And the Air Euronymous campaign ends... not with a bang, but with a whimper.
Of all the miserable fucking things that could've happened... campaign's over, Black Metal warriors. Stand down. Dagbladet reports (article dated yesterday, sadly, I wish I thought this was an April Fool) that Euronymous's family have vetoed the use of his image (translation, as usual, here).
I am genuinely furious, not to mention heartbroken. I can appreciate that his family may still be griefstricken at having lost him, and in that much at least, they have all my sympathy - but to react to what's effectively been a worldwide demonstration of loyalty, admiration, affection and support for their deceased kinsman with a "no, fuck off!" is... well, it feels like an insult. In all honesty I think it is an insult - to us and, hell, to him too. Euronymous did what he wanted to do with his life, and the reputation and respect he holds to this day among the Black Metal community is his earned privilege as a consequence of his actions. He made his choices, he stood by his choices, for fuck's sake he died for those choices in the end - and his reward for that is a legacy of undying controversy, a back catalogue that hasn't gone out of print in two decades, and a place in Black Metal fans' hearts so iconic that even a doing-it-for-the-trolz publicity stunt like the Halehelter campaign got people out of the woodwork and voting for him literally right the way across the planet. I was on Twitter monitoring this thing and I was seeing tweets in Japanese, Malaysian, Portuguese, you name it. Hells, I even caught a couple of self-confessed Vikernes fans voting just for the scene's sake. That is Euronymous's legacy, that is his place in the historical record. Judge his motives if you will, criticise his actions all you like; you'll never dissuade his fans or erase his impact, and that's as it should be.
So for literally thousands of us to jump at the chance to glorify someone we respect so much, only to be cut off at the pass by the very people who, of everyone, should be proudest of his accomplishments? Yeah, you're damn right it feels like a slap in the face. I can only hope his family might reconsider, but... y'know. Parents, what can you do?
Laters,
Rath
PS Relatedly, next time I ring my mum, someone remind me to thank her one more time for that photo of me that she keeps in pride of place in her china cabinet. It's not baby!me. It's not me in school uniform. It's not even my graduation photo.
It's a print of this. You have no idea how much that means to me.
I am genuinely furious, not to mention heartbroken. I can appreciate that his family may still be griefstricken at having lost him, and in that much at least, they have all my sympathy - but to react to what's effectively been a worldwide demonstration of loyalty, admiration, affection and support for their deceased kinsman with a "no, fuck off!" is... well, it feels like an insult. In all honesty I think it is an insult - to us and, hell, to him too. Euronymous did what he wanted to do with his life, and the reputation and respect he holds to this day among the Black Metal community is his earned privilege as a consequence of his actions. He made his choices, he stood by his choices, for fuck's sake he died for those choices in the end - and his reward for that is a legacy of undying controversy, a back catalogue that hasn't gone out of print in two decades, and a place in Black Metal fans' hearts so iconic that even a doing-it-for-the-trolz publicity stunt like the Halehelter campaign got people out of the woodwork and voting for him literally right the way across the planet. I was on Twitter monitoring this thing and I was seeing tweets in Japanese, Malaysian, Portuguese, you name it. Hells, I even caught a couple of self-confessed Vikernes fans voting just for the scene's sake. That is Euronymous's legacy, that is his place in the historical record. Judge his motives if you will, criticise his actions all you like; you'll never dissuade his fans or erase his impact, and that's as it should be.
So for literally thousands of us to jump at the chance to glorify someone we respect so much, only to be cut off at the pass by the very people who, of everyone, should be proudest of his accomplishments? Yeah, you're damn right it feels like a slap in the face. I can only hope his family might reconsider, but... y'know. Parents, what can you do?
Laters,
Rath
PS Relatedly, next time I ring my mum, someone remind me to thank her one more time for that photo of me that she keeps in pride of place in her china cabinet. It's not baby!me. It's not me in school uniform. It's not even my graduation photo.
It's a print of this. You have no idea how much that means to me.
