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I'm So Disappointed In You: Celebrity Missteps


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49 minutes ago, Annber03 said:

Second, the chances of a man "pretending" to be a woman to sneak into a woman's bathroom are vanishingly small, if not entirely nonexistent, and transgender people are far more likely to be the ones being threatened in a bathroom than cisgender women are, so there's that rather basic fact to put out there. 

I appreciate that the Rolling Stone article calling attention to this interview noted that, including links for additional coverage.

49 minutes ago, Annber03 said:

It IS okay to simply not comment on something you (general "you") don't understand, I promise, really, it is.

Exactly.  As the RS article noted, "In his comments, Cooper seemed to be conflating, confusing, or not allowing for much nuance between distinct concepts of gender identity, gender expression, and the sex a child is assigned at birth."  If he doesn't have any transgender, non-binary, or gender questioning people, of any age, in his life, it's entirely possible he's never bothered to educate himself on these issues, and, while I think it's good to do so given the community is under such attack, there's nothing wrong with not doing so.  Just say, "I appreciate that question, but I don't know enough about what's being discussed to weigh in." 

The problem is he thinks he does know, but what he "knows" is based on a harmful, inaccurate, deliberately misleading narrative. 

Edited by Bastet
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4 hours ago, Bastet said:

Ugh.  In the midst of an interesting interview, Alice Cooper got this great question:
 

and decided to respond like this:
 

The interviewer tries to inject some reality of what's going on with parents and medical care providers of transgender children:

And then Cooper really goes off the rails with this ridiculous scare tactic:
 

Rolling Stone called him out:
 

(That RS article also contains links debunking the bathroom myth.)

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11 hours ago, Bastet said:

The problem is he thinks he does know, but what he "knows" is based on a harmful, inaccurate, deliberately misleading narrative. 

And now people will see that interview and think I like Alice Cooper so I guess what he says makes sense. Critical thinking skills are really in decline.

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14 hours ago, Annber03 said:

o say nothing of how, if a guy really wants to assault a woman, he doesn't need to go to those kinds of lengths to do so. And if he  DID really want to assault a woman in a bathroom? He would do that whether transgender people were allowed in there or not, 'cause here's the thing about criminals - they kind of don't give a shit about laws or rules. That's why they're, y'know, criminals.

Exactly.  That little picture of a stick figure in a skirt isn't going to keep someone out if they really want to go in.

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6 hours ago, proserpina65 said:

Idk, maybe Britney Spears really did need that conservatorship.

She might have needed a spendthrift trust, or conservatorship, but she didn't need the grifter relatives controlling everything, including her money.  Look at how her relatives tried to use her funds to finance their lawsuits against her.  Also, the interior home cameras, and medical procedures authorized by the father were way over the line. 

Edited by CrazyInAlabama
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18 minutes ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

She might have needed a spendthrift trust, or conservatorship, but she didn't need the grifter relatives controlling everything, including her money.   Also, the interior home cameras, and medical procedures authorized by the father were way over the line. 

I do wonder if Britney's resistance to treatment stems from the way her father used it.  I still can't get over him forcing her to take lithium so she could perform in Vegas.  

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1 hour ago, Browncoat said:

Exactly.  That little picture of a stick figure in a skirt isn't going to keep someone out if they really want to go in.

There's also the implication that men who were 'feeling like a woman' and then decide they're 'feeling like a man' after they've entered a women's rest room are then going to rape the first woman that they see.

Feeling like a man is not at all the same as feeling like a violent predator.

Edited by Notabug
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1 hour ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

She might have needed a spendthrift trust, or conservatorship, but she didn't need the grifter relatives controlling everything, including her money.   Also, the interior home cameras, and medical procedures authorized by the father were way over the line. 

I'm not saying the way her grifter relatives handled it was right, because it absolutely was not, but she clearly has some serious emotional/mental problems.

Edited by proserpina65
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8 hours ago, bluegirl147 said:

And now people will see that interview and think I like Alice Cooper so I guess what he says makes sense. Critical thinking skills are really in decline.

It is sad and kind of scary that there are so many people out there who, because they like someone's music/films/looks, that they will believe and follow everything that person says. 
Call me crazy, but I am not going to turn to an aging rocker who used to style himself like a walking corpse for as an authority on anything outside of making music and being showy. 

Maybe they are the 100 people who bought those imaginary Frye tickets.

I feel like, at this point, Britney needs professional help. Unfortunately, she has been hurt so often by people she was supposed to be able to trust, that I don't think she would trust anyone who offered it. I really don't know what it would feel like to not be able to trust anyone around you. She must feel so alone, and also so desperate to find anyone she can put her trust in. 

