Further evidence that everything is terrible: Never-not-punchable neo-Nazi Richard Spencer has just declared Depeche Mode the “the official band of the alt-right.”
Of course, this is all news — fake news — to members of the long-running industrial-pop band.
Related: Are gay supremacists ‘literally’ Nazi stormtroopers? This guy thinks so.
Shortly before being whisked out of the Conservative Political Action Conference for being “repugnant”, he sarcastically invoked the band’s name to New York‘s Olivia Nuzzi:
How about we take this to the next level?
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Richard Spencer, asked if he likes rock music, says "Depeche Mode is the official band of the alt-right."
— Olivia Nuzzi (@Olivianuzzi) February 23, 2017
To be clear, he made no mention of New Order, possibly due to the viral video in which he’s punched repeatedly in the face to the beat of 1983 romper stomper “Blue Monday” …?
While there’s no shortage of ’80s bands that decided to dubiously straddle the fine line between the fascistic and fetishistic —
— Spencer decided to settle on the band behind decidedly not-evil 1984 anthem “People Are People,” which features the following palpably humane lyric:
People are people / So why should it be / You and I should get along so awfully / So we’re different colors / And we’re different creeds / And different people have different needs / It’s obvious you hate me / Though I’ve done nothing wrong / I’ve never even met you so what could I have done / I can’t understand / What makes a man / Hate another man / Help me understand
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Esquire, wasting no time in reaching out to the band for a quote, received the following from Depeche Mode’s apparently quite busy representative:
That’s pretty ridiculous. Depeche Mode has no ties to Richard Spencer or the alt right and does not support the alt right movement.
Which, duh.
Spencer has since — heh? — made it clear that he was “joking”:
I was joking obviously. I'm a lifelong Depeche Mode fan.
— Richard ? Spencer (@RichardBSpencer) February 23, 2017
If any clarification is needed as to what Depeche Mode could possibly think of this fresh taint on their name, look no further than new single “Where’s the Revolution?” —
— which, through our lens, roughly translates to:
broadshoulder
This has pissed me off bigtime!
I come from the small Essex town that featured Depeche Mode. This has to tendency to annoy people. Depeche Mode would be appalled by the alt right. They are Britains top bands. Their songs are part of the eighties
Lay off them Americans!! You bend everything until it fits your politics. Wouldn’t the world be an easier place if there were no Americans around
startenout
Let’s see where should we begin… he’s an idiot but then so are you for lumping together every American because you disagree with the words of one whom many of us do not support. In your eyes, would it thus make the world a better place to rid ourselves of England after the disaster that is Milo Yiannopoulos or the xenophobia that is Brexit.
Take care of your own problems before judging others for theirs. Plus with Americans to thank for everything from Jazz and Rock & Roll to traffic lights and clothes dryers, be careful what you wish for.
broadshoulder
I’ll tell you what – I’ll stick with Depeche Mode. We had music before you lot arrived
He BGB
Tired of hearing about the altright. Bannon looks like a red faced alcoholic queen who prob has a perverted side. And he’s really the one making decisions and running things while Trump preens and grabs women’s lady parts.
MediaGuy
Here’s the problem. The video above is glorifying violence and isn’t entertaining. I recommend you take it down. It is traumatic to see this guy get punched in the neck like that. Seriously, violence isn’t funny or entertaining. I know that progressives think you can promote violence and death wishes on people you disagree with BUT YOU CAN’T. Please take this down, you’re endorsing violence. It’s frightening.