On Sunday night, the Country Music Television Awards included an ebullient performance by Kelsea Ballerini, who was joined by drag queens amid the proposed Tennessee drag-show ban, which was recently blocked by a judge for being “unconstitutionally vague.” If you guessed that Marjorie Taylor Greene — who received an earful on Super Bowl Sunday over Chris Stapleton’s “wokeness” (without realizing that Stapleton is an outspoken supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement) — was upset about over Ballerini’s CMT Awards performance, you would be correct. Greene did tweet her disapproval.
She wasn’t the only one. Fox News contributor Tomi Lahren was incensed over the jubilant performance (Ballerini was joined by Kennedy Davenport, Manila Luzon, Jan Sport, and Olivia Lux). Tomi had no joy and instead, she complained, “The country music INDUSTRY has gone full woke despite actual COUNTRY MUSIC FANS not buying into any of this mess. RIP CMT.”
The country music INDUSTRY has gone full woke despite actual COUNTRY MUSIC FANS not buying into any of this mess. RIP CMT.
— Tomi Lahren (@TomiLahren) April 3, 2023
She also ranted about the “rainbow mafia” and then floated a conspiracy theory about “big Pharma,” which of course is a dig at hormone therapy, which Lahren believes is a “a manipulative and sneaky way” for pharmaceutical companies “to have a lock on these people for the rest of their lives.”
Y’all just don’t stop do you? Does everything have to be a platform to shove the rainbow mafia down our throats? Can you ever just do…idk…country freakin music?!!!! https://t.co/7ttuFmJesb
— Tomi Lahren (@TomiLahren) April 2, 2023
Some of y’all blindly think this trans movement is about individuality and expression, no. It’s a manipulative and sneaky way for big Pharma to have a lock on these people for the rest of their lives. Wake up.
— Tomi Lahren (@TomiLahren) April 3, 2023
Lahren didn’t mention Ballerini’s opening monologue, in which she paid tribute to the victims of Nashville’s recent school shooting, which the singer called out as a mere one of “the 130 mass shootings in the US this year alone.” Instead, the right-wing firebrand focused her anger upon a display of happiness, which sparked much laughter in her replies. A whole lot of “cry me a river” started to flow over Tomi’s dislike of anything “woke.”
WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
cOuNtRy mUsiC iS wOkE pic.twitter.com/pO15xX1yuR
— Caro 🇺🇲🇨🇷 (@carogonza2) April 3, 2023
https://twitter.com/RealDaveRussell/status/1642740480852250626
Seriously,
What do you people have left for entertainment?
Wrestling?— William Buecker (@wcbuecker) April 3, 2023
Country music has always evolved with the times, and it's unfair to dismiss the industry's efforts to promote positive change as "woke" or irrelevant. Let's celebrate diverse voices in music. #CountryMusic #PositiveChange
— LiberalGenXVet (@LiberalGenXVet) April 3, 2023
So if we play it backwards, do we no longer get our wife, house, dog and truck back?
— Shao Lung (@DancesofDragons) April 3, 2023
https://twitter.com/tegelad/status/1642829983063179266
— OUT OF FUQS QWEEN 💬 (@SanteenaR) April 3, 2023
Here’s an idea.. if u don’t like it, don’t watch, if it’s offensive stay home, if u don’t understand it it just might be you, and finally if u don’t want one Don’t have one!! Btw.. Define woke???
— Suz Mar (@march7_mar) April 3, 2023
The CMT Awards aired on CBS, and performances can be streamed on the CMT website.