Monster Truck's Jon Harvey "super offended" after receiving backlash for appearing in Kid Rock video about people being too offended

Kid Rock, Jon Harvey and Danko Jones
(Image credit: Kid Rock, Andrew Benge/Redferns)

Monster Truck's Jon Harvey is "super offended" by the criticism he has faced for featuring on Kid Rock's anti-snowflake song Don't Tell Me How To Live. The track, which originally featured on Monster Truck's 2016 album Sittin’ Heavy, takes aim at everything from woke culture to kids receiving participation trophies, has been ridiculed for its garish and bizarre nature, and has even been mistaken for a "Weird Al" parody.

Although Don't Tell Me How To Live has given plenty of music fans a good giggle, it understandably has ruffled a few feathers, including those of Danko Jones, who has hit out at Monster Truck for collaborating with Kid Rock on the track, stating "it's tantamount to standing in solidarity" with "a racist piece of shit."

"Disappointed to hear of a certain band on a song with a certain musician who has been so public with his MAGA politics, including uttering the phrase 'Fuck Colin Kaepernick' during a live performance," Danko wrote on Twitter.

"It's tantamount to standing in solidarity with him. Gross. And the video of them posing as rednecks in fur coats is FUCKING EMBARRASSING. Disappointed and embarrassed FOR that band.

"I think it's fitting that Kid Rock's piece of shit song, Don't Tell Me How To Live, is released on the day of the Kyle Rittenhouse verdict," he continued.

"Just so you know, I DON'T FUCK WITH bands that buddy up next to a racist POS. Wearing fur coats, sporting guns and smoking cigars in the music video gets that band a lifetime membership in the douchebag hall of fame. Embarrassing.

"Kid Rock said 'Fuck Colin Kaepernick' during a concert. Colin Kaepernick sacrificed his career to draw attention to racial inequality. If you stand alongside Kid Rock in a music vid calling out 'snowflakes', sporting fur coats & guns, you're as big a piece of shit as Kid Rock."

Addressing Jones' comments during an appearance on the Loaded Radio podcast, Harvey says, "I don't want this to come across the wrong way, but it feels a little opportunistic to me. It also feels like he's a very angry person. I don't subscribe to that, and I'm not an angry person.

"And to me, it feels like he kind of gets angry about a lot of things. As far as personal attacks go, I've never met this guy in my life. I have no idea what his values are or what his beliefs are, and nor do I care, 'cause that's his problem and his business. But, yeah, man, he went after me, didn't he?"

He continued: "That's my whole thing about it – the guy is upset because he thinks [the song] promotes hate, and he's getting that out by hating it. It's the most contradictory, hypocritical thing I've ever experienced. But also a lot of people are gonna be, like, 'Yeah, he's right.' And I'm just, like, 'Man, okay.' And then next week he'll be mad about something else James Hetfield did or something else someone else did. It's, like buddy, just simmer down. You've got some shit to sort… It's an opportunity – that's the issue I have with it. It's, like, he could have said nothing and just kept going with his life. But instead he's putting himself out there and putting that hate out there and it's creating an opportunity for him. That's super weird to me.

"I've never called anyone a piece of shit to their face, I don't think, in real life. The dude didn't even use my name, didn't use the band name, and he said these harsh things to me personally. I don't know, man. I'm really hurt by that… It's super offensive. My mom's gonna read that article, and other people are, and this guy is really painting me out to be something… He's got no idea what I'm like; he's got no idea what my friends or my family are like. It's some pretty harsh shit."

Jones, who has now responded back to Harvey's comments, has tweeted: "Playing the victim days after releasing an “anti-snowflake” anthem coupled with gun imagery is right out of the alt-right playbook. Also, framing me as “angry” is an old overused RACIST TROPE. It’s exactly what racists do."

You can watch Don't Tell Me How To Live below:

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Liz Scarlett

Liz works on keeping the Louder sites up to date with the latest news from the world of rock and metal. Prior to joining Louder as a full time staff writer, she completed a Diploma with the National Council for the Training of Journalists and received a First Class Honours Degree in Popular Music Journalism. She enjoys writing about anything from neo-glam rock to stoner, doom and progressive metal, and loves celebrating women in music.