Alice Cooper Calls Anti-Bush Campaign "Treason" in Wpg newspaper

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Republican shock-rocker Alice Cooper calls campaign to unseat Bush ‘treason’
By Bartley Kives
Winnipeg Free Press
WINNIPEG (CP) — In the eyes of Alice Cooper, all the rock stars campaigning for Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry are guilty of one thing: treason.
The shock-rock legend, a staunch Republican who attends NBA games in Phoenix with Arizona Sen. John McCain, was disgusted when he learned of plans by Bruce Springsteen, John Mellencamp, R.E.M. and other bands to hold a series of concerts aimed at unseating U.S. President George W. Bush.
“To me, that’s treason. I call it treason against rock ’n’ roll, because rock is the antithesis of politics. Rock should never be in bed with politics,” says the 56-year-old Cooper, who begins a 15-city Canadian tour on Aug. 20 in Thunder Bay, Ont.
“When I was a kid and my parents started talking about politics, I’d run to my room and put on The Rolling Stones as loud as I could. So when I see all these rock stars up there talking politics, it makes me sick.
“If you’re listening to a rock star in order to get your information on who to vote for, you’re a bigger moron than they are. Why are we rock stars? Because we’re morons. We sleep all day, we play music at night and very rarely do we sit around reading the Washington Journal.”
Despite his strong insistence that rock has no place in politics, Cooper is one of just a handful of high-profile musicians who’ve proclaimed support for Bush.
The list of pop-culture Republicans includes Britney Spears, Toby Keith and Ted Nugent, the latter one of Cooper’s old buddies from his early days in Detroit.
“Everyone thinks if you’re in rock, you’re a liberal, and that’s absolutely not true. I know more people who are pro-Bush,” he says.
“Besides, when I read the list of people who are supporting Kerry, if I wasn’t already a Bush supporter, I would have immediately switched. Linda Ronstadt? Don Henley? Geez, that’s a good reason right there to vote for Bush.”
What makes Cooper a Republican has nothing to do with money or taxes. The self-described hawk says he’s more concerned with security issues, which won’t disappear if there’s a new guy sitting in the White House.
“In 1970, I’d go up on stage and cut my head off in a guillotine and that would shock people. It was very easy to shock people back then.
“Today, people are cutting people’s heads off on television for real. I realized that when I couldn’t be more shocking than CNN, shock was over.”
Cooper still tours with an elaborate stage show, but his current focus is entirely musical. His latest album, The Eyes Of Alice Cooper, finds him returning to the stripped-down garage-rock favoured by the early Alice Cooper band, Nugent, The Stooges and MC5 in and around Detroit during the late ’60s and early ’70s.
Not surprisingly, the motivation for the nostalgia trip was provided by bands like The White Stripes and The Hives.
“I had just done three big-production, high-tech studio records in a row. But every time I heard a song on the radio that I liked, it was by a garage band — a band trying to recreate the 1968 Detroit sound.
“The new sound is our old sound, so when I did The Eyes Of Alice Cooper, I wanted to go back to that era. I did 12 songs that could have been on Love It To Death, Killer or School’s Out. I’m anti-tech now.”
Cooper’s favourite neo-garage band is Jet, an Australian band he admires because they don’t sweat the small stuff.
“It really bugs me when new bands come out and go ‘well, we’re getting $1.31 per T-shirt and $1.16 per album.’ Rock bands shouldn’t know that.
“If you ask me right now how much I make per show, I wouldn’t know that. In the 35 years I’ve been on the road, I’ve never known what I make for a rock concert.
“I have a manager I’ve had for 35 years. He sets up the shows, I do the shows and at the end of the tour, we all get paid a lot of money. I don’t even know how much tickets are to my own shows.”

― Huck, Thursday, 19 August 2004 15:20 (twenty-one years ago)

Fuck!

― Dadaismus (Dada), Thursday, 19 August 2004 15:23 (twenty-one years ago)

how could a dude from the DETROIT scene which spawned the motherfucking MC5 think that politics has no place in rock?

― hstencil (hstencil), Thursday, 19 August 2004 15:26 (twenty-one years ago)

He also states that he doesn't think artists should know where they make their money. So, uh...

