is so funny that even people who agree with his politics are saying the joke sucks.

And you know what, I don't think what Mike's doing on stage is really a "joke." As in, he just thought of a funny joke and wants to tell it on stage. It's a topical comment on a clearly polarizing present-day issue. I think most or all of Mike's on-stage political "jokes" are born out of his personality and politics. This has only become more prevalent and transparently political (and conservative) in the post-2016 era as far as Mike's concerned. I think that was the point at which is was no longer a realistic possibility that Mike was even partly unaware of how polarizing his politics are. He no longer cares.

Yes, we should all be aware that, especially at 82, Mike Love is indeed gonna Mike Love. I'm not surprised by any of this. It's kind of fascinating to watch someone be unprofessional at 82 years of age after 62 years in the industry.

I guess he's gotta find an outlet for airing his politics on stage, as his previous go-to of doing political events with the "Beach Boys" name attached was shut down (no pun intended).

...or more realistically he's just poking fun at the whole Bud Light debacle because that's what has been topical lately.  He's been making politically-tinged jokes (for better or for worse) for decades now.  I don't think he's really "aggravated" about anything but was merely being facetious.  I think you and others are reading way too deeply into this.  Groan at his sense of humor all you want but he's allowed to make jokes, even politically sensitive jokes you might not agree with, all he wants.  

This is the same debate that’s been going on for decades among fans and scholars of the band. And it has multiple layers, because we’re not only parsing the motivation and beliefs of Mike Love himself, but we’re also getting into the credulousness of some fans. It’s not a coincidence that the more like-minded a given fan is with Mike as far as politics and general disposition, the more likely they conveniently seem to feel Mike’s just “tellin’ jokes” and anyone who thinks it makes Mike (and by affiliation the band) look like tools or creeps just “don’t have a sense of humor.”

What’s interesting to me is that this apparent credulousness has been much less believable in light of Mike’s own stated politics of more recent years. Mike has not backed off or become more chilled out about politics. He has become more aggressive, more willing to let there be no confusion about his political beliefs and affiliations. As the country has become *more* polarized, Mike has seen fit to “pick a side” rather than try to unite. His dumb “Surfer Girl” joke isn’t about bringing anybody together.

In short, I don’t believe Mike is just writing jokes about current affairs, with no political motive or motivation. His jokes are always about the old rich white dude conservative position. Not surprising given he’s an old rich white conservative dude.

But don’t let anyone ever gaslight you by saying Mike’s just working on his late night stand-up routine. These are political screeds, masked as passive aggressive jokes. That should be very, very apparent, whether you agree or disagree with his sentiment. And yes, on top of all of that, they are groaners. They’re never funny. That is also increasingly apparent, again even among people who might tend to agree with his politics.

That’s why I always find this stuff fascinating, when Mike comes across poorly because of *clear* political bloviating, and also isn’t even funny while doing it. It’s like the ’88 Rock Hall speech. A speech *like that* could have been a great, renegade moment. But he did in such a way that he just looked like a fool and went a long way towards cementing his image, as Rolling Stone put it to him a few years ago, Rock and Roll’s biggest a**hole.

Again, I would say that if anybody (or any organization) was calling on Mike to not perform “Surfer Girl”, then I’d absolutely find that ridiculous. But that hasn’t happened. What’s happening is that Mike is doing his usual lame schtick on stage, punching down, and assuming it’s fine because his audiences are like-minded and like him demographically. His audience skews much older and whiter than a lot of shows, so I’m sure there are fewer people offended by the sentiment of his joke. But ironically, even a lot of old, like-minded fans from what I’ve seen have found this latest bit just tiresome and needless.

Maybe when you’re 82 it’s easier to start doing bad political conservative stand-up rather than singing more songs.

[Awesoman]

Much ado about nothing.  His joke, good or bad, was just a joke.  And no topic is above making light of no matter how "touchy" the subject is.  

