Florida Republican Is Fighting For His 'Right To Rock' And You're Really Gonna Wish He Would Not
He's giving hair metal Michael Scott and it's not pretty.
Florida state Rep. Joel Rudman once said that his “entire reason for being here in the Florida Legislature” was to help pass a bill that allowed healthcare workers and insurers the freedom to discriminate against patients when said discrimination is based in their own “conscience.” The medical doctor turned far-right state legislator has, however, found himself another raison d’etre, and surprise — it’s another very stupid bill largely based in protecting people from the consequences of their own bigotry.
And this time, it’s of the musical variety.
On Wednesday, Rudman filed the (get ready for a full-body cringe) “Right To Rock Act,” which would bar venues from canceling acts for being horrible on social media or turning out to be Nazis or what have you.
It reads:
An entertainment venue, whether an indoor event venue or an outdoor event venue, that accepts state funding and enters into a contract with a person engaged in a live presentation or performance by a single performer or multiple performers, including musicians, comedians, dancers, and actors, whether or not such person or persons are compensated for the presentation or performance, may not cancel or terminate an executed contract with such person for any reason related to the person’s use of social media or political affiliation.
So, just to be absolutely clear, here — this man believes that a doctor or nurse should be allowed to refuse medical care to someone based on their “conscience,” should be allowed to discriminate against LGBTQ+ people or sexually active single women or whatever … but a venue “discriminating” against a band or performer for saying on social media that they would, for instance, really love it for doctors to be able to discriminate against LGBTQ+ people is simply a bridge too far.
Glad he’s cleared that up for us!
Shockingly enough, it appears that this is not an entirely selfless venture on his part. Rep. Rudman is in a classic rock cover band himself — called, I shit you not, Dr. Rudman and the Freedom Fighters — and personally believes that a bunch of liberals recently used Eventbrite to ruin their “God, Guns and Less Government” tour.
As he explained in a Facebook post earlier this month:
This is what liberals do.
When I announced my concert tour, I used Eventbrite to process free tickets so I could get a rough headcount for each gig. The woke mob liberals flooded the system with fake emails and bogus names, so now we have no way of knowing how many to expect.
Show these radicals what happens when you try to cancel conservatives! Come out in force tomorrow night to Horse Power Pavilion at 7pm.
The liberals tried to cancel my voice. I became Navarre’s Business of the Year. Then they tried to cancel my medical career. I became State Representative. Now they are trying to cancel my concert tour.
Keep it up, Santa Rosa County Democrats! You might just make me Governor!
Truly, is there anything more radical than submitting fake RSVPs to Eventbrite?
Multiple people in the comments noted that no one had any idea he was going on tour and that it was sad of him to blame random mystery liberals for a screw-up that may have simply been a problem with Eventbrite — or more likely, a thing that didn’t actually happen at all, but which he claimed happened in hopes of getting people to come out and see his band.
You are probably wondering right now just how bad Rep. Dr. Joel Rudman’s band actually is — and boy are you in for a treat because there is, in fact, footage on the internets of the band playing songs about doctors for a rapt audience of two other human beings.
Just try to watch until the good doctor gets onstage in his lab coat, weird face paint and dueling knockoff Alexander McQueen scarves. It’s giving hair metal Michael Scott meets Simon van Kempen and I wish I could come up with remotely more recent references than that but they are just not there.
Admittedly, I did not watch the entire original 40 minute video so it is possible that not all of the songs were about doctors, but the first two were and I imagine they probably continued with that theme. I just hope they do not cover Doctor Worm, because honestly that would hurt my heart.
I’d love to point out the irony of someone who wants less government so much that he would name his tour of Florida beach bars “God, Guns and Less Government” wanting more government when it comes to businesses being able to determine who they want to play their venues, but at this point we know that all “Less Government” means to these people is “We want to be able to discriminate and also not have our taxes go to help the poor.” They love “big government” as long as it’s being used to achieve something they want.
OPEN THREAD!
My balcony is covered in spotted lantern flies. They're crawling up the walls, on my windows, all along the railing. https://substack.com/profile/155618292-ziggywiggy/note/c-39119841
Harry has such pretty eyes. When he’s looking out the window and the natural light hits them the green just stands out so much.
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