The recently-released film “Sound of Freedom” has unexpectedly become a hit in the US, with some critics perceiving its anti-child-trafficking story as genuine, while others believe it aligns with the baseless QAnon conspiracy theory about liberals supporting sex crimes against children. Alejandro Monteverde, the director of “Sound of Freedom,” has expressed his heartbreak over being falsely associated with QAnon in interviews.
Driving sales
“Rich Men North of Richmond” by Oliver Anthony portrays the image of a rural, downtrodden white working-class hero, and the song captures the grievances espoused by certain right-wing politicians. The lyrics mention “the obese milkin’ welfare” and express a desire for politicians to prioritize miners over minors on an island, which some interpret as a reference to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. In his introductory video, Anthony explains that witnessing the normalization of child abuse motivated him to speak out. When Jason Aldean’s video faced backlash, his wife, Brittany Aldean, defended him on Instagram and questioned why the focus wasn’t on real stories like child trafficking. Critics have pointed out that the notion of ignored or normalized child abuse echoes the unfounded conspiracies perpetuated by QAnon.
The video for “Try That in a Small Town” was initially pulled from Country Music Television due to the inclusion of six seconds of Black Lives Matter footage. However, Aldean’s record label later cited copyright issues as the reason for the removal of the controversial imagery. Interestingly, the controversy surrounding the video actually bolstered sales. After the backlash, which followed the video’s release two months after the song itself, demand surged by 999%, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter.
This recent controversy could have a transformative impact on Oliver Anthony, whose earlier, lesser-known songs focused on drinking and working. In his personal video, he reveals his journey towards sobriety and religion. Whether or not he delves further into politics remains to be seen. For now, his song could simply become another weapon in the ongoing cultural conflicts.
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