A Texas man who went viral after he purchased a Taylor Swift-themed guitar at public sale for US$4,000, solely to destroy it with a hammer seconds later, says he pulled off the stunt for fun and claims there’s no sick will supposed.
Gary Estes, 67, garnered the ire of many Swifties over the weekend when video was posted to social media that confirmed him smashing via a Swift-branded guitar at a charity occasion.
He’d received the coveted instrument, emblazoned with photographs of the pop famous person, on the Ellis County Wild Sport Dinner in Waxahachie, Texas. Seconds after approaching the stage to retrieve the merchandise, he smashed it with a hammer 17 occasions.
“Guess we don’t want the wall hanger,” the auctioneer joked earlier than saying, “Hey, Gary, now take that and dangle up that busted factor.”
The video, uploaded to TikTok by occasion attendee JD Cobb, instantly went viral. Many noticed it as an act of debasement associated to Swift’s latest endorsement of Democratic presidential hopeful Kamala Harris.
“We’re in an space (Ellis County) the place Trump is fairly prevalent,” Cobb advised USA At present, confirming he additionally thought it was meant as a slight towards Swift. “Particularly amongst nation kind folks, not lots of people right here like Taylor Swift.”
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However Estes insists it was only a joke and “nothing imply about it.”
“There was nothing malicious or something about it,” he advised NBC Information on Tuesday. “It was only a joke at an public sale that we needed to increase cash for youths, proper? And that’s all it was. There was nothing imply about it, nothing unhealthy about it. It was only a joke that they had been making up on the stage, and we simply adopted via with a joke.”
Nevertheless, he did say that he’s a Donald Trump supporter and hasn’t been eager on Swift’s assist for Harris.
“Sure, you possibly can join the dots there,” Estes stated.
Auctioneer Craig Meier, a spokesperson for the occasion, advised USA At present he’s been bowled over by the web response.
“It has been stunning to me how large of a deal individuals are making it out to be. It wasn’t meant to be imply or malicious,” he stated in an announcement. “He was simply making a lighthearted assertion displaying disapproval of individuals within the leisure business attempting to affect politics…. It was only a humorous factor that occurred at our annual occasion. The group thought it was hilarious.”
Swift’s followers, nevertheless, don’t appear to agree.
“These outdated boys positive are setting an unbelievable instance for his or her youngsters,” one fan commented beneath Cobb’s video. “Desecrating a girls’s price. Their wives have to be so proud.”
“Bunch of outdated males mocking a younger achieved lady – compensating for his or her inadequacy,” wrote one other.
Swift followers, nevertheless, would possibly get the final snicker within the saga – whereas preliminary studies stated that the guitar was signed by Swift, sources near her merch firm advised Selection the instrument didn’t bear her signature, nor was it ever utilized by her.
It seems that the guitar is as soon as once more being auctioned off, however this time on eBay. A list exhibits a guitar lined in smashed-in holes and guarantees all proceeds will go to serving to native children take part in agriculture teaching programs. As of publication, bids for the smashed-up guitar have reached $4,400.
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