 

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8 hours ago, proserpina65 said:

I'm not saying the way her grifter relatives handled it was right, because it absolutely was not, but she clearly has some serious emotional/mental problems.

Which have virtually certainly been contributed by Miss Spears having had to have dealt with her  exploitative, intrusive and greedy kin!

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3 hours ago, Mabinogia said:

It is sad and kind of scary that there are so many people out there who, because they like someone's music/films/looks, that they will believe and follow everything that person says. 
Call me crazy, but I am not going to turn to an aging rocker who used to style himself like a walking corpse for as an authority on anything outside of making music and being showy. 

Maybe they are the 100 people who bought those imaginary Frye tickets.

I really don't get how fans believe everything their favorite rock star or celebrity says. I have my favorites but if they started saying stuff about transgender that would get my attention among other things. I'd be very disappointed in the person. I liked Candace Cameron until she started saying terrible stuff. I no longer like her. I loved Danica McKellar but she signed onto make movies with the horribly racist Great American Family channel. 

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I feel like, at this point, Britney needs professional help. Unfortunately, she has been hurt so often by people she was supposed to be able to trust, that I don't think she would trust anyone who offered it. I really don't know what it would feel like to not be able to trust anyone around you. She must feel so alone, and also so desperate to find anyone she can put her trust in. 

She really does. A professional or professionals who can give her real help. 

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9 hours ago, proserpina65 said:

I'm not saying the way her grifter relatives handled it was right, because it absolutely was not, but she clearly has some serious emotional/mental problems.

Yes, but conservatorships are (supposed to be) reserved for people who cannot take care of themselves (which means basic needs - obtaining food, clothing, and shelter) and/or their finances, not people who are just bad at it, or even really bad at it.  And it's (supposed to be) approved only if it's the least-restrictive option that will work.  In the non-elderly, it's usually seen in cases of developmental disabilities or sudden onset inability caused by traumatic brain injury.

Mental health conservatorships (called LPS conservatorships in CA) are different, and can only be requested by designated mental health treatment facilities/agencies or the courts; they're for people with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, etc. so severe they require extensive treatment to control their behavior and need very restrictive living arrangements (often, locked facilities).   

Edited by Bastet
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12 hours ago, Mabinogia said:

It is sad and kind of scary that there are so many people out there who, because they like someone's music/films/looks, that they will believe and follow everything that person says. 
Call me crazy, but I am not going to turn to an aging rocker who used to style himself like a walking corpse for as an authority on anything outside of making music and being showy. 

Maybe they are the 100 people who bought those imaginary Frye tickets.

I feel like, at this point, Britney needs professional help. Unfortunately, she has been hurt so often by people she was supposed to be able to trust, that I don't think she would trust anyone who offered it. I really don't know what it would feel like to not be able to trust anyone around you. She must feel so alone, and also so desperate to find anyone she can put her trust in. 

 

Yes, this is definitely a case of needing to put a bell on a cat's neck but with the twist that, instead of  mice being too fearful   to volunteer for the task, it's  kin who appear to  want to catch said cat and gut her for violin strings while reaping the musical profits as before!

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On 8/23/2023 at 7:27 PM, Bastet said:

COOPER: Yeah. I’m understanding that there are cases of transgender, but I’m afraid that it’s also a fad, and I’m afraid there’s a lot of people claiming to be this just because they want to be that.

What I find weird about that kind of comment is, even if someone is saying their transgender because it's a fad, who the hell cares? If someone is identifying as a woman who you might not expect to it's not hurting you at all. He even uses the word "afraid", like is that really something he is scared of?

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6 hours ago, Kel Varnsen said:

What I find weird about that kind of comment is, even if someone is saying their transgender because it's a fad, who the hell cares? If someone is identifying as a woman who you might not expect to it's not hurting you at all. He even uses the word "afraid", like is that really something he is scared of?

Aren't people usually afraid of what they don't understand? It seems like there's some spring-boarding from Cooper's onstage persona to what his 'real life' thinking should be, and that his confusion is coming from an uneducated place. There might be something interesting in why he's uneducated at his age, but I don't believe he spoke out of wanting to cause harm, just out of ignorance.

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4 hours ago, Cobalt Stargazer said:

Aren't people usually afraid of what they don't understand? It seems like there's some spring-boarding from Cooper's onstage persona to what his 'real life' thinking should be, and that his confusion is coming from an uneducated place. There might be something interesting in why he's uneducated at his age, but I don't believe he spoke out of wanting to cause harm, just out of ignorance.

yes, and I agree that I think his comments are more from ignorance than from malice. Unfortunately, ignorant people tend to be the loudest. 

