Originally Posted by
sonic_discord
I hesitate to post this because I don't want to start any arguments, but I feel that Maynard (like Lars Ulrich and Billy Corgan, to a lesser extent) gets hated on more than he actually deserves.
I personally didn't really find anything wrong with what he said. While I would definitely commend him for making a statement in support of LGBTQ+ rights or an anti-DeSantis statement (because I really, really hate that guy), I can't blame him for wanting to stay out of it. Why does he NEED to be an "ally," why can't it just be about the music for him? Maybe he (or even one or more of the other band members?) would prefer to remain neutral and doesn't want to get too political and divide his fanbase, likely losing a good chunk of them (though it would be the intolerant & transphobic ones, so he probably wouldn't care, but probably still bad for business). They're not Rage Against the Machine, maybe Maynard just wants to be a singer, not a political spokesperson. And if that's the case, is that really so bad? He's likely not going to change anyone's mind anyway. I get that these are very important issues and in Florida, people's rights are being taken away, but can you honestly imagine any far-right, transphobic republicans reading or hearing Maynard's thoughts on the matter and abandoning their bigoted views as a result? I'm going to say no. Would it have been nice to see him try? Yes, but it would be an exercise in futility that would only serve to please his fans on the left, while angering his fans on the right; it more than likely would not bring about any actual, meaningful change.
He's definitely right that — for famous people, especially — "every single thing you say or do is twisted and conformed into some fundamentalist far-right or far-left agenda" (though the right is guilty of this far more often than the left). Despite the fact that the guy has been occasionally cross-dressing onstage for decades, I saw TONS of people online assuming that he was making a statement and either celebrating him for it or hating on him and bashing him for it, depending on their political stance. Hell, within 24 hours of Tool playing at Welcome to Rockville, I saw someone on Facebook post a meme where they had Photoshopped Maynard onto a six-pack of Bud Light. It's undeniably true that people (not just music publications using it for clickbait, but certainly PLENTY of that, too) jump to conclusions and twist his words to fit an agenda of some kind. Still, Maynard probably should have seen this coming, given what has been happening in Florida lately. Hell, the timing of this and the fact that it was in Florida even had me thinking it might be his own way of being defiant and criticizing the "Don't Say Gay" bill. But Tool has never really been an openly political band, so why should they start now? I think when it comes to Tool performing onstage, they just want it to be about the music and the spectacle, not preaching politics to people who already have their minds made up (especially in a festival environment in Florida).
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