Julian Casablancas Explains His Refusal to Vote in the Presidential Election
The frontman of The Strokes, Julian Casablancas, recently took to social media to clarify his decision to abstain from voting in the upcoming Presidential election. In his post, he shared an image of a sticker that boldly states: “I Protested”, deviating from the typical “I Voted” sticker that many proudly display.
In the accompanying caption, Casablancas revealed that his stance had been a point of discussion with his mother, who voiced her concerns regarding his choice to not participate in the democratic process. He quoted her saying, “I agree with you but right now vote at least to keep Trump from winning. Think of your children.”
In response, Casablancas elaborated, “Like I told her, I am thinking of my children. The two parties are a joke… a horrible lie. The military, oil companies, and banks are who we are voting for—and the media acts as their propaganda and entertainment wing. With the way they cheated Bernie, I see little point in choosing between these puppets… They want you to think it matters. That way, nothing will change, but it has to change.”
Back in 2020, Casablancas and the rest of The Strokes publicly supported Bernie Sanders, who ultimately lost to Joe Biden in the Democratic primaries.
Backlash and Controversy Surrounding His Post
Casablancas’ controversial post did not go unnoticed, as it sparked widespread criticism across various platforms, including Reddit. Many fans expressed their disappointment, feeling disillusioned by his decision to abstain from voting.
Earlier in the week, Casablancas surprised some music enthusiasts during an interview with The Guardian for their ‘Honest Playlist’ feature. In this insightful discussion, he reflected on the band’s extensive discography, revealing that their iconic hit ‘Last Nite’ has become a song he can “no longer listen to.”
- He stated, “‘Last Nite’ by The Strokes is pretty dead to me. I’m not sure why.”
- He mentioned other tracks such as ‘Reptilia’, ‘Hard to Explain’, ‘Someday’, ‘Take It Or Leave It’, and ‘New York City Cops’ that continue to evoke strong crowd reactions but haven’t worn out their welcome with him.
- Casablancas added, “If I heard it on the radio, I’d probably turn it off.”
