Jello Biafra: Punk Patriot
Review of Jello Biafra’s newly released CD, Machine Gun in the Clown’s Hand by Billy Brown
The cover of Jello Biafra’s 7th spoken word CD depicts a likeness of Osama bin Laden standing in front of bright orange flames, wearing the universally recognized Ronald McDonald clown suit. Turning the CD jewel box over, one will see a similar picture, but closer inspection will reveal that it is not Osama in Ronald’s suit, but George W. Bush, wearing atop his head another corporate icon, Mickey Mouse ears. Above the flames a squadron of stealth bombers fly in formation. George holds a machine gun. This carefully chosen artwork proves several things. First it rather bluntly represents Biafra’s sense of outrage, irony, and sardonic wit that permeate his three disk CD. Secondly, it shows us that he dares criticize the U.S. establishment in an age where we are taught that doing so is unpatriotic. Ironically and thankfully, Jello Biafra’s dedication to free speech proves that he is punk’s greatest patriot.
Some critics have implied that Jello is the Left’s version of Rush Limbaugh. This is far too much of a generality beside the fact that being compared to Rush Limbaugh should be taken as highly offensive. While both should be considered entertainers, Jello is an information giver, while facts generally get in the way of Rush’s corpulent diatribe, for he is basically an opinion giver. Sadly enough, Rush Limbaugh has an audience of millions of self-righteous clones that hang on every dangerous word he says, accepting it blindly as truth. Poor Jello doesn’t have a syndicated radio show and instead has to sell CDs with catchy titles and cool iconoclastic cover art to attract an audience, many of whom are too young to remember him from his days as a Dead Kennedy. In Machine Gun in the Clown’s Hand, Mr. Biafra does not overlook the fact that the Left has no true representation in mainstream media.
On his three disk CD, Jello Biafra ambitiously addresses a number of topics, often plowing through them with remarkable speed and dexterity. For example, on the first disk alone he discusses the following topics (as well as many I chose not to mention for the list would be unbearably long): Bush and company, religious fundamentalism, corporate control of the mainstream media, democrats, republicans, CIA, FBI, cops, Star Wars (not the movie, but the dreamy defense system that would put nukes in outer space), the Patriot Act, 9/11, and many other worldly evils. While his views and information on these topics seem radical (well what do you want from an old punk rocker?), most of them are actually quite easily supported in magazines like Harpers, Atlantic Monthly, Mother Jones, and The Nation.
My favorite aspect of the CD is the impressive list of web addresses for organizations Biafra supports. These include anti-war networks, civil liberties organizations, alternative media sources, environmental groups, as well as many other associations that fight for truth and justice in our screwed up world. For this list alone, I would purchase Machine Gun in the Clown’s Hand.