― Huck, Thursday, 19 August 2004 15:26 (twenty-one years ago)

“Besides, when I read the list of people who are supporting Kerry, if I wasn’t already a Bush supporter, I would have immediately switched. Linda Ronstadt? Don Henley? Geez, that’s a good reason right there to vote for Bush.”

he almost has a point though.

― hstencil (hstencil), Thursday, 19 August 2004 15:29 (twenty-one years ago)

b-b-b-but whaddabout kathleen hanna?

― peter smith (plsmith), Thursday, 19 August 2004 15:30 (twenty-one years ago)

Britney Spears, Toby Keith and Ted Nugent, though?

Either way...

xposat

― Huck, Thursday, 19 August 2004 15:31 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.trekconnection.com/pictures/ST_2/PICTURES/other/09122002113601.jpg

― hstencil (hstencil), Thursday, 19 August 2004 15:31 (twenty-one years ago)

his political beliefs are debatable, but i enjoyed this interview. especially the "morons" & don henley bits. go neanderthal, go!

― Marco Damiani (Marco D.), Thursday, 19 August 2004 15:33 (twenty-one years ago)

If you're famous, you should not ever use your fame to promote a cause that you believe in... Unless you're a Republican.

"fucking moron" is right.

― dave225 (Dave225), Thursday, 19 August 2004 15:33 (twenty-one years ago)

of all the new "garage" bands in the world that may have learned something from him and iggy and the mc5, the one he most wants to mention is jet?

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Thursday, 19 August 2004 15:35 (twenty-one years ago)

of all the new "garage" bands in the world that may have learned something from him and iggy and the mc5, the one he most wants to mention is jet?

that's the really scary thing

― Marco Damiani (Marco D.), Thursday, 19 August 2004 15:35 (twenty-one years ago)

“When I was a kid and my parents started talking about politics, I’d run to my room and put on The Rolling Stones as loud as I could.

but YOU ARE NO LONGER 13!!!

― stevie (stevie), Thursday, 19 August 2004 15:37 (twenty-one years ago)

how could a dude from the DETROIT scene which spawned the motherfucking MC5 think that politics has no place in rock?

IIRC Nugent, for one, has described the MC5's politics as a joke and window-dressing and so on, so I'd say pretty easily.

Though by even opening his damned mouth on the issue, Cooper's mixing rock and politics so I don't know what the hell he's blowing a gasket about.

― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Thursday, 19 August 2004 15:37 (twenty-one years ago)

Unfortunately, the old adage is that "As Alice goes, so goes the nation." I mean, just look at the popularity of golf and Budweiser in the can.

― briania (briania), Thursday, 19 August 2004 15:39 (twenty-one years ago)

“If you’re listening to a rock star in order to get your information on who to vote for, you’re a bigger moron than they are. Why are we rock stars?
Because we’re morons. We sleep all day, we play music at night and very rarely do we sit around reading the Washington Journal.”

This is a great quote, btw.

― Huck, Thursday, 19 August 2004 15:40 (twenty-one years ago)

but Nugent's politics are just a joke, but of course that's not my point.

― hstencil (hstencil), Thursday, 19 August 2004 15:40 (twenty-one years ago)

"IIRC Nugent, for one, has described the MC5's politics as a joke and window-dressing and so on, so I'd say pretty easily"

I think to remember an interview to Wayne Kramer, where he accused John Sinclair's manipulation and politics for MC5 premature demise...but maybe I'm wrong

― Marco Damiani (Marco D.), Thursday, 19 August 2004 15:41 (twenty-one years ago)

(x-post)
that might have been a great quote the first time someone said it, 30 years ago. maybe even the second time someone said it, 29 years and 11 months ago. not anymore, though.

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Thursday, 19 August 2004 15:44 (twenty-one years ago)

― Huck, Thursday, 19 August 2004 15:45 (twenty-one years ago)

But still, "The Washington Journal." Roffle.

― briania (briania), Thursday, 19 August 2004 15:46 (twenty-one years ago)

I suspect he actually said "Wall Street Journal" but the rock writer goofed.

― Huck, Thursday, 19 August 2004 15:47 (twenty-one years ago)

I don't remember a Winnipeg Free Press when I was there, what is that? The main daily or something?

― hstencil (hstencil), Thursday, 19 August 2004 15:49 (twenty-one years ago)

It must be a real hoot to listen in when he and Gene Simmons sit around the fireplace on their rocking chairs.

