TED NUGENT: I Am Not A Racist

Ted Nugent has rejected accusations that he is a racist following his appearance on a Denver radio show Monday (May 5) when a live interview with Nugent was reportedly cut short after he used derogatory racial terms for Asians and blacks.

The following is Ted's official statement regarding the Denver incident:

"Let's get one thing straight first and foremost: I dedicated my last record, 'Craveman', to Rosa Parks, the Civil Rights pioneer. I did that because she is one of only a couple of heroes that I have ever had.

"A bit of advice — Never take too much serious that you hear on any FM morning radio show & be sure to have your sense of humor plugged in. The sole purpose of these programs is to entertain you with often over-the-top, irreverent, shock humor, the king of which is Howard Stern, right behind me. If you want serious radio, turn the dial to the AM channel.

"Because of my very public pro-hunting and pro-gun lifestyle, I have been the butt of many jokes on these FM radio programs across the country. Instead of becoming upset, I laugh hysterically, much like I did when 'Saturday Night Live' made fun of my hunting lifestyle in a widely entertaining parody. Only an uptight, politically correct idiot would get upset over a 'SNL' skit.

"Recently, on one of the world's best and certainly funniest morning radio shows, the FOX's 'Lewis & Floorwax' morning show in Denver, I made the comment that you can't play real, authentic, soulful, tuneful blues on a Jap guitar. My use of the word 'Jap' has obviously upset some people. Get over it. British people are commonly refereed to as Brits. Swedish people are known as Swedes. Americans are Yanks, even damn Yanks. I then went on to quote by name, my favorite record of all time, Richard Pryor's 'That Nigger's Crazy!' Tho funny as hell, I was dead serious. I then stated that the best name ever for a band was NIGGAS WITH ATTITUDE. I meant that, too. I then shared a wonderful story from my rock-n-roll youth in Detroit (live in person on 'Bob & Tom' radio to tens of millions on my new DVD) when my band THE LOURDES won the Michigan Battle of the Bands in 1963, and was rewarded with the privilege of performing on the same Cobo Hall stage with the gods of R&B, the mighty FUNK BROTHERS of Motown. In one of the most moving experiences in my musical career, the biggest, baddest Funk Brother of all, sashayed over to me and my band, put his strong black, genius hand on my trembling white shoulder, looked down upon me, and stated, 'Boy, you keeps playin guitar like dat, youz gonna be a nigger when youz grows up.' I shook in awe and reverence, and stuttered, 'Thank you sir.' I meant that, too. For these amazingly simple statements of humor, respect and honesty, I have been attacked as a racist.

"Let me tell you what's going on here. People hate me because I'm so damn effective at getting across my pro-gun, pro-hunting and pro-American statements. Forever, liberal hippies in the media have manufactured all sorts of hateful misrepresentations about me and about what I say and stand for. They are helpless to take me on intellectually, one on one, so they extract convenient edited phrases out of context and put their own negative, hateful left spin on them. They should be ashamed of themselves. But they will not be, for one would need a soul or semblance of conscience to do so, and in this cultural war to demonize all that I am & represent, they are hellbent to compromise the NRA Board of Director and America's #1 Bambi killer. It is the height of agenda driven, overtly biased unprofessionalism. It's pathetic. I refuse to cow down to the Pol Pott politics of vicious personal attacks that the politically correct, left-wing, anti-freedom idiots wish to shove down our collective throats. Nothing I have ever said on a goofy FM morning radio program was ever meant to demonize, slander or hurt anyone. The same is true for comedic geniuses such as Richard Pryor, Robin Williams, Lenny Bruce, George Carlin, Sam Kinison, Eddie Murphy, Jeff Foxworthy, Chris Rock, the cast of 'SNL', and just last week some huge funny as hell black comedian on Bill Maher's HBO TV show using the word nigger over and over again and again. The sanctimonious barriers of politically correct anal retentiveness were ceremoniously tossed to the wind by this outrageously funny comedian, clearly where they belong. Sense-of-humor. Open-mindedness. Poking fun at the human shortcomings of petty thoughtlessness, transparent veneer, and celebrating good old cheap shots for a good laugh. It's called humor, even though it may be vulgar to some, but damn funny to others nonetheless. It is pathetic to even have to address this issue, but I have long been a lightening rod for idiots. Anyone who has done but a modicum of research about me knows that I possess an irreverent, outrageous and deeply bouyant sense of humor. Moreover, throughout my 40-year career in the media, I have constantly praised the long list of black musical influences that shaped me as a young musician and continue to inspire me today. Furthermore, I have hired blacks and Mexicans to play in my band. Yet I'm a racist? I'll admit I'm a racist when you admit that one plus one equals seventeen. Shock and awe that. If you're waiting for an apology, I suggest you pack a lunch."