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Shania Twain was one of the first country music artists to crossover to pop when she hooked up both professionally and personally with superstar rock producer Robert John “Mutt” Lange, the man behind the platinum success of artists like AC/DC, Def Leppard, and Maroon 5, in the mid-1990s.
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Twain was so enormously successful at fusing country and pop sensibilities on her records that it’s hardly an exaggeration to say that without Shania Twain, Taylor Swift would still be a struggling unknown musician. Her groundbreaking crossover appeal led to a massively successful career that came to a screeching halt after she discovered that Lange, her husband and producer, was living up to his nickname by dogging around with Twain’s best friend.
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Even before her subsequent divorce from Lange, Twain had put her career on hold after a tick bite gave her Lyme’s Disease and caused her to lose her voice to a point of being unable to sing. After a 15 year break from the music industry, a throat operation restored her singing ability and last year Twain released her first album of original material since 2002.
All of this would be a standard comeback story worthy of a fawning music business documentary were it not for Twain’s decision to discuss politics in a recent interview with The Guardian.
While the Canadian-born resident of Switzerland does not have the citizenship to vote in the United States elections, she nevertheless told The Guardian that if she could have, she would have voted for Donald Trump.
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“I would have voted for him because, even though he was offensive, he seemed honest,” Twain said. “Do you want straight or polite? Not that you shouldn’t be able to have both. If I were voting, I just don’t want bullshit. I would have voted for a feeling that it was transparent. And politics has a reputation of not being that, right?”
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Perhaps living in tranquil Switzerland has sheltered Twain from the daily revelations of the latest depths that the Trump administration has sunk to, or maybe her statement was a cynical attempt to maintain her appeal with the more right-wing members of country music fandom, but the news of Twain’s support for Trump took Twitter by storm and the reaction was decidedly not positive for the most part.
I am disappointed in Shania Twain’s feeling on Trump and when I get the time I am going to go into my attic and look for one of her cassettes to throw out in protest.
— Tony Posnanski (@tonyposnanski) April 22, 2018
Canadian singer Shania Twain on Donald Trump: "I would have voted for him because, even though he was offensive, he seemed honest."
Ummm, sorry, but being an offensive loudmouth doesn’t make you honest.
It just makes you an asshole.
— Adam Best (@adamcbest) April 22, 2018
https://twitter.com/cmclymer/status/988187024225128454
If Shania Twain believes Trump is honest then she knowingly supports and defends a man who bragged about sexual assault.
— Jennifer Gunter (@DrJenGunter) April 22, 2018
Shania Twain says she'd have voted for Trump because she was impressed with his honesty? Was she impressed by something true he said in addition to the 3000 documented lies he told? Was she wowed by the way he calls women pigs? Or is she just a fan of degrading people in general?
— Dr X #FBR (@DrXPsychologist) April 22, 2018
Dear Canada. Can we stop pretending that we like Shania Twain now? Finally? pic.twitter.com/Ro6Oze3QuM
— Neil Before Zod™ (@ThatsMrNeil) April 22, 2018
Okay, so you're Shania Twain.
That don't impress me much.— Laurie Crosswell (@lauriecrosswell) April 22, 2018
Now that my tattoo artist has finished inscribing this portrait of Morrissey, Kanye and Shania Twain onto my back, I’ll calmly log onto Twi-
— Dave Itzkoff (@ditzkoff) April 22, 2018
Shania Twain: I would've voted for Trump
the gays:pic.twitter.com/3mLw19cR28
— Uranus Williams (@fabulous_he) April 22, 2018
Shania Twain’s new Album will include…
“Man! I feel like a woman but I’m not welcome in the military.”
“You’re still the one with a Tiki Torch.”
“Your MAGA Hat impressed me much.”
“Damn (fill in minority). There goes the neighborhood!”
— Tony Posnanski (@tonyposnanski) April 22, 2018
Welp, starting to rethink my initial plan to let Shania Twain guide all of my political, socioeconomic and spiritual beliefs
— billy eichner (@billyeichner) April 22, 2018
Shania Twain is the least good Canadian
— audible gasp (@morninggloria) April 22, 2018
I saw Shania Twain trending and I thought she died…..I was kinda right.
— CAZWELL (@CAZWELLnyc) April 22, 2018
listening to Shania Twain yesterday vs. listening to Shania Twain today pic.twitter.com/Mdq6NVQE63
— bobby finger (@bobbyfinger) April 22, 2018
Rocket scientists may not impress Shania Twain, but apparently white supremacists do.
— Kaivan Shroff (@KaivanShroff) April 22, 2018
https://twitter.com/ukjamesharrison/status/988151669123842054
Shania Twain’s political manifesto may not have worked out quite the way she intended, with her large gay fan base definitely jumping ship after declaring her support for Trump. But perhaps the best response on all of Twitter came from a parody Donald Trump Twitter account that captures his unique voice perfectly.
Shania Twain says she wanted to vote for ME, but she WAS NOT allowed to vote!! Obama and other stupid democrats have been PREVENTING Canadians like Shania from voting for republicans in presidential elections. Totally UNFAIR!
— Donald J. Trump (@RealDonaldTrFan) April 22, 2018
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Shania Twain did not expect such a torrent of negativity to result from her offhand political comment. She immediately went on the social media platform to explain herself and apologize.
I am passionately against discrimination of any kind and hope it’s clear from the choices I have made, and the people I stand with, that I do not hold any common moral beliefs with the current President (2/4)
— Shania Twain (@ShaniaTwain) April 22, 2018
My answer was awkward, but certainly should not be taken as representative of my values nor does it mean I endorse him. I make music to bring people together. My path will always be one of inclusivity, as my history shows. (4/4)
— Shania Twain (@ShaniaTwain) April 22, 2018
Nice save, Shania. Perhaps that 15 year break left your interviewing skills a little rusty. We’ll give you the benefit of the doubt for now, particularly since you haven’t spent much time in the U.S. since Trump’s inauguration. Still, you get to live in a nice neutral country like Switzerland, so perhaps you should consider staying neutral in our political dialogue next time. You at least have the option of returning home to a Canada under Justin Trudeau, while we’re stuck here with the orange dotard.
Follow Vinnie Longobardo on Twitter.
