Kid Rock: Patriotism or Propaganda?

When do media and entertainment bleed into propaganda? Lately the media and celebrities alike are definitely drawing a line in the sand as far as political affiliation is concerned. However, in recent years, a new breed of this has sprouted all over TV and the internet.    

This has been a thing since there was celebrity itself, defined in Merriam-Webster as “the state of being celebrated” or “a famous or celebrated person”. Being it from Roman times, to the McCarthy era where people were being blacklisted, right up to recent history where celebrities endorse the red or blue.  

For both sides, it has got somewhat extreme. Democratic endorsements come from celebrities promoting climate change, social change and other things appearing on the right side of history without really forcing any change. On the other side, republican endorsements promote the idea of freedom and choice through fear without, in fact, having a choice with images of what they think America stands for.  

One such case has gone to the bizarre. Kid Rock has recently posted a new music video titled, “Never Quit”. The composition boasts images community, guns, god, the military and the supposed American way.  

As you will see, it starts with an American Flag dirtied, tattered, and laying on the ground just ahead of a demolished store front, as well as an old shattered picture of two servicemen. The Store owner makes a phone call to other people who gather more people and start to arm themselves very heavily with rifles, pistols, shotguns, body armor, and footage of someone loading magazines while Kid Rock dances around with decorative firearms. Very American for sure.  

After everyone gathers every gun on the planet, it cuts to the whole community in front of the store. No guns, just neighbors helping a person in need. The perpetrators even help with the rebuild, apologize and eventually get jobs at the very same place.  

To the appropriate demographic, this seems like it’s people helping people. 

 I found it somewhat divisive in that the guns and some of the content were unnecessary. I concluded that Kid Rock is merely spreading propaganda in the guise of charitable Americans trying to help one another, because he could’ve sent a better message without a gun montage and using race relation to a point of almost gaslighting as a front.   

Who knows if he is planning something or just catering to a fractured America, but the message is unclear in “Never Quit”, because it never quits in the confusion it stirs up.  

Entertainment or Propaganda? 

You be the judge and comment after watching the video below.