GWAR and Tony Abbott: It’s called Shock Rock for a reason

Recently, thrash metal band GWAR has caused some controversy by decapitating an effigy of Tony Abbott as part of their Soundwave stage shows.

And hasn’t it caused a ruckus in the media. The music news and blog websites had the story first, giving it a pretty tame, factual, ‘if-you-know-of-GWAR-you-would-expect-this’ sort of write up. See here and here.

After this, it appears to have been picked up by the more mainstream news sites, like NineMSN, and news.com.au, which seem to have introduced the political slant. Andrew Bolt posted an article in his blog basically touting that anyone who wasn’t outraged by this was a “semi-literate” “feral of the Left”. And the Australians for Constitutional Monarchy (ACM) - an organisation that promotes the maintenance of Australia with the Queen as Head of State, and one that The Hon. Tony Abbott used to be a high-ranking member of – also denounced the decapitation.

In response to this GWAR has issued some statements, all of which just mock Tony Abbott and others.

Without being drawn into the political sphere on this, we have to remember that this is a band that routinely covers their audience in all manner of fake bodily fluids, including blood, semen and pus. They have previously killed Lady Gaga, Barack Obama and tortured George W. Bush on stage. They are a band that dresses like this:

Serious business. Image credit: Rialto Theatre

Do those who are outraged really think anyone is taking this seriously? That, in the words of the ACM, GWAR are “role models for impressionable young people”? That, in Andrew Bolt’s words, “[the decapitation of Tony Abbott] wasn’t quite a joke”?

If they do take their position seriously, then GWAR have succeeded in their mission. It’s called Shock Rock for a reason, it’s designed to push people’s buttons, to offend, to cause outrage. It’s supposed to push the boundaries of what people think is proper and decent. GWAR have played the radio personalities, the media and the ‘won’t somebody please think of the children’ parents everywhere, and what are they punished with? Publicity. Loads of it.

Shock rock is not a new thing – there have been hundreds of artists that have scared the crap out of parents with teenage kids. Marilyn Manson, Lady Gaga, Alice Cooper, KISS to name a few. It doesn’t even stop at Rock and Roll, way back when Jazz and Swing were the rage – parents then thought the new styles were promoting promiscuity and creating social unrest.

In this case, I think GWAR are making a rational economic choice, above an artistic or political statement. When your business model relies on you to be outrageous, it becomes logical to do things that will cause the most outrage. To adapt Jeremy Bentham: What will cause the greatest offence to the greatest number? Decapitating a leader elected by majority vote fits the bill, especially when those in certain parts of the press and older voters favour that leader.