Nobody has ever stopped Mike from doing whatever songs he wants to, or from saying anything he wants to on stage. I've rarely seen such a privileged person who gets everything he wants have such a strong desire to still be aggrieved about something.

I take it you've never been on Twitter before.  

Most aggrieved people on Twitter aren't multi-millionaires doing exactly what they want to do every day, exactly how they want to do it. There are some of those as well, sure. And yes, Twitter is awful as well for a myriad of reasons. If even there was ANY evidence that someone actually attacked Mike for performing "Surfer Girl", or tried to prevent him from doing the song, then his aggravation would be understandable. Even then, I don't know if telling a bad joke about it on stage *every night* for a period of time would be the best way to respond to it. But what's happening is Mike is "old man yelling at a cloud" rankled about another hot button issue, and is creating a straw man to argue against in order to do his HILARIOUS joke that is so funny that even people who agree with his politics are saying the joke sucks.

And you know what, I don't think what Mike's doing on stage is really a "joke." As in, he just thought of a funny joke and wants to tell it on stage. It's a topical comment on a clearly polarizing present-day issue. I think most or all of Mike's on-stage political "jokes" are born out of his personality and politics. This has only become more prevalent and transparently political (and conservative) in the post-2016 era as far as Mike's concerned. I think that was the point at which is was no longer a realistic possibility that Mike was even partly unaware of how polarizing his politics are. He no longer cares.

Yes, we should all be aware that, especially at 82, Mike Love is indeed gonna Mike Love. I'm not surprised by any of this. It's kind of fascinating to watch someone be unprofessional at 82 years of age after 62 years in the industry.

I guess he's gotta find an outlet for airing his politics on stage, as his previous go-to of doing political events with the "Beach Boys" name attached was shut down (no pun intended).

...or more realistically he's just poking fun at the whole Bud Light debacle because that's what has been topical lately.  He's been making politically-tinged jokes (for better or for worse) for decades now.  I don't think he's really "aggravated" about anything but was merely being facetious.  I think you and others are reading way too deeply into this.  Groan at his sense of humor all you want but he's allowed to make jokes, even politically sensitive jokes you might not agree with, all he wants.  

This is the same debate that’s been going on for decades among fans and scholars of the band. And it has multiple layers, because we’re not only parsing the motivation and beliefs of Mike Love himself, but we’re also getting into the credulousness of some fans. It’s not a coincidence that the more like-minded a given fan is with Mike as far as politics and general disposition, the more likely they conveniently seem to feel Mike’s just “tellin’ jokes” and anyone who thinks it makes Mike (and by affiliation the band) look like tools or creeps just “don’t have a sense of humor.”

Considering that this very thread started with someone whining about "right wing pieces of sh*t" (which is code for "how dare someone have a different opinion than me"), I'd say your point goes both ways.  Regardless as to whether or not I agree or disagree with Mike on any given topic, I found this joke to be kinda lame ultimately.  But a joke nonetheless.  Something not newsworthy or even worthy of the scrutiny of this message board.  Something that you either chuckle or groan at and then move on with your day unscathed.    

What’s interesting to me is that this apparent credulousness has been much less believable in light of Mike’s own stated politics of more recent years. Mike has not backed off or become more chilled out about politics. He has become more aggressive, more willing to let there be no confusion about his political beliefs and affiliations. As the country has become *more* polarized, Mike has seen fit to “pick a side” rather than try to unite. His dumb “Surfer Girl” joke isn’t about bringing anybody together.

In short, I don’t believe Mike is just writing jokes about current affairs, with no political motive or motivation. His jokes are always about the old rich white dude conservative position. Not surprising given he’s an old rich white conservative dude.

But don’t let anyone ever gaslight you by saying Mike’s just working on his late night stand-up routine. These are political screeds, masked as passive aggressive jokes. That should be very, very apparent, whether you agree or disagree with his sentiment. And yes, on top of all of that, they are groaners. They’re never funny. That is also increasingly apparent, again even among people who might tend to agree with his politics.

