
Today from the Twitter-sphere, Steel Panther guitarist Satchel has slammed a music fan named Matt, who accused the band of being misogynistic.
Matt wrote:
“As much as I love the hair-metal sound, Steel Panther should stop pretending they’re ironic and admit that they are straight misogynists.”
Matt then added in a series of tweets:
“Damn it’s like saying music I think has a horrible message is something I want to stop is a terrible thing to say.
“My God what a strange thing that assholes are going to use sexist, oddly racist, and homophobic remarks to support a band that claims to be ironic or a parody, but that I see all the fans coming out of the woodwork who call me gay (not, mildly bi maybe), say I voted for Hillary (I did and proud of it, but they think it’s an insult), and yet attracts so many assclowns happy to be so.
“Maybe they should (yes I know what I did Stix) look at their music and either admit what they are (get fucked) misogynistic dicks. Or repudiate the fans that take them so very seriously.
“Seriously the Chick-fil-A of bands. Chick-fil-A doesn’t want to be known as anti-gay. Want to not be called misogynist? Stop writing songs where women are obviously objects.”
Satchel then replied:
“Matt, you should stop pretending you aren’t a loser with a two-inch cock and 14 cats in a studio apartment.”
I’ve just seen Steel Panther at Download 22 and although at the time (before the girls were invited onstage) I was entertained by the onstage witty banter, on reflection I am feeling increasingly disturbed by their, and away from the crowd I can see it for what it is…misogyny, ableism and sexism.
I work with survivors of sexual violence, am a survivor myself and have heard too many accounts from victims that have been subjected to attitudes that reflect the kind of power dynamics and toxic patriarchy that were incapsulated in SP’s show. What may at first sight seem like an ironic laugh really isn’t. These so-called ‘honest’ attitudes are replicated right across society and do nothing to protect, respect and promote real consent. Older men letching over young women is never a good look and as the band ages, it’s only going to become more creepy.
I just saw them at DL22 too and actually left half way through as I found it to be the wrong side of the line for all the reasons you’ve said. It just felt like women were the butt of the joke, not ‘in on’ the joke.
Up on the big screens there were ads being shown about consent (silence/unconscious is not consent/absence of a no is not consent etc) – which I thought was really responsible of the festival… moments later SP are on stage joking about sex with underage girls, date rape and saying “women who like heavy metal are easy to fuck” – just didn’t hit right in 2022. I get it’s a joke and a parody of the old days, but they’re starting to alienate women who like metal with this consistently toxic attitude towards women. When is it a joke and when it it hiding in plain sight?
By contrast, Frank Carter on the Friday night did an amazing set and stood up for women just wanting to enjoy music. Very powerful!
Steel Panther are horrible.
To casual listeners they take shiny but tacky “good time” 80s music (David Lee Roth, Dokken, Bon Jovi, um, Winger or Poison or something) and then put clumsy, crass, sexist statements on the track.
At a cursory glance it’s satire but then you realize how awful it is vocally and are left with the impression they think crass sexism = comedy. There is little satire in what they do except for the attention grabbing photos; they’re a former tribute/cover band with awful, awful lyrics. The sure sign of a bad comedian is they don’t have the capacity to know what’s satire OF sexism and what’s apparently funny because it IS sexism, ie: they punch down and are pretty cringey and annoying.