John Schneider has sparked backlash from Beyoncé fans, known as the BeyHive, after making a comparison between Beyoncé and a dog, suggesting that she is marking her territory with her recent foray into country music.
Fans criticized him, labeling his remarks as "racist and hateful," and asserting that Beyoncé does not require his approval to pursue country music.
At the Super Bowl, Beyoncé unveiled a new song titled "Texas Hold 'em" from her forthcoming album, the second part of the Renaissance trilogy. This track delves into country music, showcasing an unusual genre departure for the Grammy Award-winning star.
While many members of the BeyHive have welcomed Beyoncé's courageous exploration into country music, not everyone has embraced it as warmly.
Among those is actor and singer John Schneider, aged 63, renowned for his portrayal in the television series "Dukes of Hazzard."
During an interview with the conservative network One American News (OAN), actor and singer John Schneider compared Beyoncé to a dog, drawing a parallel between her exploration of different musical genres and a dog marking its territory.
Asking about musicians who venture into various genres and often align with leftist perspectives, Schneider's host stated, "The lefties in the entertainment industry just won't leave any area alone, right? They just have to seize control over every aspect, don't they?"
To which Schneider responded, "They've got to make their mark, just like a dog in a dog walk park. You know, every dog has to mark every tree, right? So that's what's going on here."
Social media was flooded with outrage from the BeyHive following Schneider's statement, with numerous individuals expressing their disapproval and condemning his remark as "racist and hateful."
One user stated, "Did John Schneider just compare Beyonce to a dog?? So Beyonce singing country songs makes her a dog?? WTF. And what do they mean by THEY have to make their mark like a dog in a dog walk park"..Disgusting and disrespectful because we created the genre. It's our tree!!
Another person commented, "John Schneider, shut the f--- up challenge. I used to love this guy, but now he's just a racist, right-wing extremist, just like the rest."
Earlier, a local country music station, 100.1 KYKC, faced backlash from the BeyHive after declining to play Beyoncé's track upon request. A fan expressed disappointment on social media, alleging that the station sent an email stating, "We do not play Beyonce on KYKC as we are a country music station," and accused them of racism.
However, a representative from the music station countered these claims of racism, asserting that they are "owned by a minority-owned company" and play music based on its quality, without caring "who it is or what they look like."
Regarding their decision not to play Beyoncé's song initially, the station explained, "We honestly didn't know she had dropped a "country" song, plus no distributor sent it to us. As soon as we finally got it, we added it to our playlist."
