Bon Iver clapped back.
American journalist and political commentator, Megyn Kelly, mocked Bon Iver (aka Justin Vernon) over a symbolic whistle he wore on his outfit at the Grammy awards this past Sunday.
In a YouTube clip from her SiriusXM show The Megyn Kelly Show, captioned ‘Ridiculous musician Bon Iver actually wears WHISTLE to the Grammys to honour the anti-ICE protestors’, Kelly mocked Bon Iver, saying, “who is Bon Iver?…we got this guy Bon with his little whistle on his lapel.”
She then asks conservative radio host Jesse Kelly for his input, to which he rants about the apparent irony of the security of those who attend the Grammys, when the average American is scared of getting killed by an immigrant…
Many artists, including Bon Iver, used the Grammy’s as an opportunity to spread awareness for the increased violence that is occurring at the hands of ICE in Minneapolis, and the increased momentum of protestors, particularly following the shootings of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti.
“It’s to honour the observers in Minneapolis…it’s really great to stop here and celebrate music and to talk about the power of music..but I think the real work is in the streets of Minneapolis right now” Justin Vernon said to Variety on the Grammy’s carpet, about his symbolic red whistle.
In a (seemingly now deleted) substack post, Vernon responded. “Thank you for calling me Ridiculous musician. Dope compliment… have never hired personal security guards, because I don’t need them. But thanks for thinking I’m that famous!…the man seems to think there are only criminals bred outside of the United States. Honestly, thought provoking…I do wonder sometimes the point of saying liberal things in a room full of registered Democrats, the whole echo chamber thing… but I guess these two are proving that people who hate POC are hiding in blue areas everywhere.”
These comments all come following Bon Iver’s release of the live version of the track ‘Naeem (Can’t You Hear Crying)’ from the 2019 album i, i, on bandcamp last Friday, with all proceeds going towards the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota, to help with organising and protecting against ICE.
