Hey, remember when Dave Mustaine said that Obama staged that Colorado theater shooting, that Obama wasn't born in this country, that he opposes gay marriage, that women in Africa should "put a plug in it" and many other insane things?
Turns out, he was just joking! Lighten up, people!
In a new interview with Rolling Stone, the Megadeth frontman says he's been misinterpreted.
"You can't say what you want to say anymore without people punishing you," Mustaine tells Rolling Stone. "You can't joke around very much anymore without people misinterpreting what you're saying."
How can one misinterpret direct quotes from Dave? Only Dave would know! When Rolling Stone asked him specifically about his outrageous comments about Obama being involved with the Colorado shootings, Dave said:
"You know, I probably should've said things differently. I probably should've skipped that altogether," he says about his statements in Singapore. "I learned a valuable lesson from all of this stuff."
Yes, Dave…maybe it's best not to talk. He later defers blame about the Obama comment saying he just reiterated what gun nut Gun Owners of America leader Larry Pratt said about Obama. Here's Mustaine's quote:
"He said something about it and no one went after him. But everyone went crazy on me," he says. "I've been talking about politics my whole career. The second album – my God, it shows the U.N. completely blown up and destroyed. So I don't know why, all of a sudden, now's the time for people to take exception with what I'm saying."
The answer is simple. Nobody got on Pratt's case, because virtually nobody knows who he is. You are a multiplatinum rock star, with name recognition. Things you say have more weight, Dave. But I think he realizes this and is still just deflecting, because he concluded the interview by saying:
"I noticed that, yeah, I do say some stuff that's kinda – you know, it's a little vulgar," he says. "I need to remember that being a public figure, I have a choice. I can be a really good example for people – which I really desire to do – or not."
Could Dave have turned a new leaf recently? Will he stop saying silly things? I guess we'll tell in due time, but I doubt this is the end of "Mustaine Mania."
