The internet has recently been going crazy with this whole Ice Bucket Challenge, however today, Don Giovanni Records owner Joe Steinhardt has just made a different challenge – this time aimed at Asian Man Records owner Mike Park and Recess Records owner Todd Congelliere.
The challenge is such – stand up to, and disassociate with “sexist, racist, and homophobic punk bands like The Queers and Screeching Weasel.” And it was most likely triggered by Joe Queer making a Facebook post in support of Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson, who shot and killed Michael Brown Jr, and Ben Weasel backing Joe up when people began accusing him of being a racist.
Read some of the replies Joe Queer made on his initial Facebook post that started all of this – along with Joe Steinhardt’s statement/challenge – below, and let the comments begin.
Joe’s original post linked to a GoFundMe campaign for Darren Wilson, referring to the officer as “a man of peace in a world of mayhem.” That seemed to rub people the wrong way, and lead to some accusing him being a racist. He responded to the accusations, stating:
Hey my opinion is Officer Wilson got attacked and was well within his right to protect himself. I took one look at that video and followed this story. 12 witnesses back up the officer’s statement that Brown attacked the cop. I don’t for a minute think the cop opened his door and deliberately shot an unarmed black kid because he was black and doing nothing. If these idiot protestors weren’t acting like animals the police wouldn’t have shown up in force. It never occurs to the liberals who always take the kneejerk reaction to any police using force. All the Brown supporters cherry pick the facts and ignore the ones they don’t like.
The thing you knee jerk lemmings don’t realise is I couldn’t care less if this Brown thug was white brown yellow or blue. From what I see and read he’s a useless thug and I believe he jumped the officer. Read this story here.White thug killed a black cop named Kevin Jordan in Griffin GA. Cop had 7 kids and apparently was a great guy. The white thug is a complete jerk and I hope they throw the book at him. I’m firmly on the cop’s side in this one too. I’m not some anti black racist dude even tho everyone wants to label me one. Most of my close pals in Atlanta are black. My wife is Japanese.
And this, coupled with Ben Weasel defending Joe Queer from those posting comments accusing him of being a racist, lead to Joe Steinhardt posting the following on the Don Giovanni Facebook page:
Forget the Ice Bucket Challenge. I challenge two labels, Recess Records and Asian Man Records to completely disassociate with sexist, racist, and homophobic punk bands like The Queers and Screeching Weasel. It is ridiculous that anyone legitimate would be working with them to release their music after the long-term pattern (note: not isolated incidents) of sexist, racist, and homophobic crap they spew online and offline. Mike and Todd, you can do better. Mike, the things Joe Queer writes on his facebook and says at shows goes completely against your mission of working “with bands that are ANTI-RACIST, ANTI-SEXIST, ANTI-PREJUDICE, and who support the ideas of peace and unity” that has always been one of the most inspiring aspects of your label. And Todd, Screeching Weasel’s current behavior goes far beyond “shock punk” or whatever the hell he thinks it is.
I also grew up a fan of Screeching Weasel and The Queers and it took me a while to come to terms with my fandom vs. the current actions of the band members. But as isolated incidents that I tried to chalk up to people saying stupid things or doing stupid things slowly became patterns of sexist racist and homophobic behavior over the course of the last 5 years I have been forced associate these bands with nothing but their sexism, racism, and homophobia.
There is a place in music for shock, and there is a place in art for free speech. But there is also a place in music for calling on others to stop giving power and a voice to people spewing hate speech, and so I am calling on you Recess and Asian Man to do better and disassociate with The Queers and Screeching Weasel.
-Joe Steinhardt // Don Giovanni Records