Earlier this month, Misfits and Danzig frontman Glenn Danzig kicked off his temporary United States tour (with assist from Down, Abbath and Cro-Mags). The tour runs till the top of March, and whereas it must be an entirely enjoyable expertise for attendees, some followers are calling out Danzig over Nazi iconography on his merch.
What Occurred
A number of Reddit threads (throughout a number of subreddits) have popped up during the last 24 hours with pictures of a bit of Danzig merchandise that options the “Black Solar” image (in any other case generally known as the “sunwheel” or “sonnenrad” image). In response to the Anti-Defamation League, the image “is considered one of a variety of historical European symbols appropriated by the Nazis of their try and invent an idealized ‘Aryan/Norse’ heritage.”
The ADL provides:
The sonnenrad seems within the conventional symbology of many international locations and cultures, together with Outdated Norse and Celtic cultures. It has numerous variations; the swastika and comparable rounded variants are literally sonnenrad types, as are sure variations of the Celtic Cross. In Nazi Germany, the Nazi Occasion, the SA and the SS all used sonnenrad symbology at occasions, which has led neo-Nazis and different fashionable white supremacists to undertake such pictures. One sonnenrad model particularly is standard amongst white supremacists: two concentric circles with crooked rays emanating from the interior circle to the outer circle. Typically white supremacists will put one other hate image reminiscent of a swastika within the heart of the interior circle.
As a result of sonnenrad imagery is utilized by many cultures all over the world, one mustn’t assume that the majority sonnenrad-like pictures essentially denote racism or white supremacy; somewhat, they need to be analyzed rigorously within the context wherein they seem.
Thus far, the entire Reddit threads have shared the identical picture (on posters and shirts) for Danzig’s present final evening (March 29) on the Kia Discussion board in Inglewood, Calif. Within the picture, a cartoonish depiction of Danzig is seen carrying an the wrong way up cross and scowling as he stands in entrance of the “Black Solar” image with clenched fists on fireplace. Moreover, some pictures present that each the poster and shirt glow at the hours of darkness.
For instance, a thread on the r/Danzig subreddit (entitled “Nazi merch on the Danzig present final evening”) started earlier this morning (March 30) and has acquired dozens of feedback confirming – after which condemning and/or arguing about – the affiliation. The truth is, one consumer wrote: “His stage identify is Danzig, he is at all times intentionally courted controversy,” whereas one other individual expressed: “You can’t show nazi shit in a time when there are precise nazis in energy and name it ‘occult.’ Cease stumping for this fascist shit.”
One other thread on the identical subreddit – titled “FFS, Actually Glenn? That is over the road” – provoked an identical quantity of impassioned and polarized responses. As an example, one consumer defined: “It is like individuals aren’t conscious of Glenn Danzig or his close to 50 yr profession. He is actually at all times exploited controversial imagery and symbolism. He is the man who wrote Bullet, bear in mind? He makes use of iron crosses and pentagrams and he enjoys inflicting a stir. Is he a Nazi? Extremely uncertain. Transfer on.”
As already talked about, there are comparable threads posted to r/punk and r/AntifascistsofReddit, too, and elsewhere, Danzig has been embraced for utilizing the picture.
As of this writing, Danzig has not launched a press release concerning the state of affairs, and you may view the picture (alongside two opposing reactions to it) beneath.
Danzig’s Controversial Previous Feedback
That is actually not the primary time Danzig has mentioned or accomplished one thing controversial in recent times. Again in 2021, as an illustration, Loudwire reported on his remarks relating to whether or not punk bands (reminiscent of Misfits) would be capable to launch edgy materials inside the fashionable tradition of “woke bullshit.”
Referring to “Final Caress” (which is about murdering infants and sexually assaulting moms), particularly, Danzig instructed Rolling Stone:
It’s only a crazy-ass track. We’d do issues simply to piss individuals off. . . . Folks don’t perceive, as a result of every little thing’s so cancel-culture, woke bullshit these days, however you could possibly by no means have the punk explosion these days, due to cancel tradition and woke bullshit. You possibly can by no means have it. It will by no means have occurred. We’re fortunate it occurred when it did, as a result of it’ll by no means occur once more. You gained’t have any of these sorts of bands ever once more. Everybody’s so uptight and P.C., it’s identical to, “OK, no matter.”
In a 1994 interview with Rolling Stone, Danzig commented on a second in his “1990 long-form” video about his guide assortment wherein he said that “each faculty baby” ought to have a duplicate of The Occult Roots of Nazism:
“It was sarcastic. Properly, you’ll be able to be taught from it. Clearly, if a guide is revealed, it’s bought data in it. Should you let your bias get in the best way, you don’t find out about it. If I used to be a Nazi hunter, I’d wish to learn this guide. If somebody says it’s politically incorrect to have that guide, I principally say, “Fuck you.” Should you’re going to inform me what guide to learn or not learn, who’s the fascist?
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Gallery Credit score: Taylor Markarian