Justin Bieber — not really a person anyone would consider a provocateur — managed to anger some rock fans over the weekend by wearing a re-cut Nirvana t-shirt from Fear of God (which costs a cool $1,500) on the American Music Awards red carpet.
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His stylist, Karla Welch, addressed the critics in a new interview with Esquire. “Of course he’s a fan of Nirvana,” she told the magazine. “I think it’s so funny that all these people are up in arms. I’m sure Kurt Cobain would be like — I mean I can’t speak for him, obviously — but I don’t think he was so snotty or that he would diss anyone who appreciated his music. I think he understood that that is like the antithesis of music appreciation. It’s so funny.”
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Courtney Love also cryptically alluded to the backlash in a tweet:
You’re cool in my book @justinbieber xc
— Courtney Love Cobain (@Courtney) November 23, 2015
In this particular instance, Bieber’s gonna Bieber — and Nirvana’s legacy is probably strong enough to withstand just about anyone’s decision to wear their merch.