A Ted Nugent concert scheduled for the Wisconsin Valley Fair in Wausau this summer is under boycott threats due to the rock artist’s controversial political stances, and the fair board will meet to decide whether they should cancel the show.
The Wausau Daily Herald reportedMonday that the chairwoman of the Marathon County Democratic Party, Nancy Stencil is threatening to call for a boycott of the fair if Nugent plays, and the fair organizers have received angry phone calls and social media posts about Nugent.
"We don't want to hear any more of his hateful rhetoric," Stencil told the Daily Herald. "He is definitely not a good fit for the Wausau community."The Fair Administrator Kaitlyn Bernarde said the board decided to add Nugent to the fair because he puts on a good show, despite the feedback members had gotten from the community.
"We didn't expect (the response) to be that bad," she told the Daily Herald. "We want to create a good family event for everyone."
Nugent has gotten a lot of attention for his strong pro-gun stance and his stark opposition of political correctness, and he serves on the National Rifle Association board. In 2014, he called then-President Barack Obama a “subhuman mongrel,” and has posted images and comments including racial slurs on social media.
However not all the feedback has been negative, according to the Daily Herald, and supporters tell the fair board they expect Nugent’s crowd to dwarf the audiences for other acts lined up for the fair.
Nugent has performed at the Wisconsin Valley Fair in the past back in 2007. He is scheduled to play the fair on Aug. 4.
The fair board is scheduled to meet Monday to discuss the fate of the show.
Nugent is also scheduled to play the Fond du Lac County Fair July 22.
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