Not sure it would do any good to unpack the numerous overgeneralizations you are clearly making here about select groups of people so let's just stick with Mike:  I largely agree with you that Mike's jokes are usually lame and that regardless of his politics he says stupid things.  But Mike is not a prophet, a poet, nor a major figure in our culture.  He's a geriatric lead singer of a band that's been around for well over half a century.  As I've argued endlessly in this forum for years now, it doesn't matter what he says or thinks any more or less than anyone else.  Entertainers and public figures shoot their mouths off all the time and Mike is no different.  But this latest "controversy"...?  Hysterical nonsense.  Let it go, people.  If you didn't care with his rhetoric over these comments that's fine; but to try and treat such a throwaway comment as some deeper, malicious political scheme is complete ridiculous absurdity.  Mike's comments here are no different from the countless other entertainers that like to bombard us with their differing political opinions...either all of it is okay or none of it is okay.  

I've attended hundreds of concerts featuring performers making a variety of different political statements that I either agreed with or were completely at the expense of my own personal beliefs.  I either laugh it off or roll my eyes but either way I get over it.  No need to have conniption fits or make pretentious rants because somebody said something I didn't like or agree with.  If we could learn as a collective that very simple lesson we might actually get somewhere in understanding our differences constructively and bring the temperature down.  

[Wirestone]

I would respectfully disagree. Not all opinions are the same.

Not all political comments are the same.

Transgender people are real people. Punching down at them is a shitty thing to do.

[HeyJude]

I would respectfully disagree. Not all opinions are the same.

Not all political comments are the same.

Transgender people are real people. Punching down at them is a shitty thing to do.

Yeah, exactly. At the end of the day, as much as it sometimes seems more expedient, when discussing things on message boards, to be as dispassionate as possible when talking about something as inflammatory as Mike Love's politics and latest publicized nasty comment, and just try to look at the logistical drawbacks to making such comments (e.g. it's divisive and just unfunny regardless of one's views), this ultimate is Mike punching down at a specific group. It's Mike *actively seeking out* being shitty to a group that, as far as I'm aware, have not done any of the straw-man things he's suggesting. It's ugly. 

Again, if a group specifically said simply referring to the female gender in the now-60-year-old song "Surfer Girl" was not only wrong, but went so far as to call for Mike to stop playing the song, then I'd disagree with that. (Though I would still say making lame jokes about it at gigs would be truly dumb). But none of that has happened. There's nothing happening in the world right now that precludes him from the performing the song, and no evidence I can find that *anybody* has a problem with the song, or with songs in general referring to genders. Really, there are many, many, many songs with male and female name/characters/pronouns, etc. Like, almost all of them folks.

If you need further proof that this is a multi-tiered conservative political screed, see Mike's reference to the FBI. It's obvious what he's referring to. I'm surprised he didn't claim Obama and the Clintons were going to try to stop him from singing "Kokomo" too.

I dunno, things must be getting really boring out on the road these days for Mike.

"This Too Shall Pass" indeed......

[Awesoman]

No, not all comments and opinions politically or otherwise are created equal.  And it's usually a shitty thing to punch down on anyone simply over their differences.  But like it or not there are no sacred cows in existence in our culture that are impervious to criticism, disagreement, debate and even some ridicule.  Virtually everyone has been on the receiving end of a joke, be it fairly or unfairly.   That's neither a good nor bad thing; it's just the way it is.  You are allowed to question or challenge anything you want in life.  And when you have a subject as touchy, complex and as hypersensitive as the whole "gender identity" debate has become, you're gonna get a lot of hot takes, good or bad, from both sides of the discussion.  Which is why I take Mike's comments for exactly what they are: an ultimately trivial and pointless joke.  Nothing more, nothing less. 

I would respectfully disagree. Not all opinions are the same.

Not all political comments are the same.

Transgender people are real people. Punching down at them is a shitty thing to do.

