The Pop Corporation

Donald Trump’s use of ‘YMCA’ (and to a lesser degree, ‘Macho Man’) by the Village People has been a curious thing. For someone who is, and represents everything virulently homophobic and a whole other bunch of phobics in the US, it’s particularly strange that he’d plump for a song that is not only very camp, but regarded as a gay anthem.

Were the Village People just keeping schtum because the royalties were nice? Well, whatever their reason for keeping quiet, something’s changed with the group asking Trump to stop using their songs without consent.

The wife of one of the members sent a cease-and-desist to Trump, and it seems that the catalyst is fans of the group accusing them of endorsing Trump and his MAGA acolytes, and that was a bridge too far. They’ve also asked Trump to stop hiring tribute acts that ape them from performing at Mar-a-Lago.

The cease-and-desist letter to Mr Trump stated that the band “tolerated” his use of their music in the past and threatened that they will file a lawsuit against the former president if he doesn’t stop using the band’s images and music. Karen Willis – the band’s manager and also wife of lead singer Victor Willis – sent the letter to Mr Trump’s attorney Joe Tacopina on Monday.

She noted the Mar-a-Lago performance was “unauthorised” and in the wake of the video, “many fans, and the general public as well, mistakenly believe” that the actual Village People delivered the performance.

This is Trump they’re dealing with of course, who is a massive piss-baby. The former president’s attorney Joe Tacopina was quoted saying by TMZ that “I will only deal with the attorney of the Village People if they have one, not the wife of one of the members”, adding: “they [the members of the band] should be thankful that Trump allowed them to get their name back in the press. I haven’t heard their name in decades. Glad to hear they are still around”.

Self-awareness is not something political people have in abundance, but how anyone can dance along to a record made by people who have said they don’t like you is beyond us.

Then again, who would want to dance to Kid Rock or some pervy shit from Ted Nugent?