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As calls to boycott Bud Light intensified over the weekend, singer Kid Rock joined the ranks of conservatives criticizing the beer giant’s partnership with transgender influencer and activist Dylan Mulvaney.
On April 1, 2023, Mulvaney announced her partnership with Bud Light by posting a video to her 1.7 million Instagram followers. In the video, Mulvaney said she had just been sent a box of personalized Bud Light beer cans to celebrate 365 days of being a girl.
While Mulvaney was euphoric, not everyone shared her enthusiasm over the latest partnership, which was viewed as a way to spread gender propaganda.
Suffice it to say it didn’t take long before people took to Twitter to criticize Bud Light and its owner Anheuser-Buschon. The overwhelming margin of criticism was slightly skewed towards the conservatives, including Sweet Home Alabama singer Kid Rock, who reiterated the calls to boycott Bud Light with a viral shooting video on Twitter.
Kid Rock annihilates Bud Light beer cans amid calls to boycott the brand
In a 35-second clip, a seemingly annoyed Kid Rock began addressing people, stating, “Let me be as clear as possible,” before firing multiple rounds at Bud Light beer cans.
In case people missed the controversial singer's message behind the act, Kid Rock, in an expletive fuelled postscript, said:
“F**k Bud Light and F**k Anheuser”.
Kid Rock, a fierce opponent of gun control, is known as one of the few celebrities who backed Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential bid. Over the years, Kid Rock has become a vocal critic of Democrats and has backed Republican candidates in elections.
After Bud Light’s partnership with Mulvaney was vilified on social media, Anheuser-Busch defended its alliance with the transgender activist, saying that the move was not political, but a business decision stemming from the influencer’s popularity and audience reach.
In a statement to Fox News, a spokesperson for Anheuser-Busch said:
“Anheuser-Busch works with hundreds of influencers across our brands as one of many ways to authentically connect with audiences across various demographics and passion points.”
They added that the personalized cans with Mulvaney’s face were a gift intended only for the influencer and will not be sold in stores.
“From time to time, we produce unique commemorative cans for fans and for brand influencers like Dylan Mulvaney. This commemorative can was a gift to celebrate a personal milestone and is not for sale to the general public.”
However, many disagreed with Busch on Twitter, who deemed the partnership to be propaganda aimed at furthering gender inclusivity.
Robby Starbucks, a GOP congressional primary candidate in Tennessee, also tweeted against the partnership.
Not the first time Dylan Mulvaney is facing criticism
Mulvaney, a popular TikToker with 10 million flowers, is no stranger to criticism when it comes to her brand partnerships. The trans activist’s recent alliance with Kate Spade drew backlash from critics last month.
In response to the criticism, several people also pointed out that these brands have historically supported the LGBTQ community and that the partnership doesn’t necessarily mean they harbor an ulterior motive.
The incident comes amid chocolate maker Hershey facing similar condemnation after an advertising campaign included a transgender rights activist’s face on a special chocolate bar wrapper in Canada for International Women’s Day in February.
