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 amusing 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 gained the coveted instrument, emblazoned with photographs of the pop celebrity, on the Ellis County Wild Recreation Dinner in Waxahachie, Texas. Seconds after approaching the stage to retrieve the merchandise, he smashed it with a hammer 17 instances.
“Guess we don’t want the wall hanger,” the auctioneer joked earlier than saying, “Hey, Gary, now take that and grasp 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 In the present day, confirming he additionally thought it was meant as a slight towards Swift. “Particularly amongst nation kind people, 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 elevate cash for teenagers, 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.”
Nonetheless, he did say that he’s a Donald Trump supporter and hasn’t been eager on Swift’s help for Harris.
“Sure, you possibly can join the dots there,” Estes mentioned.
Auctioneer Craig Meier, a spokesperson for the occasion, advised USA In the present day he’s been greatly surprised by the net response.
“It has been shocking to me how huge of a deal individuals are making it out to be. It wasn’t meant to be imply or malicious,” he mentioned in a press release. “He was simply making a lighthearted assertion displaying disapproval of individuals within the leisure trade attempting to affect politics…. It was only a humorous factor that occurred at our annual occasion. The gang thought it was hilarious.”
Swift’s followers, nonetheless, don’t appear to agree.
“These outdated boys positive are setting an unbelievable instance for his or her youngsters,” one fan commented underneath Cobb’s video. “Desecrating a ladies’s price. Their wives have to be so proud.”
“Bunch of outdated males mocking a younger completed lady – compensating for his or her inadequacy,” wrote one other.
Swift followers, nonetheless, may get the final chuckle within the saga – whereas preliminary stories mentioned 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 coated 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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