Yeah, exactly. At the end of the day, as much as it sometimes seems more expedient, when discussing things on message boards, to be as dispassionate as possible when talking about something as inflammatory as Mike Love's politics and latest publicized nasty comment, and just try to look at the logistical drawbacks to making such comments (e.g. it's divisive and just unfunny regardless of one's views), this ultimate is Mike punching down at a specific group. It's Mike *actively seeking out* being shitty to a group that, as far as I'm aware, have not done any of the straw-man things he's suggesting. It's ugly. 

Again, if a group specifically said simply referring to the female gender in the now-60-year-old song "Surfer Girl" was not only wrong, but went so far as to call for Mike to stop playing the song, then I'd disagree with that. (Though I would still say making lame jokes about it at gigs would be truly dumb). But none of that has happened. There's nothing happening in the world right now that precludes him from the performing the song, and no evidence I can find that *anybody* has a problem with the song, or with songs in general referring to genders. Really, there are many, many, many songs with male and female name/characters/pronouns, etc. Like, almost all of them folks.

Right - because he was being facetious.  Even if what he said was stupid and crass, virtually nothing that he said seemed meant to be taken seriously or literally.  Because that is what a joke is (even bad, tactless ones).  If you found his comments to be glib and insensitive I wouldn't really disagree, but do you honestly believe he was actually being serious here...?

[Zenobi]

Maybe I will switch to the other board after all. There, AFAIK, there is no HeyJude using "old"and "white" as insults.

[rab2591]

Considering that this very thread started with someone whining about "right wing pieces of sh*t" (which is code for "how dare someone have a different opinion than me"), I'd say your point goes both ways.  Regardless as to whether or not I agree or disagree with Mike on any given topic, I found this joke to be kinda lame ultimately.  But a joke nonetheless.  Something not newsworthy or even worthy of the scrutiny of this message board.  Something that you either chuckle or groan at and then move on with your day unscathed.

Agreed. Hope everyone, here and elsewhere, are having a good day/night.

[SMiLE Brian]

I wish the FBI would stop Kokomo….

[Pretty Funky]

I wish the FBI would stop Kokomo….

👏👏👏

[MyDrKnowsItKeepsMeCalm]

https://consequence.net/2023/07/mike-love-surfer-girl-gender-specific/

Sigh, here we are again. Another round of press like this, and yet another "win" for the Beach Boys brand. 🤦‍♂️ Really painful.

[HeyJude]

Right - because he was being facetious.  Even if what he said was stupid and crass, virtually nothing that he said seemed meant to be taken seriously or literally.  Because that is what a joke is (even bad, tactless ones).  If you found his comments to be glib and insensitive I wouldn't really disagree, but do you honestly believe he was actually being serious here...?

As I mentioned before, I don't believe Mike Love actually thinks Bud Light and the FBI are going to bust him for singing "Surfer Girl."

Beyond that, I'm not sure what "serious" means as it pertains to a perceived "joke." Do I think Mike was just telling a topical joke with no particular personal/political motivation? No, of course not. I've already said that.

I mean, you've either known people like this or haven't I guess. I don't see how it's such an alien concept that some people tell "jokes" that aren't really jokes (meaning, like a comedian just doing a myriad of topical and non-topical jokes), but are motivated by a personal belief/personal politics/some sort of axe to grind.

When Mike has done this, it's *always* topical, and it's *always* of one particular (general) political persuasion.

I've never been one to jump to assumptions or try to read too much into stuff. Sometimes when people tell jokes that don't land or have an apparent mean streak, there was no ill intent. Sometimes it's difficult to tell. And then sometimes it's clearly a pattern of someone's politics or beliefs, essentially the "joke" format as a passive aggressive way to rant or make a point about some issue. In 2023, knowing what I know about Mike Love, and being a student and scholar of this band and its members, which includes the things they've said over 60+ years, I'm quite comfortable putting Mike in the latter "rant" category.

