the dead kennedys
Biafra
stumbled upon a reproduction of a painting by European artist H.R. Giger titled
"Landscape No. 20: Where We Are Coming From." The painting, which
features dismembered, ugly genitals copulating in what looks like sludge, had
been reproduced in many books and magazines over the years, and Biafra secured
the rights to include it as part of the Frankenchrist package. About the
painting, Biafra says "I began to realize, 'My god, we have met the enemy
and it is us, this is what we do to each other every day in consumer-oriented
society. Wait a minute, this is what we're talking about on a lot of the
Frankenchrist songs.' I thought the Giger painting would be a great way to drive
home the point, even if some people in high positions of power with no sense of
humor didn't seem to understand."
Originally,
the painting was meant to be the gatefold inner cover for Frankenchrist, but a
member of DKs vehemently objected and it was instead inserted into the album as
a poster. Although the poster was expected to raise some eyebrows, no one
expected it to cause as much trouble as it did. A warning sticker, albeit a
sarcastic one, was affixed to the cover, partially to parody the warning
stickers that the Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC) was demanding at the
time, partially to cover themselves in case there was difficulty. The sticker
read : "WARNING : The inside fold out to this record cover is a work of art
by H.R. Giger that some people may find shocking, repulsive or offensive. Life
can sometimes be that way."
When
a San Fernando Valley mother complained that her 13- year old daughter had
purchased the record as a gift for her 11-year old brother (at a Wherehouse
Records outlet in a large mall), the LA City Attorney's Office decided to
prosecute the case. Deputy city attorney Michael Guarino, the prosecutor in the
case, admitted they chose to prosecute the DKs because it would be a
"cost-effective" way to send a message to other musicians, record
companies and fans. Guarino had been considering prosecuting several other
groups when this case came along, and he thought he could win this one.
The
first Biafra heard of all this was when he was awakened from his sleep one
morning by the sound of his window being broken and several police officers
invading his house, supposedly to seize the "evidence." ( No one
bothered to knock.) They took numerous personal effects, including his address
book, as well as a few copies of Frankenchrist and the business ledgers of
Alternative Tentacles, making it impossible to conduct business for a while.
Charged
in the case were Biafra, and four others, including the 67-year old man whose
company pressed the Frankenchrist disc. Conspicuously not charged were
Wherehouse Records which sold the offending album. They had agreed to stop
selling Frankenchrist and all other Dead Kennedys albums when the controversy
first surfaced.
Biafra
and the others decided to fight the charges of distributing harmful matter to
minors, and set up the No More Censorship Defense Fund, which along with helping
with the legal fees in the Frankenchrist case, makes available copies of
articles dealing with censorship and plans to help others who are being
harassed. Contributions came in mostly from fans of alternative music; envelopes
of teenager's allowance and an encouraging note were common. Not so common were
contributions from those popular figures who stood to suffer if Biafra lost the
case. Three notable figures who did come to Biafra's aid
were Frank Zappa, Little Steven Van Zandt and Paul Kantner.
-- info: makxx