― Palomino (Palomino), Thursday, 19 August 2004 15:54 (twenty-one years ago)

OT, sort of: So is The Eyes of Alice Cooper the 2004 version of Flush The Fashion? Alice's way of ingratiating himself with the latest trend?

― mike a, Thursday, 19 August 2004 15:55 (twenty-one years ago)

Hstencil: Yeah, it's the one that doesn't have a bikini girl on Page 3.

― Huck, Thursday, 19 August 2004 16:00 (twenty-one years ago)

well that narrows it down!

― hstencil (hstencil), Thursday, 19 August 2004 16:01 (twenty-one years ago)

the F-P is the broadsheet, the Sun is the tabloid.
Curiously, there's no CanWest paper there, even though CanWest is based in Wpg, though they've only been in the newspaper game a few years.

― Huck, Thursday, 19 August 2004 16:04 (twenty-one years ago)

"Everyone thinks if you’re in rock, you’re a liberal, and that’s absolutely not true"

I've been saying this for years, in print and otherwise

― roger adultery (roger adultery), Thursday, 19 August 2004 16:06 (twenty-one years ago)

who is this everyone who thinks that though?

― hstencil (hstencil), Thursday, 19 August 2004 16:07 (twenty-one years ago)

Dudes dudes dudes! 'TREASON AGAINST ROCK'N'ROLL'!!!

― Sonny A. (Keiko), Thursday, 19 August 2004 16:12 (twenty-one years ago)

Alice shows his ignorance is tnis quote: We sleep all day, we play music at night and very rarely do we sit around reading the Washington Journal.”

There is no such paper.

― kwhitehead (stephen schmidt), Thursday, 19 August 2004 16:49 (twenty-one years ago)

I think we covered that, thanks.

― hstencil (hstencil), Thursday, 19 August 2004 16:56 (twenty-one years ago)

Alice seems both smart and very confused at the same time.

― Shakey Mo Collier, Thursday, 19 August 2004 17:00 (twenty-one years ago)

Well, he is a man with a lady's name.

― Huck, Thursday, 19 August 2004 17:09 (twenty-one years ago)

Plus he's a boy and he's a man.

― briania (briania), Thursday, 19 August 2004 17:10 (twenty-one years ago)

Hello! Hooray!

― Huck, Thursday, 19 August 2004 17:12 (twenty-one years ago)

No More Mister Nice Guy

― hstencil (hstencil), Thursday, 19 August 2004 17:13 (twenty-one years ago)

But hey, he loves the Dead.

― Huck, Thursday, 19 August 2004 17:15 (twenty-one years ago)

but I thought Bob Weir endorses Kerry!

― hstencil (hstencil), Thursday, 19 August 2004 17:39 (twenty-one years ago)

The Coop has sucked - completely - since '72. Take his blather for what it is - rubbish. His dreadful recordings have themselves been treasonous to the letter and spirit of musical rebellion. Ditto Nugent, who has totally sucked since '68.

― Eye for an Eye, Thursday, 19 August 2004 17:40 (twenty-one years ago)

the nuge never really changed that much, did he?

― peter smith (plsmith), Thursday, 19 August 2004 17:41 (twenty-one years ago)

plz nuge has not sucked since 68

― cinniblount (James Blount), Thursday, 19 August 2004 18:25 (twenty-one years ago)

Intensities in Ten Cities is a fun record.

― Shakey Mo Collier, Thursday, 19 August 2004 18:27 (twenty-one years ago)

gimme gimme gimme
FRIED CHICKEN!!!

― sexyDancer, Thursday, 19 August 2004 18:29 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm going to have to go snap my heretofore cherished copy of Flush the Fashion in half now. Excuse me for a moment, won't you?

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 19 August 2004 18:34 (twenty-one years ago)

'Who gave you the power?' 'Donny Osmond!''WHAT!?'

― dave q, Thursday, 19 August 2004 18:44 (twenty-one years ago)

The Coop's "current focus" is also *not* "entirely musical." I just saw him last night on an ad for school supplies.

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Thursday, 19 August 2004 18:48 (twenty-one years ago)

I just saw him last night on an ad for school supplies.

Now I'm going to have to set my anniversary copy of Billion Dollar Babies on fire.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 19 August 2004 18:49 (twenty-one years ago)

"School's back...FOR...AUTUMN!"