Sometimes I wish celebs would just think a bit more before they talk about topics they don't really know enough about. While they have every right to their opinion, the reality is that their opinion holds far more weight than it should. 

I find myself often disappointed when a celeb starts talking about social issues, politics, anything beyond entertainment. I have gotten to the point where I really only read/watch interviews that are light and frivolous lest I discover someone I adore is secretly a puppy kicking, supremacist lunatic.

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On 8/24/2023 at 3:18 AM, Bastet said:

The problem is he thinks he does know, but what he "knows" is based on a harmful, inaccurate, deliberately misleading narrative. 

What I don't understand is why anyone even asked him about the topic he knows nothing about. They might as well asked him if he's got a cure for cancer.

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59 minutes ago, JustHereForFood said:

What I don't understand is why anyone even asked him about the topic he knows nothing about.

That's explained in the question:

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In a 1974 interview with SPEC, you gave really forward-thinking responses to questions about sexuality and gender. You said “In the future, everyone will be bisexual,” and you accurately defined pansexuality, among other things. You also said, “Lots of men who perform wear make-up – that’s a theatrical tradition, it has nothing to do with sexuality.”

Recently some of your “theatrical” rock peers have commented about gender identity, with Paul Stanley and Dee Snider calling gender-affirming care for kids a “sad and dangerous fad.”

As someone who played around with gender expectations early on, do you have any thoughts on what some of your contemporaries have said before they walked those comments back?

That would have been the opportunity for him to either say no, he doesn't have any thoughts on what they said because he hasn't read/heard those comments, or say gender identity and gender-affirming care are complex topics he's not well versed in, so he isn't any better equipped than the two of them to speak on the subject.

Edited by Bastet
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So Carlos Santana is also in the news for making ignorant, anti-trans comments, that he then apologized for. Just spouting off randomly in the middle of a concert.

Quote

 

The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer's apology came after he was filmed on stage during an Atlantic City, New Jersey concert in June telling his audience that certain gender expressions and identities "ain't right." Footage of Santana's comments, which many called out publicly as anti-trans, began circulating on social media Thursday.

"When God made you and me, before we came out of the womb, you know who you are and what you are," he said at the time. "Later on, when you grow up, you see things, and you start believing that you could be something that sounds good, but you know it ain't right. Because a woman is a woman and a man is a man. That's it. Whatever you wanna do in the closet, that's your business. I'm OK with that."

 

Then today he deleted the apology and replaced it with a poem: 

“the energy of 

consciousness generates its own kind. 

hate begets hate

love begets love.”

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I am not going to be surprised that elderly men (and yeah, that means Alice Cooper is elderly) have no idea what they're talking about in this area.  I am around a lot of elderly people and what actually surprises me more is when they are open and accepting about issues of sexuality and gender.  It does happen.  Not often.  What these men need to learn is when to keep their opinions to themselves rather than taint their image.

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Although it's interesting, because we were just talking about "Why is Jennifer Aniston so obsessed with cancel culture?" Well, maybe this is why, because it operates from the place of calling it malice when it's just being ignorant. Alice Cooper is 75. Carlos Santana is 76. If the interviewer had asked Bruce Springsteen, 73, the same question, they'd have probably gotten an answer that was more enlightened, though I will say the Cooper remarks seem to have been intended to make him answer for what other people said. Which doesn't have anything to do with him. Maybe they really should just shut up and sing?

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To me age and ignorance is a somewhat justified explanation for mild statements of confusion regarding gender and sexual identity issues. I don’t think simple ignorance due to the changing times is an explanation for Alice Cooper or Carlos Santana. What they are saying is willful ignorance in spouting anti-trans talking points like the person identifying as a cat or concern for kids. If a person of any age is using the same language used to take rights away from or hurt trans individuals they lose any leeway I would be willing to give them. 

Edited by Makai
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Yeah, I don't think that age is a valid excuse. On one hand, I agree that there is a lot that we can learn from older generations, meaning the stuff that they have experience with, be it in their profession, or personal experiences. I would actually like to see more cooperation between generations and I am always happy to see a genuine intergenerational friendship between celebrities.

On the other hand, some people (from what I've seen it seems to be mostly men and it's definitely not limited to famous people) think that just because of their age they now have a patent for wisdom in all areas, not just stuff they have personal or professional experience with. And some can be very dismissive of young people any everything new. I wonder if more intergenerational connections could help with that.

