TED NUGENT: SHARON OSBOURNE Is Making Millions Off People Laughing At
OZZY - June 17, 2002
TED NUGENT has once again slammed The Osbournes for being a
"soulless" show and has singled out Sharon Osbourne for "[taking]
advantage of [Ozzy's] drooling condition to make millions of dollars
from people laughing at [him]". In an interview published at Salon.com
last week, Nugent had the following response when asked for his
opinion on the series that has become the highest-rated program in
MTV history:
"I think the success of The Osbournes as a TV show is an indictment
of the soullessness of mankind. Now, I'm just a guitar player, but when
I see a train wreck, I don't look at it and laugh â I try to save injured
people. You're not supposed to wring entertainment out of tragedy.
Ozzy is a nice man, he is a kind man, he is an extremely talented man,
extremely tenacious, obviously. But he is the poster boy of why I never
touched poisons in my life. Because I don't want to drool, nor do I
want to allow a woman in my life to take advantage of my drooling
condition to make millions of dollars from people laughing at me. That's
what she has done. And no one is laughing with the Osbournes â
they are laughing at them. I find that soulless."
On whether the Osbournes represent the family life that people
think most rock stars have:
"That's the worst thing! There's three levels. Well, there's obviously a
million levels. But let's go with the obvious three. There's Jerry
Garcia's level: They did so many drugs they died. You don't have
enough tape and I don't have enough time to list all the dead assholes.
That's Level 1: The ultimate failure of individuals and society to identify
deadly conduct. Horrifically, not only didn't they identify it, they fucking
celebrated it. They encouraged it, they wrote about it, they danced
about it, they drew people into it. So now, you have death and mayhem
out of control. That's not an opinion, that's an observation of 53 years
clean and sober. I'd like to go see Jimi Hendrix, I'd like to go see
John Belushi, I'd like to, well, I wouldn't like to go see Jerry Garcia,
he's not one of my favorite guitar players. But that's the ultimate
stupidity: Poison yourself to death for no other reason except that some
trendy asshole thought it was groovy, baby.
"The second level is Ozzy: You're not dead, but damn close. And
again, I'm to repeat this: I LIKE OZZY. He is a good guy. He is an
extremely talented man. More talented for the fact that he took those
talents he does have, which are moderate, and sold 50 million records
with them. He surrounded himself with the Randy Rhoads and the
Tommy Aldridges and the Zakk Wyldes and mastered building a
million homes out of timber that most people couldn't have built a barn
with. That's real talent.
"So that's Level 2: You did all the stupid things, but you survived.
Great.
"Then there is Level 3: Ted. He defied the stupidity and his American
dream soars on the wings of an American eagle. Because my happiness
â the content, the fiber, the joys, the emotion â is all thriving in my
life, because I discipline myself. Aha! That's what Jerry and Ozzy
didn't have: The big 'D'. Discipline. My parents taught me to shoot a
gun conscientiously, safely, and responsibly, and disciplined me if I
didn't. I would get my block knocked off, which is what Ozzy's little
brats need a good dose of. God, I wish my dad was still alive. He
could fix those kids in one night. I'd just say, Dad, could you fix those
assholes for me? Thank you very much.
"Level 3 is those who are smart enough not to drink and drive, not to
poison their God-given gifts, and to live the American dream of seeking
excellence, and the resulting happiness that can not be stopped."
*************************************
I have to say I totally agree with all of that. Im still going to watch the show though
OZZY - June 17, 2002
TED NUGENT has once again slammed The Osbournes for being a
"soulless" show and has singled out Sharon Osbourne for "[taking]
advantage of [Ozzy's] drooling condition to make millions of dollars
from people laughing at [him]". In an interview published at Salon.com
last week, Nugent had the following response when asked for his
opinion on the series that has become the highest-rated program in
MTV history:
"I think the success of The Osbournes as a TV show is an indictment
of the soullessness of mankind. Now, I'm just a guitar player, but when
I see a train wreck, I don't look at it and laugh â I try to save injured
people. You're not supposed to wring entertainment out of tragedy.
Ozzy is a nice man, he is a kind man, he is an extremely talented man,
extremely tenacious, obviously. But he is the poster boy of why I never
touched poisons in my life. Because I don't want to drool, nor do I
want to allow a woman in my life to take advantage of my drooling
condition to make millions of dollars from people laughing at me. That's
what she has done. And no one is laughing with the Osbournes â
they are laughing at them. I find that soulless."
On whether the Osbournes represent the family life that people
think most rock stars have:
"That's the worst thing! There's three levels. Well, there's obviously a
million levels. But let's go with the obvious three. There's Jerry
Garcia's level: They did so many drugs they died. You don't have
enough tape and I don't have enough time to list all the dead assholes.
That's Level 1: The ultimate failure of individuals and society to identify
deadly conduct. Horrifically, not only didn't they identify it, they fucking
celebrated it. They encouraged it, they wrote about it, they danced
about it, they drew people into it. So now, you have death and mayhem
out of control. That's not an opinion, that's an observation of 53 years
clean and sober. I'd like to go see Jimi Hendrix, I'd like to go see
John Belushi, I'd like to, well, I wouldn't like to go see Jerry Garcia,
he's not one of my favorite guitar players. But that's the ultimate
stupidity: Poison yourself to death for no other reason except that some
trendy asshole thought it was groovy, baby.
"The second level is Ozzy: You're not dead, but damn close. And
again, I'm to repeat this: I LIKE OZZY. He is a good guy. He is an
extremely talented man. More talented for the fact that he took those
talents he does have, which are moderate, and sold 50 million records
with them. He surrounded himself with the Randy Rhoads and the
Tommy Aldridges and the Zakk Wyldes and mastered building a
million homes out of timber that most people couldn't have built a barn
with. That's real talent.
"So that's Level 2: You did all the stupid things, but you survived.
Great.
"Then there is Level 3: Ted. He defied the stupidity and his American
dream soars on the wings of an American eagle. Because my happiness
â the content, the fiber, the joys, the emotion â is all thriving in my
life, because I discipline myself. Aha! That's what Jerry and Ozzy
didn't have: The big 'D'. Discipline. My parents taught me to shoot a
gun conscientiously, safely, and responsibly, and disciplined me if I
didn't. I would get my block knocked off, which is what Ozzy's little
brats need a good dose of. God, I wish my dad was still alive. He
could fix those kids in one night. I'd just say, Dad, could you fix those
assholes for me? Thank you very much.
"Level 3 is those who are smart enough not to drink and drive, not to
poison their God-given gifts, and to live the American dream of seeking
excellence, and the resulting happiness that can not be stopped."
*************************************
I have to say I totally agree with all of that. Im still going to watch the show though
