Tenacious D cancels tour after bandmate’s Trump assassination joke causes uproar
The rest of Jack Black’s comedy rock band Tenacious D’s tour dates have been suddenly canceled after a big backlash over a poorly thought-out joke by band member Kyle Gass. The trouble started when Gass said something at a show in Sydney, Australia that many people took to mean that someone was trying to kill former US President Donald Trump.
Footage from the show on Sunday night shows Black giving Gass a birthday cake onstage and telling him to “make a wish.” Aside from the plot, Gass joked, “Don’t miss Trump next time.” This comment quickly spread on social media, making people angry and leading one Australian politician to demand that the band be deported.
In an interview with CNN on Tuesday, Jack Black said that he was shocked and upset by what happened. “What was said at the show caught me off guard,” Black said. “I is will never stand for hate speech or any kind of political violence.” After giving it a lot of thought, I no longer think it’s right to go on with the Tenacious D tour. All of my artistic plans for the future are on hold. Thanks to the people for their help and understanding.
Kyle Gass apologized on Instagram for his statement, saying that he knew it was wrong and could have been harmful. “The line I made up on the spot onstage in Sydney on Sunday night was completely wrong, dangerous, and a huge mistake.” Gass wrote, “I don’t agree with any kind of violence against anyone.” “What happened was terrible, and I’m so sorry I didn’t think things through better.” I’m truly sorry for any harm I’ve caused and deeply apologize to those I’ve let down.
The damage was done quickly. The agent for Gass in Hollywood, Michael Greene of Greene Talent, fired him. Greene stated that they were no longer working together, but didn’t say anything else. Frontier Touring, the band’s organizer, said on Instagram that the show that was supposed to happen in Newcastle, New South Wales, had been “postponed.” Before going to New Zealand and the US, the band was also going to play in Brisbane, Melbourne, and Adelaide.
The backlash went beyond business and social networks. The comment made by Gass was strongly criticized by Ralph Babet, an Australian lawmaker. He said it was “egregious, disgusting, filthy, evil, and not acceptable in any way, shape, or form.” Babet asked Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to condemn Tenacious D and told Immigration Minister Andrew Giles to take away the band members’ visas and send them back to their home country. “This was not a joke; he was deadly serious when he wished for the death of the President,” he said.
More people are talking about the limits of fun and the duties of public figures because of what happened. Tenacious D is known for its funny and often disrespectful style, but Gass’s comment went too far for many, showing what can happen when people make politically charged jokes in a polarized atmosphere.
Jack Black and Kyle Gass have got fans of all ages for a long time because of the unique way they mix comedy and rock music. This is a big loss for the pair, whose ability to work together creatively and get along well on stage has been a big part of their success. Their decision to stop the tour and put off future projects shows how serious the situation is and that they are aware of how bad the backlash is.
After everything calms down, both fans and reviewers will be very interested in how Tenacious D handles this situation. The band’s reaction and the steps they take going forward will likely shape their legacy and affect what they do in the future. For now, the attention is still on the effects of Gass’s stupid comment and how celebrities should be held responsible in this social media age.