It’s probably fair to say that Trent Reznor seems like sort of an angry guy, right?
At the very least, it’s fair to say that he seems like an angry guy in this bizarre new interview he just did.
Just for an example, the interview, done with Vulture, starts off by describing Trent as being in a “pugnacious” mood.
And one of the first things Trent says is “These are the last few moments of life, let’s make the most of it.”
Solid start, right?
Things only get worse from there.
At one point, Trent is asked about celebrities and social media, and artists like Drake and Taylor Swift are mentioned as examples of stars who use social media in a smart way.
From there, he goes off on a tangent about Drake, saying “I’m not saying pop music isn’t well-crafted or the people who make it aren’t wonderful, but it’s not fair me.”
Fair enough, but he also adds “I’ve asked people, ‘What is it that’s good about Drake?’ I’ve said to my friends at Apple: ‘Explain to me why."”
“As the old guy, I don’t see it.”
And that seems a little too catty, doesn’t it? Drake is obviously popular for a reason, and if you don’t understand that reason, you don’t have to discuss it with a major publication.
From there, the conversation shifted to Trent’s work with Apple Music: he was chief creative officer of Beats Electronics’ music subscription service, which was later bought by Apple.
“My experience with Beats Music and then at Apple largely was dismissed from outside, maybe justifiably, as here’s another celebrity moron holding up a phone and expecting some sort of credit,” he begins.
“That kind of situation, which mine isn’t, would be insulting to the people that actually are doing the important jobs.”
And then, out of nowhere, he adds “And I don’t want to hear about ‘Ashton Kutcher’s a f-cking tech genius.’ I don’t give a sh-t about that.”
“He seems like an asshole.”
What’s funny, of course, is that it’s actually Trent who seems like the asshole here.
The reporter simply responded with “Ouch,” because how else do you respond to that sort of outburst?
“I don’t know where that rage just came from,” Trent says. “But all I can say is that I’ve learned a hell of a lot from working at Beats and Apple.”
Later, the topic switched again to Donald Trump, and he reveals that he’s struggling with being a father during this wild and crazy time.
“My kids walk in the room and I’ve got CNN or MSNBC on and I have to hit the mute button because I don’t want to get into a discussion about how embarrassing the president is,” he says.
“He’s a f-cking vulgarian. Aside from whatever ideological beliefs he has — if he has any — he’s a grotesque person who represents everything I hate.”
“I’m repulsed by everything about him and he’s the president, you know?”
“I haven’t figured out how to rationalize that to my kids’ beautiful little optimistic minds,” he explains.
“I grew up in a sh-tty little town full of Trump voters, so I think I can understand the point of view of someone who supports his message. What I don’t understand is supporting that messenger.”
Well, at least the Trump hate is more deserved than the Ashton Kutcher or Drake hate, right?
But either way … maybe just take a vacation or even just some deep breaths, Trent.