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 19 August 2004 18:50 (twenty-one years ago)

Hahahahahahahaha

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 19 August 2004 18:52 (twenty-one years ago)

That's so close to the actual ad. Is it only airing in Canada?

― Huck, Thursday, 19 August 2004 18:53 (twenty-one years ago)

What you have to remember is that alice cooper is crazy. he even had to kill the really bad "alice" so that the not-so-bad alice could live. He's been thru a lot!

― scott seward (scott seward), Thursday, 19 August 2004 18:56 (twenty-one years ago)

I suspect he actually said "Wall Street Journal" but the rock writer goofed.

"Washington Journal" is the name of a show on C-Span

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Thursday, 19 August 2004 18:57 (twenty-one years ago)

I live in Seattle.

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Thursday, 19 August 2004 19:08 (twenty-one years ago)

So he's not reading the closed captioning, then?

His lip-reading is venomous poison!

― Joseph McCombs, Thursday, 19 August 2004 19:12 (twenty-one years ago)

The Staples ad is available here, if anyone wants to see it. http://www.alicecoopersweb.com/mainindex.html

― Vic Funk, Thursday, 19 August 2004 19:46 (twenty-one years ago)

There *is* a Washington Journal. It is, however, a German-language newspaper.

― Colin Meeder (Mert), Thursday, 19 August 2004 20:07 (twenty-one years ago)

i agree with the poster who opined that the nuge has sucked for 36 years... except i'd make it 37. after the first a.d. album, it's a 10,000-foot freefall, SPLAT!

― Logos0000, Thursday, 19 August 2004 20:11 (twenty-one years ago)

didn't he have that song "Elected", and wasn't that mildly political? even if it was silly (yet awesome!)

― Andrzej B. (Andrzej B.), Friday, 20 August 2004 15:12 (twenty-one years ago)

According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, 09/03/2004, Cooper recently received an honorary doctorate from Grand Canyon University, a for-profit, evangelical Christian university.

― Rockist_Scientist (rockist_scientist), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 13:42 (twenty-one years ago)

I didn't mean to leave this out for delayed impact, but: yes, he was a donor.

― Rockist_Scientist (rockist_scientist), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 13:43 (twenty-one years ago)

Grand Canyon University. LOL.

― Rockist_Scientist (rockist_scientist), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 13:44 (twenty-one years ago)

But the fact that a supposedly evangelical university would give Alice Cooper an honorary degree, and that he would donate to such a school, leads me to think that the agenda they share is political.

― Rockist_Scientist (rockist_scientist), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 13:46 (twenty-one years ago)

This says he is now a born-again Christian, so maybe I take that back.

― Rockist_Scientist (rockist_scientist), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 13:52 (twenty-one years ago)

I accidentally caught him on VH1 or something (while flipping through channels), commenting on a lawsuit against Marilyn Manson, mocking a security guard who was suing Manson for rubbing his crotch against the security guard's head. I thought Cooper was not getting it.

― Rockist_Scientist (rockist_scientist), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 13:56 (twenty-one years ago)

Didn't sound very Christian to me.

― Rockist_Scientist (rockist_scientist), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 13:56 (twenty-one years ago)

"To me, that’s treason. I call it treason against rock ’n’ roll, because rock is the antithesis of politics. Rock should never be in bed with politics,"
(*Hits Cooper with Cluestick*)
You're also a rockstar, you dipshit. If rockstars aren't supposed to talk politics, then why do we hear you talking politics.
Cooper, if anyone were to enforce a No Rockstars Talking Politics rule, both you AND springsteen would have to be quiet.
But they can't enforce a No Rockstars Talking Politics rule. Because it would abridge a citizens First Amendment rights.
(*Hits Cooper with Cluestick*)
(*Hits Cooper with Cluestick*)
(*Hits Cooper with Cluestick*)
Do you hear me, you snake-fondling has-been? Huh? Do ya!?
(*Hits Cooper with Cluestick*)

― Lord Custos Epsilon (Lord Custos Epsilon), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 14:02 (twenty-one years ago)

shit. i broke my cluestick.

― Lord Custos Epsilon (Lord Custos Epsilon), Wednesday, 1 September 2004 16:34 (twenty-one years ago)

four months pass...

Here, fix it with this Alice Cooper-endorsed gluestick.

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Friday, 14 January 2005 08:53 (twenty-one years ago)

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