Steven Crowder performs live show on UM’s campus

By Haley Nagel
Contributor

Steven Crowder, political commentator, sold out his live show: “Louder with Crowder: Halloween Spooktacular” Thursday night at Ann Arbor’s Power Center for the Performing Arts. Crowder is best known for his YouTube series, ‘Change my Mind’ and controversial conservative views on social issues like rape-culture and gender.

Although there were no opposing protests on Thursday night, in the days following the event, promotional flyers were ripped down in a matter of hours on UM’s campus.

Nearly 250 spectators attended-more male than female. Attendees were invited to dress up in costume-red capes and Native American headdresses were common picks.

The audience chanted “U-S-A,” signaling the start of the show. A music video began playing on the stage’s screen featuring Crowder and fellow comedian Owen Benjamin as rap artists. The song remixed Eminem’s ‘Detroit City’ with lyrics related to free speech, triggering and Ann Arbor not wanting to be associated with Detroit.

Crowder made his first appearance on stage dressed as Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh wearing a M.A.G.A. helmet, joined with Benjamin. The two quickly dove into current issues involving Canada’s marijuana drought, P.E.T.A., gender classification, and their disapproval of bombs that were recently sent to democratic residences.

Crowder went on to discuss the liberal/conservative divide on college campuses and the climate of hostility students feel.

“There is a liberal to conservative ratio of 12/1 among college professors in the United States,” said Crowder.

Closing his show with a question and answer session, Crowder addressed audience members with eager.

“Would you ever move back to the greatest state in the union?” asked Matt, Traverse City.

“I would consider if Michigan ditches their state tax and annexed Detroit and Flint,” said Crowder, a Detroit native.

As the line of inquiring minds extended to the back of the room, the live show became more interactive.

“My friends and I are conservative, but they don’t know how to defend their arguments like I do, they just know they’re conservative and align with right wing ideas. Does that make them bad?” asked Logan, Ann Arbor.

“It doesn’t mean they’re bad people, but there are certainly bad conservatives who can’t get their viewpoints across properly,” said Crowder.

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