(Gregg DeGuire, FilmMagic)
Nickelback might not be the most critically praised band of all time, but at least it's got a sense of humour about it. The band members star in a new "Funny or Die" video this week, poking fun at the online petition created to drop the band from performing at a Detroit Lions game for American Thanksgiving.
The Canadian rockers are currently set to perform during the halftime show of the Detroit Lions' Thanksgiving game against the Green Bay Packers. But some in Detroit do not want the Canadian band on the show roster, and an online petition, which currently has 55,320 signatures, aims to replace the band with a different act.
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Petition creator Dennis Guttman writes, "This game is nationally televised, do we really want the rest of the US to associate Detroit with Nickelback? Detroit is home to so many great musicians and they chose Nickelback?!?!?! Does anyone even like Nickelback?"
He adds, "This is completely unfair to those of us who purchased tickets to the game. At least the people watching at home can mute their TVs. The Lions ought to think about their fans before choosing such an awful band to play at halftime."
Ouch!
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In response, Nickelback made a "Funny or Die" video, which shows band members brainstorming reasons "why Detroit hates Nickelback." It couldn't be the hair, so could it be because they're Canadian? Whatever the reason, the guys are willing to do whatever it takes to get Motor City back on their side. (Warning: strong language! Earmuffs, kiddies.)
According to Nickelback frontman Chad Kroeger, the band was gung ho about making the video.
"We're huge fans of 'Funny or Die,' and anything Will Ferrell is associated with -- we're there," he told MTV News. "So we're like, 'Absolutely, we'd love to come and make fun of the whole thing and ourselves at the same time.'"