It was a very unfortunate incident and the tour does not condone this at all, they will no longer be on the tour.

The “Disgusting Old Man” Behind the Dick Puppet

It has come to my attention that a snippet from a recent incident during the Van’s Warped Tour is floating around the internet, indeed here in every comment section on The Dickies page.

This is the context: While doing our show a handful of people took it upon themselves to express their ire with my routine--a routine that includes apish antics, a penis puppet, and often ends with me saying, "You're a great looking bunch of kids. We'd love to go down on each and every one of you but we just don't have the time."

Apparently this group thought I meant it literally as they were holding a sign on the side of the stage (which was then thrown at me) that read:

“Our teenage girls don’t need to be subjected to derogatory jokes by a disgusting old man”

“Punk isn’t predatory”

It appears the audience and myself were to be lectured about common decency as well as the very raison d’être of Punk Rock by this woman and her friends during the entire set.

I finally let my anger get the better of me. I let her know what I thought of her ageist, nasty, Leonard-hating behavior. I used very rude language. I understand the word "cunt" is inflammatory and that many women have been abused by this word. I should have called her an "asshole."

It wasn’t my proudest moment … but neither was the time I urinated on the audience. I wasn’t there to “prey" on anyone’s child. In all honesty, as fine as most of my audiences are, I'll pass on having oral sex with each and every one of them.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to affix my groovy new “I *heart* Beaver" magnet (that I picked up in Beaver, Colorado) to the refrigerator and listen to “Beat On The Brat” by The Ramones. If some of you kids haven’t heard of them yet, check 'em out! They’re pretty cool.

Leonard Graves Phillips