While many on the Christian right were left clutching their pearls following Sam Smith and Kim Petras‘ supposedly “satanic” performance at the 2023 Grammys, one organization closely familiar with the subject matter found it a bit boring.
In an interview with TMZ, David Harris, a magister of the Church of Satan, said he thought Smith and Petras’ performance was “all right” and “nothing particularly special.” In the performance, Smith sported a red leather outfit with horns sprouting from a top hat, while Petras danced in a cage surrounded by fire and backup dancers dressed as devils.
However, when it came to the real-life people who were offended by the performance — especially public officials like Ted Cruz and Marjorie Taylor Greene — Harris called them “delicate snowflakes,” while also turning their own criticism back on them. “It’s sad when politicians on a national stage use someone’s religion as a punchline,” he said.
Harris’ comments came after a wave of criticism for both Smith and Petras online following their performance. Cruz called the number “evil,” while Greene said the production was “demonic.”
Petras spoke a bit more about the performance after making history as the first transgender woman to win in the best pop duo/group performance category, arguing that those getting upset about it were also the ones who directly inspired it. “It’s a take on not being able to choose religion, and not being able to live the way that people might want you to live,” she said. “I think a lot of people have labeled what I stand for and what Sam stands for as ‘religiously not cool.’ I personally grew up wondering about religion and wanting to be a part of it, but then slowly realizing it doesn’t want me to be a part of it.”
Check out Petras’ acceptance speech for the award below: