There Are a Couple of Things Joni Mitchell Doesn’t Like About Bob Dylan, and His Poor Oral Hygiene Is One of Them

One of the most outspoken critics of Bob Dylan is Joni Mitchell. Now, the true root of this ideological disagreement is unknown, and it isn’t our place to assume why Mitchell harbors ill will against Bob Dylan. Regardless, she’s made that ill will pretty evident in the public eye, as she’s always spoken her mind about her folk music contemporary, Bob Dylan.

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Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell are arguably the king and queen of 20th-century folk music. They are the genre’s two most successful artists, both in a commercial and artistic sense. Though, according to Joni Mitchell, Dylan did garner his success in an honest fashion, because, according to Joni Mitchell, Dylan is a plagiarist.

As stated previously, Mitchell has taken quite a few shots at Dylan publicly. In a 2010 interview with the LA Times, Mitchell made arguably her most polarizing claims about Dylan. “Bob is not authentic at all: He’s a plagiarist, and his name and voice are fake,” and “Everything about Bob is a deception. We are like night and day, he and I,” Mitchell told the publication.

A Below-the-Belt Blow From Joni Mitchell?

Mitchell’s comments about Dylan’s authenticity are not necessarily new ones. Ever since Dylan became the voice of a generation, the masses have been poking and prodding his tactics and disposition. Though contrary to this deeper accusation, Mitchell once made a claim that was a bit more superficial.

Years before Mitchell’s 2010 interview, she provided quotes for the book, Both Sides Now, by Brian Hinton. The book covered a lot of ground, including Mitchell’s thoughts on Dylan and Dylan’s cleanliness. Weirdly enough, Mitchell recalled a moment when she had to perform with Dylan and his alleged bad breath. “On the third night, they stuck Bob at the mic with me, and he never brushes his teeth, so his breath was like right in my face,” Joni Mitchell divulged.

It’s Not All Spit and Blood Between The Two

While Joni Mitchell has delivered some hot takes about Dylan, particularly her 2010 take, she has also taken the time to clarify them. Concerning her 2010 comments, Mitchell clarified her previous statement by stating, “I like a lot of Bob’s songs, though musically he’s not very gifted. He’s borrowed his voice from old hillbillies….He’s invented a character to deliver his songs. Sometimes I wish that I could have that character, because you can do things with that character. It’s a mask of sorts,” per the CBC.

Mitchell cleared up the confusion around that story. However, it seems she didn’t need to clear up anything regarding Dylan’s bad breath. Though maybe there is nothing to clear up, because maybe the dude just does have bad breath. But at the end of the day, who cares? Both musicians are heavy hitters to the utmost degree, and all their traits are what make them so.

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