Scott Stapp Loves That Creed Has Become a Meme
Creed singer Scott Stapp appeared on comedian Theo Von's This Past Weekend show recently and said that despite that some people have mocked his singing, that it actually gets a younger generation into his music, and that he "loves being a meme."
On the YouTube show from Oct. 11, Von brought up how Creed was lumped into the Nickelbacks and Dane Cooks of the world. Meaning, things that used to be "cool" but quickly became something to poke fun at.
Stapp responded to Von that it wasn't the fans that made Creed uncool, but rather the media. "(The press) can turn on you on a dime if you don't play by their rules," says Stapp. "Or if you get so big they fear that they can't control you anymore."
He continued, "Especially when the Christian narrative came about. But when you're doing that in the devil's playground, when you're doing that in secular music… there was a takedown."
Stapp, however, thinks things in this day and age are looking up for Creed's legacy, and says he's happy about his place on the internet. "Now it's coming back around. I'm proud I'm a meme! How many people get to be a meme?!?," he asked.
He then shared an old-ish story about driving his son and nephew somewhere and caught them giggling in the backseat. "I was like what are you guys laughin' at?" recounts Stapp. "They just kept laughing. Then I hear (Stapp imitates the kids imitating his singing) 'With arms wide opennnnnn…' and then my nephew just busts out laughing. And then my own son (Jagger,) who I wrote the song about, is makin' fun of me mimicking my voice. And I was like 'whaat?' And this was before everyone else was doing it… because in the last 10 years it's become a thing."
"Thank you. I'm glad. Man, how many people get that. (To be) a part of a generation of people, and (to get to) tie into a new generation," adds the singer. "Now my daughter wants to wear Creed shirts to school and she's learning Mark Tremonti guitar riffs on her Les Paul."
Stapp then explains that the mocking of his singing winds up having the opposite effect, that of actually getting people into their songs. He begins by saying that he has a sense of humor about people mimicking him. "I do it myself, cuz it's funny. Some of (the memes, the impressions of me) are funny. They're good! (Because) what I found that happens is that it starts that way… then people start diggin' in (to Creed's music…) and then the music goes BOOM. (Late night host Jimmy Fallon) was talking on his show about he and his wife just had a baby, and he had been a Creed mocker. And he went to get diapers… and 'Arms Wide Open' came on in Wal-Mart or Target or wherever he was… and HE FINALLY GOT IT. (The song) finally hit him as a father. But he had to become a father to connect with the track."
Watch the clip below.