Phish lyricist Tom Marshall epically shut down a Trump supporter who claimed Phish—known for progressive and psychedelic rock with influences from multiple genres—is a "right-wing band."
Earlier, comedian and podcaster Marc Maron shared a picture of himself and Marshall in a post on X, formerly Twitter, previewing an upcoming podcast episode.
You can see Maron's post below.
Well, the post annoyed Tim Gill, an assistant professor of sociology at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, who announced he'd have to "part ways" with Maron because of the post.
He wrote the following remarks in which he claimed Phish "is a right-wing band loved" by supporters of former President Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis, Florida's Republican Governor:
"This is where you and I part ways, Marc. Like it or not, Phish is a right-wing band, loved by Trump/DeSantis supporters. Their message has always been individual responsibility instead of community involvement. Oh and drug use."
You can see his post below.
After another X user disputed Gill's assertion that Phish is "right-wing," he responded:
"Read the lyrics."
However, Gill was quickly shut down by Marshall, who immediately dispelled any notion that Phish backs Trumpism:
"I'm literally the lyricist. I'd put my d**k in a blender before voting for trump."
You can see the full exchange below.
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Many—including Maron—loved Marshall's response.
Phish formed in 1985. Most of the band's songs are written or co-written by Marshall (who occasionally provides backing vocals) and guitarist Trey Anastacio. Marshall has been involved with the majority of the band's successes with brief breaks in the early and mid-2000s.
Gill, one of the leading sociologists in his field, has said that Phish "amplified MAGA," pointing to the song "The Lizards," which takes jabs at people who believe in the Reptilian conspiracy theory.
The crazy theory was popularized by David Icke, who over the last few decades has continued to insist that the world is run by reptilian aliens who've taken human form and harnessed political power to manipulate human societies, a popular belief in QAnon circles.
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