July 15, 2004

It will be a very interesting and metaphorical depiction

Some hilarious stuff from Ben:

(a) the Wikipedia entry for Screeching Weasel, which concludes: "...their lyrics reflected [Ben] Weasel's Maoist political orientation..." I can't wait to read the MIMs review.

and (b) these quotes from an interview with Bad Religion, where the boys are just as modest, sharp-witted, perceptive and unpretentious as ever.

Posted by Dr. Frank at July 15, 2004 02:45 AM | TrackBack
Comments

Bah. If only Bad Religion's dissent *had* been stiffled. That song "Los Angeles is Burning" is crap.

Posted by: Emily at July 15, 2004 08:27 PM


i have to admit i kinda like it,but i also like
a lot of bad music. there's a whole list of
musical guilty pleasures that i desire.
one of the old favorites is even Barry Manilow.

that said,the thoughts make me think Beavis and
Butthead for some reason.

huuh huh fire's cool...and deeply meaningful.

Posted by: just me at July 15, 2004 09:04 PM

The thing I find dumbest about the remarks is that if the video was so powerful, he'd let it speak for itself.

He's right about dissent being silenced after 9/11 (on a certain level, anyway) and that would be fine if that were the point he was making, but he's just bringing it up to illustrate his point about his band being really brave and radical. Everything he says here is so self-serving.

Posted by: Chris Fabulous at July 16, 2004 11:15 AM

There's an incredible incoherence to suggesting BOTH that dissent was stifled right after 9/11 AND that they're so brave and radical.

If BOTH propositions are true, why weren't they making a great big clamor in September of 2001?
(My memory could be faulty, but I recall no such thing. Most "anarchist" bands ran for their dear lives. Tom Morello had to issue a denial of support for terrorism -- a lie too, if their 90s Spin interview is any indication -- to stop his songs from getting pulled from radio.)

And if dissent isn't stifled now, how really brave and radical are they to speak out now?

What a load of excrement.

Posted by: JB at July 16, 2004 02:38 PM

"Their lyrics reflected Weasel's anti-everything apolitical orientation." is what's on Wikipedia right now.

Rewriting history! Revisionism! Memory hole! 1984!!!

Personally, I always just thought that Screeching Weasel sounded terrible. I hadn't noticed any sort of political orientation at all, being unable to listen to it for any significant length of time.

Posted by: Sigivald at July 16, 2004 07:55 PM


i have a confession to make...I was curious to see if mtx had an entry since screeching weasel
had one. they didn't...i made one.

it may not be that good and not being as well
versed as some I didn't dare a discography.
i'm also too lazy to copy it from somewhere else.

so if anybody cares to add or fix it..it may be a little silly...i put it under Mr T Experience.
i guess a search would find other versions of the name but just in case that's where it is now.

Posted by: just me at July 17, 2004 05:25 AM

correction...i gues they hated it enough to
take it off. but somebody else should give it
a shot and see if its good enough.

Posted by: just me at July 17, 2004 06:04 AM


correction...i gues they hated it enough to
take it off. but somebody else should give it
a shot and see if its good enough.

Posted by: just me at July 17, 2004 06:05 AM

I'm not saying that I think they're brave and radical. I'm saying that they themselves think they’re radical, and instead of speaking on political issues for the sake of debate or raising awareness, they only talk about said issues in reference to themselves and how they’re able to rise above the oppression, making themselves out to be martyrs when they're not. Bad Religion taking a political stand through music is not the same career-ending martyr-making thing that it was to, say, Sinaid O'Connor. Dissent has been silenced, before and especially after 9/11, but not the dissent of people like Bad Religion, who are under the radar and preaching to the choir. For example, ny favorite author, Chuck Palahniuk, started writing horror novels because he knew he wouldn't be able to get his normal violent, social commentary stuff published in the current climate. People are afraid to touch it.

By the way, Rage Against the Machine and Bad Religion aren’t anarchist bands. Where did you get that idea?

Posted by: Chris Fabulous at July 19, 2004 03:11 PM
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