Just a mere few months ago, Kid Rock ignited a nationwide and massive protest against Bud Light following the brand’s association with transgender TikTok influencer Dylan Mulvaney. In an attention-grabbing display of frustration, the musician dramatically shot up 12-packs of the beer with a semi-automatic rifle, all while vocalizing his disdain for the brand.
He was clear in his message: if you work with a trans person, he won’t support you, and he was telling his millions of fans to do the same.
But things can change quickly, and all it may take is one photo. TMZ recently shared images of Kid Rock drinking a Bud Light while at a concert. The pictures appear to have been taken within the past few days at a concert. The photos have initiated new conversation about what the musician really meant with his protest and whether he really cared at all to begin with or if he was just showboating.
The tumultuous saga began when Bud Light’s partnership with Dylan Mulvaney drew the ire of Rock and several other conservatives. Mulvaney, a trans woman, posted photos online of her with a can of beer sent by the company that was made just for her. It was a completely innocuous gesture, but one that many conservatives couldn’t handle, as they incorrectly associate being trans with something bad.
In an act that grabbed headlines, Rock posted a video of himself attempting to decimate Bud Light cans with a barrage of gunfire, accompanied by explicit verbal attacks against both Bud Light and its parent company, Anheuser-Busch. The video’s impact was significant, leading to a portion of his fan base and fellow musicians to renounce their support for the brand.
In the weeks that followed, Bud Light took a massive hit and suffered for its association. The beer brand reportedly suffered a staggering loss of approximately $400 million and relinquished its long-held title as the most popular beer in America. The cause? The adverse reaction from a faction of conservatives who vehemently objected to the company’s outreach to a single transgender individual.
But while Rock may have led the charge against Bud Light and its parent company, it looks like he’s no longer interested in the fight…and maybe he wasn’t all-in anyway. In July, Billboard reported that the musician’s restaurant in Nashville was still selling the brand, just a short time after he railed against the product and everything it apparently stands for.
The discrepancy between Rock’s past actions and his current behavior raises speculation about what might have transpired behind the scenes. One possibility is that the former hitmaker has genuinely moved past his antagonistic stance and chosen to embrace Bud Light’s open and inclusive messaging.
If that’s the case, this change of heart wasn’t accompanied by a public announcement. Maybe he feels a new way, but wanted to save face. Or, more likely, his grandiose messaging was never heartfelt to begin with.
Another hypothesis is that Rock’s initial protests were mere theatrics, orchestrated to generate attention. His fan base is deeply rooted in Republican, right wing ideology. If he wants to hold on to them and their interest, he needs to prove that he’s not only one of them, but a leader among them. He may have seen an opportunity and taken it, shooting his way back into their minds and hearts—literally.
In the end, it almost doesn’t matter why Rock has gone back to Bud Light. The point is that the outrage was intense, but short-lived. The champion of bringing down the brand has gone back to the beer that he fought against and convinced millions of others to forgo. So, shouldn’t they do the same? Will his fans, and all the many others who swore off AnBev drinks just weeks ago, begin buying them again?
Only time will tell, but it seems the man they all followed either doesn’t care anymore, or never did to begin with.
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