Julie Hinds

Detroit Free Press Pop Culture Critic

The Kid vs. the Nuge?

"Late Show" host Stephen Colbert took time from his usual Trump-themed comedy Wednesday night to discuss speculation that two famous Michigan musicians could go head-to-head in a race for the U.S. Senate.

Referencing stories from Vulture.com and the Fox News website, Colbert invited viewers to imagine Kid Rock running for Senate – and being opposed by Ted Nugent.

"We could soon be hearing 'Wa-da-duh-bee-da-duh-bang-bang-diggy-diggy, I yield the remainder of my time,'" said Colbert, referencing the Kid Rock hit "Bawitdaba," while also bringing up some very not-suitable-for-work, pro-Trump merchandise that Rock introduced to his website during the presidential campaign.

"The idea that some aging, long-haired rocker could be the next senator from Michigan sounds like the ravings of a madman and it is – the Motor City Madman, because Ted Nugent might also run for the same senate seat," Colbert continued.

As the late-night host pointed out, "This is really going to split the 'uncle who sells you fireworks' vote."

(Kid Rock and Nugent, it should be noted, are known to socialize and hunt together, so such a race might also put some tension on that relationship.)

The bit ended with Colbert interviewing a new character who announced his run for the Michigan seat, Shriekin' Joe, the Saginaw Psychopath, a crossbow-toting, aging rocker with some rather NC-17-skewing thoughts and slogans about taking up politics.

It was all just good fun about unlikely entertainers obtaining important government positions....or was it?

Contact Detroit Free Press writer Julie Hinds: 313-222-6427 or jhinds@freepress.com.