Twisted Sister rocker Dee Snider criticized Arizona Republican gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake after learning her campaign had used the Twisted Sister song “We’re Not Going To Take It” at her campaign rallies.
In response to a question about copyrights, Snider tweeted:
"I've explained this many times. You don't have to get permission to play any song at an event. Same as a baseball game."
Snider is referencing the paid licensing agreements that allow venues to legally use an entire catalog of music.
The rocker added:
"And I won't try to stop someone (unless they are using it without permission for commercial use - that's different) who I disagree with."
"I WILL denounce them."
Later, he noted the hyper conservative Lake was using a song "NEVER intended for you fascist morons" because the first line is what he called a "PRO-CHOICE anthem."
Snider said as the singer and songwriter "I DENOUNCE EVERYTHING" Lake "STANDS FOR!"
Lake's campaign was unrepentant, later responding Snider was once "anti-establishment" because he once testified before Congress about music censorship during hearings in the 1990s about the "dangers" of rock music.
Snider called MAGA minions like Lake out as a vocal minority.
Then threw his support behind Lake's Democratic opponent.
Many praised Snider for speaking out and criticized Lake in the process.
Lake has previously made headlines for wading into conservative controversy over LGBTQ+ rights and for recently becoming angered when she was called out over her hypocrisy about drag queens during a Fox News interview.
During her campaign, Lake has said that drag queens should not be around young children, statements that were countered by Richard Stevens, a drag queen who performs as Barbra Seville and told The Arizona Republic that Lake has attended "countless" drag shows over the years and had the pictures to prove it.
Lake was asked about the controversy by Fox News anchor Bret Baier during a sitdown she'd used to further former President Donald Trump's falsehoods about the integrity of the 2020 general election.
Lake insisted that Stevens had never been in her home, calling his remarks "ludicrous," adding that she and her campaign had attempted to serve him with defamation papers but found that he's difficult to "track down."
@SecretaryBurgum/X
@Doug Ellin/X
@evanrachelwood/Instagram