ETA: I'm not saying that peole shouldn't be allowed to express their opinions when they don't know enough about the topic, but the problem is when they don't realize how much harm their words can cause because of how heated the conversation has become. The same is true for people acting like they are experts in medicine when they're not and sharing misinformation that can have fatal consequences for some people (just as anti-trans rhetoric can sadly have fatal consequences as well.)

And as a proof that being older is not an excuse to be ignorant, some people don't seem to have a problem to "get it" or at least have empathy:

 

Edited by JustHereForFood
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Overall, I just feel as if a lot of the gender, sexuality, and plain sex stuff that people clutch their pearls at now or even continue to be ignorant about (including people identifying as something other than birth gender*, homosexuality, mixed-race coupling, etc.) has been around as long as there have been people, which is why people of a certain age don't get a pass from me. 

Lastly, as long as people are not harming anyone else I just don't get all the fainting.

* I phrased it this way because I don't think actual bottom surgery was available in ancient days, but people born into the wrong gender and navigating as such was a thing. 

Edited by Enigma X
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With regard to Carlos Santana (this one surprised me) and Alice Copper, (who had been trending more conservative over the years anyway).

There's not much to say about Santana, but with regard to Cooper, there's a few different things going on that he's conflating here.  I think there are cases of a "transgender fad" (I see non-binary being more of a fad than transgender, hence the meme I saw: "non-binary is the new emo").  I won't speak for trans people, but assume that by the time they take the step of transitioning, they are secure in their identity enough to do so.  Are there parents that want the clout of being "parent of a trans child" like Munchausen by Proxy?  Probably.  If you dig hard enough you can find cases of all of this.  But that doesn't mean they are the default.  And it is no reason to take away rights and hurt the rest of the community in the process. If anything it calls for more medical and psychological support.

As for the already debunked bathroom myth, Alice Cooper highlights the few times trans people perpetuate crimes rather than the much more numerous times when they were the victims (and to clarify there has never been a case where a trans person raped someone in the "wrong" bathroom).  And like was mentioned upthread, criminals don't care.

There's always going to be identities that the mainstream perceives as weird (see the Otherkin) and in a way I kinda get it.  I think in recent decades we as a culture have suffered blows to our identity concepts and we're all reeling while searching for new ones.

"Wokeness" is something else entirely, only tenuously connected to trans issues.  A nebulous concept that has largely taken the meaning of "anything certain people don't like."  At the same time corporate woke-washing and the occasional useful idiot have done more harm than good.  A lot of non-bigoted people know they are being manipulated, but lack the vocabulary to articulate exactly how.  And that has given an opening to very dangerous elements.  I recently saw an interview with trans activist Erin Reed which documents the bad state of anti-trans legislation.

Oh, just to clarify for Alice Cooper and everyone who wants to throw it out there as some kind of proof: the cat thing comes from a school that stocked cat litter not for children who identify as cats, but for bathroom needs in case of an extended lockdown situation, like from a school shooting, which is a whole other sad commentary on our society.

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On 8/26/2023 at 4:45 PM, Laura Holt said:

I wondered about that too but one outstanding feature of that scene was it was heavily male dominated and to a large extent pretty sexist.  Not entirely sure it's that much better now to be honest.  

But also full of people like David Bowie and the New York Dolls. 🤷‍♀️

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3 hours ago, Lugal said:

the cat thing comes from a school that stocked cat litter not for children who identify as cats,

Based on a particularly weird conversation I had with someone, I also think that when they say "people identifying as cats," they might actually mean furries but have no clue what a furry is or why the idea a furry would want cat litter is silly even to people who consider themselves furries. I tried to explain what a furry was, and I think may have scarred this person for life, but they finally shut the fuck up about people identifying as cats, so I counted it as a victory. I am pretty sure they also didn't believe me when I said I wasn't a furry myself and just know these things from being online a lot, but that is the truth. LOLOL 

Edited by Zella
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3 hours ago, mariah23 said:

First time I heard about kids and the cat thing I thought “you mean kids are using their imaginations?”

Honestly, kids should try on all different types of hats in figuring out who they are. That is the beauty of being a child.

The argument that a guy can "pretend" to be transgender to get access to the ladies' room to harm women and children, please, I am pretty sure millions more women and children are hurt by men outside the ladies' room than in it. It is disgusting that anyone in this day and age still uses that ridiculous argument. 

4 hours ago, Zella said:

I am pretty sure they also didn't believe me when I said I wasn't a furry myself and just know these things from being online a lot, but that is the truth. LOLOL 

I learned about furries watching CSI. Shockingly, given how many people think that media influences us to do whatever it is we see (which is part of the argument people like Candice Cameron Burr make to keep queer representation off the screen), I have not become one myself. 

