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Dead Kennedys Ate My Balls!
As inspired by both the "Ate My Balls" phenomenon, and the 1986 trial of Jello Biafra, frontman of Dead Kennedys.
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1977: Dead Kennedys are formed in San Francisco. From right to left: Klaus Flouride, Jello Biafra, East Bay Ray, and Ted
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1979: Jello Biafra (real name: Eric Boucher) runs for mayor of San Francisco as a prank. He comes in fourth. |
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By 1985, Dead Kennedys are one of the most acclaimed American punk bands ever. Their songs criticizing everything from right-wing politics of the Reagan era to the "moral majority" to skinheads has raised the ire of conservatives everywhere, especially with their album Frankenchrist. Leading the crusade against the band was the PMRC (Parent's Music Resource Center), a conservative group of senators' wives, lead by Tipper Gore. |
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Jello's not happy. He is arrested in 1986 for "distributing harmful matter to minors." The harmful matter was a poster included in their album. It was a painting by Swiss surrealist H.R. Giger, who won an oscar for his designs for the film Alien.
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This is the painting by H.R. Giger. It is called "Landscape XX: Where are we coming from?" It is intended as a critique on the way modern society is bent on screwing each other, not as obscenity. (Obscenity is defined by the Supreme Court as being: 1. offensive to contemporary adult standards; 2. appealing to the prurient interests of the individual (that is, makes you wanna jerk off); 3. has no artistic value. If it doesn't meet these three criteria, then it is not considered obscene. Does this make you wanna jerk off? I hope not!)
Jello was acquitted of the charges, but it broke up the band and nearly bankrupted him. He now continues in the band Lard with members of Ministry, as well as having a successful career as a spoken word artist and activist. He was even a candidate for president.
This is only the beginning...
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