Dee Snider recently appeared as a guest on Appetite for Distortion and described Elon Musk as a ‘genius idiot’ while discussing free speech on social media.
When the interviewer asked the frontman whether hate words should be taken off social media or it should be considered as free speech, he replied:
“Elon Musk is a genius idiot. Look, we got to talk about the bigger picture of censorship and free speech. Free speech is a right; it is also a privilege. Many countries in the world do not have free speech, and people have been put to death for speaking free loud.”
Responsibility In Free Speech
He reflected on the broader issue of free speech with the following words:
“So it’s a responsibility that comes with that free speech, and in the most simplest terms I could put it, online bullying. If you’re saying that Nancy had sex with the football team and she did not, and you know she did not, you’re outwardly lying with the intention to hurt her emotionally and potentially physically because many people who are bullied online commit suicide. That is not your free speech.”
Snider’s Objection To The Circulation Of Misinformation
The singer further talked about the potential negative impacts of spreading false information, saying:
“That’s not your First Amendment right to say that. You have no right to say that. That is not what free speech is. Forefathers never intended for us to run into a crowded movie theater and shout ‘Fire’ when there’s no fire. That was not free speech. So people need to understand what that responsibility and what having that wonderful gift in this country is and what it means. Openly lying is unacceptable.”
The Rocker’s Previous Criticism Of Musk
Since Musk took control of Twitter last year and renamed it as X, he has strongly supported free speech on the platform. This has led to criticism due to more relaxed content moderation compared to the previous owner. Speaking to the 90.3 WMSC FM radio station, Snider had again targeted Musk related to his stance on free speech, saying:
“The greatest enemy of free speech is the misinterpretation of what the First Amendment means. There’s this idea, and Elon Musk is a champion of it, that free speech is saying anything you want whenever you want. That is not what they meant when they wrote the First Amendment…”
In a previous tweet he posted last year, the singer also expressed his willingness to be a part of any committee that Elon Musk establishes to review Twitter accounts for First Amendment violations.
You can watch the full interview below.
