Jack Antonoff found himself in a bit of hot water at the 2024 MTV VMAs.
As TMZ notes, during Katy Perry’s performance, Antonoff was spotted putting noise-canceling earplugs in his ears. Footage made the rounds and Perry fans took to the internet to express their dissatisfaction with Antonoff’s perceived slight.
Antonoff saw what was going on and responded. In a tongue-in-cheek statement shared on X (formerly Twitter) and his Instagram Story yesterday (September 12), Antonoff explained:
“i would like to tell you directly from me that i did in fact use earplugs the other night. they were blue ‘hearos’ brand and im mortified to admit that i’ve been using them for a long time as well as buying them in bulk. i would also like to be honest and get ahead of that fact that i do not only use them when in 100 plus DB environments. it is humiliating to admit that i use them on planes and every night while sleep. there is nothing left to do but apologize and thank those who have covered this story because although it’s an embarrassment to my family and i, i do believe that this was a very important and pressing issue that needed to be exposed. i’m sorry to those i let down and today i will not being going to work and instead thinking about my earplug use and everyone that has been affected by it. the band and i have decided to keep all dates as scheduled.”
To Antonoff’s point: Per a 2016 paper from the Audio Engineering Society, the noise level at concerts typically ranges from 100 to 105 decibels; Some rock concerts have apparently even reached 130 decibels. The National Institute On Deafness And Other Communication Disorders, meanwhile, notes, “A single very loud noise or long or repeated exposure to sounds at or above 85 dBA can cause hearing loss.” So, Antonoff, a musician and producer who heavily relies on his hearing, took a simple step to protect his ears in a loud environment.
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