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13 minutes ago, Mabinogia said:

Honestly, kids should try on all different types of hats in figuring out who they are. That is the beauty of being a child.

The argument that a guy can "pretend" to be transgender to get access to the ladies' room to harm women and children, please, I am pretty sure millions more women and children are hurt by men outside the ladies' room than in it. It is disgusting that anyone in this day and age still uses that ridiculous argument. 

I learned about furries watching CSI. Shockingly, given how many people think that media influences us to do whatever it is we see (which is part of the argument people like Candice Cameron Burr make to keep queer representation off the screen), I have not become one myself. 

That’s where I learned about them, too - CSI.

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4 hours ago, AstridM said:

How so?

Exactly, if one acknowledges that the Spears kin (and how Miss Spears has had to deal with their greedy, exploitative if not outright abusive behaviors) were contributing factors then who would have been responsible for the 'underlying issues' besides them- Mrs. Spears's maternity ward personnel or maybe even Mrs. Spears's OB/GYN while she was in the family way with her elder daughter,perhaps ?

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18 hours ago, Blergh said:

Exactly, if one acknowledges that the Spears kin (and how Miss Spears has had to deal with their greedy, exploitative if not outright abusive behaviors) were contributing factors then who would have been responsible for the 'underlying issues' besides them- Mrs. Spears's maternity ward personnel or maybe even Mrs. Spears's OB/GYN while she was in the family way with her elder daughter,perhaps ?

It means she has some mental health issues to begin with, ones which were clearly exacerbated by her relatives but not entirely caused by them.

Edited by proserpina65
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Family vlogger Ruby Franke arrested on suspicion of aggravated child abuse

 

A video from a couple of years ago to give you a background.  

Ruby got more extreme views after joining/leading a group called Connexions.  Last I heard Ruby’s husband Kevin moved out I think last year and the oldest boy Charld choose to move with him.   

The oldest daughter Shari spoke out about why she’s not in contact with her mother anymore a few months ago.  I know she communicates with her mother’s family who Ruby no longer has a relationship with. Ruby has pretty much cut contact with anyone who doesn’t follow the Connexions philosophy.

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4 hours ago, Luckylyn said:

Family vlogger Ruby Franke arrested on suspicion of aggravated child abuse

 

A video from a couple of years ago to give you a background.  

Ruby got more extreme views after joining/leading a group called Connexions.  Last I heard Ruby’s husband Kevin moved out I think last year and the oldest boy Charld choose to move with him.   

The oldest daughter Shari spoke out about why she’s not in contact with her mother anymore a few months ago.  I know she communicates with her mother’s family who Ruby no longer has a relationship with. Ruby has pretty much cut contact with anyone who doesn’t follow the Connexions philosophy.

I have no idea who this person is and looks like I don't want to know who this person is.

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Family Vlogs are extremely popular and large amounts of money can be made.  There’s so much opportunity for abuse.  There is no regulation and the child doesn’t get a say if they want to participate or not.  

Regarding vlogger Ruby Franke. More information has come out.  One of the children escaped from the house and went to a neighbor for help.  The child was visibly malnourished and there was evidence the child was being held against their will.  The police were called and Ruby and her therapist/business partner were both arrested.  Ruby’s daughter and sister have come forward to express relief about her arrest.  I hope this is end of Ruby’s Connexions group where they provided disturbing parenting advice.  It’s good the kids are getting medical treatment and out of danger.   

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LGBT-owned makeup brand cancels collaboration with Alice Cooper.

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Cooper had signed a partnership deal with the goth-themed cosmetics company—which describes itself as “proudly women owned, disabled owned and LGBT+ owned”—just two weeks ago, per the New York Post.

In a statement shared on Instagram, the brand said: “In light of recent statements by Alice Cooper we will no longer be doing a makeup collaboration. We stand with all members of the LGBTQIA+ community and believe everyone should have access to healthcare. All pre-order sales will be refunded.”

 

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4 hours ago, Kel Varnsen said:

The Simpsons GIF by MOODMAN

 

The only thing that would make it a better story is if they released how much money that would cost him

 

I'd agree but time will tell if Mr. Cooper opts accept that his actions meted consequences. ..or attempts to throw himself a pity party for being 'persecuted' and/or 'cancelled' for after having blasted the rights of others!

It's amazing to me that so many folks don't get that if you're accepting compensation from an corporate entity,  if said entity doesn't accept those who are discriminatory against others, then the fiscally intelligent thing to do is NOT say or do discriminatory stuff  instead of doing so then wailing about being called 'discriminatory',etc.

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