[tpesky]

Maybe Mikes worried if Budweiser suffers financially it will cut into his Be True To Your Bud royalties .I was at a concert where he told an awful joke about Puerto Ricans in the 80s . He’s not going to change and of course can say what he wants . That being said the world has changed and the way we joke.  Mike certainly can make the jokes but deserves any and all criticism he gets .

[positivemusic]

I posted this on the other board in response to a poster, who rather in good faith or not, insisted that Mike takes being cancelled and/or arrested by the FBI "seriously," because parents and teachers have been arrested for giving their opinions at school board meetings, etc. But, this pretty much sums up how I feel about the situation:

It absolutely is free speech, and as a libertarian, I defend his right to do so, but that doesn't mean it makes any sense. I haven't seen them live since C50, and have no interest, other than maybe an Al show, as his tend to be the most interesting, so misunderstanding on being forced to buy tickets or not.

Agreeable to what he's saying or not, this just seems like a total killjoy. Most people go to Beach Boys, Brian Wilson, etc. concerts to forget life for awhile and have a good time. Personally, if I want to hear political commentary, I'll go to see Anti-Flag, Bad Religion, War On Women, or any number of other bands that lean into that as part of their act.

Mike had to use some pretty clever mental gymnastics to work this stuff into the show. Absolutely no one has any interest in cancelling The Beach Boys over "Surfer Girl" or literally any other song in their entire discography, other than maybe "Hey Little Tomboy," Mike trying to tie the band into this culture war is as cringe as the new anti-war lyrics of "Make A Wish" on Gettin' In Over My Head.

Comedians are a different story. Most exist to push the envelope to a certain extent. By and large, The Beach Boys have never been particularly edgy, and Mike attempting to push them in that direction (especially with shoehorned, non-humorous whatsoever "jokes") with this topic, at this time, is very disingenuous to both their legacy and their longtime fans.

As an aside, the assertion that teachers and parents are being arrested by the FBI for stating their opinions at school board meetings and the like is absolute, and unfounded nonsense, to put it politely.

[Jim V.]

Maybe Mikes worried if Budweiser suffers financially it will cut into his Be True To Your Bud royalties .I was at a concert where he told an awful joke about Puerto Ricans in the 80s . He’s not going to change and of course can say what he wants . That being said the world has changed and the way we joke.  Mike certainly can make the jokes but deserves any and all criticism he gets .

He made a joke about Puerto Ricans in the ‘80s? Wow. My wife is half Puerto Rican and therefore my daughters are also part Puerto Rican. So tell me, what was his “joke”?

[Jim V.]

...or more realistically he's just poking fun at the whole Bud Light debacle because that's what has been topical lately.  He's been making politically-tinged jokes (for better or for worse) for decades now.  I don't think he's Considering that this very thread started with someone whining about "right wing pieces of sh*t" (which is code for "how dare someone have a different opinion than me"), I'd say your point goes both ways.  Regardless as to whether or not I agree or disagree with Mike on any given topic, I found this joke to be kinda lame ultimately.  But a joke nonetheless.  Something not newsworthy or even worthy of the scrutiny of this message board.  Something that you either chuckle or groan at and then move on with your day unscathed.   

Actually it might not be clear, it was not calling anybody “right wing pieces of sh*t.” They were quoting a Tweet which I had also seen from a person I can not remember. So let’s get that out of the way.

Also I am confused as to why “right wing pieces of sh*t” hurts you so much, but Mike’s words are fine? You’re hurt that somebody (nobody on this board) attacked your political beliefs it seems like. But if Mike makes jokes about trans or nonbinary people, they should just “get over it” you say? Hmmm.

[SMiLE Brian]

I posted this on the other board in response to a poster, who rather in good faith or not, insisted that Mike takes being cancelled and/or arrested by the FBI "seriously," because parents and teachers have been arrested for giving their opinions at school board meetings, etc. politely.

Oh god, let me guess it was filleplage?