In a new interview, Alice Cooper has told The Guardian that he keeps his political opinions to himself, and disagrees with musicians who tell people who to vote for. Many alternative rock artists like Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder, Rage Against The Machine guitarist Tom Morello, and Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor have been very vocal about their political opinions throughout their careers, especially in recent years. Pearl Jam played a concert for Democrat Senator Jon Tester in August, Tom Morello has ripped Republican politicians throughout his career, and Trent Reznor recently ripped Republican Senator Ted Cruz at a concert. Cooper’s criticism of that though does not mean though that he doesn’t commend rockers who are political but also humanitarians.
“I don’t like to mix politics and rock ‘n’ roll,” he said. “I don’t look at Bono, Sting, and Bruce Springsteen as political. I look at them as being humanitarian. I’ll contribute to anything humanitarian. Helping people who can’t help themselves. But when musicians are telling people who to vote for, I think that’s an abuse of power. You’re telling your fans not to think for themselves, just to think like you. Rock ‘n’ roll is about freedom — and that’s not freedom.”
Cooper said in 2016 that rockers pushing their political opinions is “the worst idea ever.” “First of all, why do people think rock stars know more than they do?” he said. “That is the biggest fallacy in the world — if anything, we’re dumber. We’re not smarter than anybody else. I mean, why do you think we’re rock stars?
“Trust me, we don’t read magazines you don’t read. Nobody calls us up and gives us as inside information on politics. We know less than you do. If I watch TV, it’s Family Guy.”
“Rock ‘n’ roll was built to go as far away from politics as you could get. When my mom and dad talked about who to vote for, I’d go in the other room and put on The Beatles or Rolling Stones and I’m still like that.”
