Joan Jett Won’t Represent South Dakota At The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

Joan Jett is no longer representing South Dakota at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

The singer was originally scheduled to perform on the state’s float at the annual event in New York City. However, her involvement with the parade angered ranchers and farmers who believed her association with PETA didn’t have their best interests at heart. According to CNN, Jett decided to move on to greener pastures.

“I’ve decided to switch from South Dakota to another float because people’s political agendas were getting in the way of what should be a purely entertainment driven event. I will remain focused on entertaining the millions of people watching, who will be celebrating a great American tradition,” Joan Jett explained.

The Huffington Post reports that Jodie Anderson of the South Dakota Cattlemen’s Association believes the singer’s beliefs go against everything the state represents. It’s no secret that Jett and the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals frequently speak out against ranches and factory farms.

“So, of course, when we learned that about Miss Jett, we were rightly concerned about her representing South Dakota and a state that is so heavily reliant on agriculture and livestock production to drive our economy,” Anderson explained.

Instead of kicking Joan Jett and the Blackhearts out of the parade entirely, a representative for Macy’s said the group will move to a different float. However, it’s currently unclear where Jett and the band will perform as of this writing.

Despite everything that’s happened this weekend, PETA’s Senior Vice President Dan Mathews sees this as something of a victory for the singer and the organization.

“Thanks to South Dakota’s reactionary ranchers, people across the country have learned why Joan Jett supports PETA. The meat trade can’t stand any scrutiny of its cruelty,” Matthews explained in a recent statement about the singer’s departure.

The Inquisitr previously reported that several folks across South Dakota were extremely upset with Joan Jett’s involvement with the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade float. The backlash that ensued was almost immediate. However, South Dakota state Tourism Secretary Jim Hagen thinks the singer was good for tourism.

He told the Rapid City Journal:

“For us, it’s not about the talent on the float. It’s about having Mount Rushmore featured before 3 million live viewers… more than 100 million people around the world who are seeing that float. She holds views that I don’t, but there are a lot of people who love her as an artist,” Hagen added. “It puts the focus on Mount Rushmore and South Dakota.”

Are you surprised that Joan Jett and the Blackhearts are no longer involved with the South Dakota Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade float?

[Image via Wikimedia Commons]