SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR frontman Corey Taylor has spoken out against “cancel culture,” saying “people who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.”
Cancel culture is the idea that someone, usually a celebrity or a public figure, whose ideas or comments are considered offensive should be boycotted. These people are ostracized and shunned by former friends, followers and supporters alike, leading to declines in any careers and fanbase the individual may have at any given time.
Addressing the cancel culture issue in a new interview with Rolling Stone, Taylor said in part: “No one can handle anything anymore, which means no one can handle real talk anymore, which means everyone just wants to cancel shit, with no room for improvement. There are several people at fault for this: the right, the left, the media, celebrities, the Internet, social media, but if you’re truly looking for who’s really responsible, or more importantly irresponsible, you should probably find the nearest mirror.
“I’m not saying there aren’t things that deserve our attention,” he continued. “I’m not saying that things shouldn’t change in so many different ways. I’m not even going to tell you that you have no right to be passionate on social change. What I’m saying is pick your spots, know what the hell’s going on before you go chasing after people with pitchforks for no fucking reason whatsoever. There’s so much to be done on so many different things, you don’t have to protest everything that someone tries to hoist up the pole as a red flag.
“Be a little smarter in how you swing the hammer, because when everything is a problem, that means everyone is a suspect… including yourselves. People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones, to paraphrase. Nobody’s perfect; stop acting like we all should be.”
Earlier this month, Taylor said that “the ‘outrage’ age” would be the inspiration for his upcoming fifth book. “I was reading about how Gen Z is trying to cancel Eminem because of one line that was in a Rihanna song that he did with her,” he told told Matt Pinfield of 95.5 KLOS‘s “New & Approved” series. “And I’m just, like, is that where we are right now? I mean, at this point, you’re talking about the Salem witch trials. You’re talking about America in the ’20s where the KKK was a political force. You’re talking about complete condemnation without context or any rationalization for an action like that. And to me, that’s [what’s] most dangerous — when the mob decides that you’re gone. That is Caesar at the Colosseum, for god’s sakes. That’s when it’s dangerous. The level of censorship that we’re starting to see… And I’m not saying that certain things haven’t been said that easily offend people. However, the flipside of that is that you can’t even make a joke anymore — even in the cleanest of situations. [People] completely turn on you. And there’s not one hint of satire, there’s no hint of irony — it’s just all-out rage, and it’s all through this [shows his smartphone]. And that’s when it’s really greedy, that’s when it’s really dirty. It can’t be that way. If we can’t have a conversation, how the hell are we gonna communicate. And if we can’t understand the difference between metaphor and complete reality, then we’re in real trouble. And that’s where I’m leaning with the book.”
Roughly one-third of Taylor‘s last book, 2017’s “America 51”, was dedicated to his derision for President Donald Trump.
Corey, who is often referred to as the “Great Big Mouth” due to his outspoken views, told the 94.3 KILO radio station in a 2017 interview that he is not worried about possible fallout from his comments. “That’s part of being an American,” he explained. “I mean, nothing drives me more crazy than when somebody says to celebrities or whatever, ‘Why don’t you just stick to acting?’ And I’m, like, ‘What? Leave politics to you? Why don’t you stick to writing bad reviews in your mom’s basement? Just shut your mouth. I’m just as American as you are, I have every right to say what I want, and you can shove that kind of attitude straight up your ass.”
Taylor‘s debut solo album, “CMFT”, was released in October.
