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Corey Feldman Returns To ‘Today’ Show To ‘Take A Stand’ Against Bullies With Musical Performance, Ridiculed Once More

By Janice Malcolm
Published on: 06:29 PST, Oct 13, 2016

Last month, Corey Feldman performed on the Today show and seemed to have most of the nation captivated, but some used it as a chance to ridicule him. However, Today called the visit a “wild, out of bounds experience” and just had to have him back, a chance Feldman was glad to accept as he vowed that those who sought to bully him would not win.

Feldman originally appeared on the show and performed his single “Go 4 It,” from his fifth album, Angelic 2 the Core, with a band of angelic-looking musicians. The ’80s teen heartthrob said the theme of the record was “good versus evil, heaven versus hell,” and the Stand By Me and The Lost Boys star gave a performance in an all-black, hooded ensemble that soon went viral. They faced some backlash, though, and Corey Feldman even made a tearful Facebook Live post about the hateful comments he and the band had been receiving.

However, his return to the stage on Thursday was a triumphant one, and as he performed a new song, “Take a Stand,” it seemed that that is exactly what he was setting out to do. He advised host Tamron Hall that things had taken a positive turn for him and his music, and the unkind words of the critics who tried to bully him and the band would be put behind him.

“A lot of people get hate in the beginning, because we’re doing something new that hasn’t been done before. But it’s all about innovation and being an artist, and we can’t be afraid to share our art. I’m not letting the bullies get to us… This song is for America.”

The 45-year-old musician’s second performance on the Today show once again featured singing, dancing, and a costume change, which, by the end of the song, saw him wearing just a few layers less than he had started with. It seems those inhibitions he had were also shed, and he gave a stellar performance while frequently holding up the peace sign and waving an American flag. People reported that the song was from his double CD Angelic 2 the Core, which was released back in June.

The original performance seemed to have gone over well with other celebrities, and he received praise and encouragement from Pink as well as his Stand By Me co-star Jerry O’Connell. However, it seems that the unkind words from others had really gotten under Feldman’s skin, and on Thursday, he explained that it took the caring words of a friend to help him rise above up and “Take A Stand” after the social media teardown.

Of course, none of his uplifting words about bullies stopped others from reacting to his second Today show appearance in much the same way as the first. Social media filled with people who found his performance confounding.

Feldman was reminded that his music career was not the only one to have been met with resistance and misunderstandings, and many great rock bands, including Kiss and Nirvana, had not gotten immediate appreciate.

“That really turned it around for me. I’m like, you know, you’re right: a lot of people get hate in the beginning.”

In his opening speech for his second return, those words seemed to fuel his speech, and he stated, “We are at a time right now where the world needs to focus really on peace and love and tolerance.”

Today also reported that Feldman penned an exclusive essay for them in which he spoke of the passion and intensity he felt he had brought to the September appearance, before he opened his computer and the words of his critics ripped through him and tore him down. However, he has vowed to keep fighting.

“As an artist, I’ve been bullied, I’ve been picked on strictly because I spread a message of love. As an artist, I take chances by creating new dances, and I risk it all while trying not ‘2’ fall. I must keep moving forward, no matter what. Baring my heart through my song. But just like the rest of you, I only strive to belong.”

[Featured Image by Katy Winn/AP Images]

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