Aging rock musician Alice Cooper (75) has been dropped by Vampyre Cosmetics following comments stating transgenderism as a “fad.” Here’s the full story.
The Players
The cosmetics brand owned by the LGBTQ+ community, ended its partnership with Cooper after he criticized procedures related to gender transition for minors.
Controversial Interview
This decision was made in response to Cooper’s recent interview on the music blog Stereogum, where he shared his thoughts on gender identity comments made by other rock artists.
Sad and Dangerous
These artists included KISS’ Paul Stanley, who said gender reassignment surgery for children was a “sad and dangerous fad,” and Twisted Sister’s Dee Snider, who supported Stanley’s viewpoint.
Although Stanley later retracted his statement, Snider denied the allegations.
Transgender for Attention
Cooper expressed his own view during the interview, stating, “I understand that there are cases of transgender, but I’m afraid that it’s also a fad, and I’m afraid there’s a lot of people claiming to be this just because they want to be that.”
Mixed Up Kids
Cooper continued, “If you have these genitals, you’re a boy. If you have those genitals, you’re a girl. There’s a difference between ‘I am a male who is a female, or I’m a female that’s a male’ and wanting to be a female. You were born a male. Okay, so that’s a fact. You have these things here (genitals).
Now, the difference is you want to be a female. Okay, that’s something you can do later on if you want to. But you’re not a male born a female.”
Childs play
Cooper further ranted “I find it wrong when you’ve got a six-year-old kid who has no idea. He just wants to play, and you’re confusing him telling him, ‘Yeah, you’re a boy, but you could be a girl if you want to be.’ Cooper said.
Controversial Comments
Cooper’s remarks about restroom usage based on gender identity added to the controversy. He voiced concerns about potential issues, saying, “Somebody’s going to get raped, and the guy’s going to say, ‘Well, I felt like a girl that day, and then I felt like a guy.’ Where do you draw this line?”
Opinionated
Cooper’s opinions were made clear when he said people should wait until they are at least “sexually aware” before considering whether they’re a boy or girl.
He added that genitals are the logical method to determine gender.
Access for All
In response, Vampyre Cosmetics chose to terminate the collaboration in solidarity with the LGBTQIA+ community.
The brand’s statement read, “In light of recent statements by Alice Cooper we will no longer be doing a makeup collaboration. We stand with all members of the LGBTQIA+ community and believe everyone should have access to healthcare. All pre-order sales will be refunded.”
Go Woke, Go Broke
This decision was followed by heated reactions on social media, mostly slamming the brand’s move.
On the X platform (previously known as Twitter), one user commented, “Go woke, go broke. Vampyre Cosmetics needs Alice Cooper more than Alice Cooper needs Vampyre Cosmetics – such a stupid move on their part.”
Radio Waves
Radio host Dana Loesch accused Vampyre Cosmetics of intolerance and bigotry, stating, “The intolerant and bigoted company, @VampyreCosmetics, apparently nixed their account after saying that experimental, medically unnecessary surgeries on young kids constitute ‘health care.’”
No Ethics
Another user expressed doubt about the brand’s ethical stance, saying, “No clue who Vampyre Cosmetics are, but to cancel a contract based on what Alice Cooper is reported to have said says to me that they are not ethical. Core values such as commitment, meaning to keep a promise, shouldn’t be taken lightly”.
Queer and Disabled
As of Tuesday, in reaction to the negative feedback, Vampyre Cosmetics’ page on the X platform has been closed. On the brand’s website, its owners identified themselves as “queer, disabled, and proudly neurodiverse women.”
Lipsticks to Play With
On August 14th, Vampyre Cosmetics reported news of the partnership with Cooper; “The Alice Cooper Collection, which included microphone-shaped lipsticks, guitar-shaped makeup palettes, and a version of Alice Cooper’s Whiplash mascara.
The Makeup Man
The statement announcing the collection praised Cooper for being “one of the first male artists to show the art form of face makeup wasn’t a gender-specific”.
Terminated
Information about the collaboration with Cooper remains on Vampyre’s website, but now indicates the termination of the partnership. Perhaps Vampyre should be looking in the mirror at their own non-reflection.
The post Alice Cooper Stirs Controversy with Comments on Transgender Topics, Labeling Them a ‘Dangerous Fad’ first appeared on Pulse of Pride
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / yakub88. The people shown in the images are for illustrative purposes only, not the actual people featured in the story.
