Not A Satanic Socialist Sex Cult
Image of Indomitability by soggoAI
“Neuerotica is an e-magazine dedicated to subversive pop culture, representing artistic spectacle, and serving as an enclave of propaganda-pushers of uncommon creatives and their anomalous creations. Our platform presents an eclectic array of avant-garde content, designed to foster radical cultural, social, and political ideals through art and essay.”
The title of this article is akin to what I expect from the naysayers before Neuerotica hits its apex. The fact that I’m writing this not long after opening up the site should make it obvious that I expected this kind of response. Honestly, though, I believe that the biggest criticism will be that Neuerotica is nothing more than a juvenile attempt at being a serious e-magazine, and is only a haven for young people expecting to get more out of it, as well as an attraction for the titillation of teenage boys.
I had planned to write this article long before I had even considered that Neuerotica would draw irate detractors. Regardless of the outrage, however, I don’t intend to engage anyone hurling ad hominem invectives. When I receive questions from genuinely interested folks who are puzzled and concerned about Neuerotica, I will refer them to this article and our Proem about page.
The arts have always been more than a form of expression; they serve as a record of our history and heritage, and they inspire and serve as a tool of protest, activism, and revolution. They are the boldest, most honest, and most effective form of subversive thought, propaganda, and call to action (of course, there is art in the world that doesn’t meet any of the above criteria, but I am not one to judge). We currently find much of the world’s societies mired in an insufferable and untenable level of oppression that stifles creativity. This oppression leads to individuals building walls they believe protect them, but in fact, keep away those who refuse to share in their miserable existence. Bitter to the end, they become stifled and frustrated when they see others living their lives without compromise or regret. From the garden of their self-imposed isolation, they despise anyone who doesn’t share their myopic view of the world; from the soil grows the ugliest of human characteristics. Nothing there can flourish within that grotesque landscape. These factors are responsible for all of the world’s contention.
In the past, I’ve heard people say that they don’t have time for politics, or that they’re “not into” politics (one of those people was me, at one time). There’s a problem with people believing this is true or even possible, because politics permeates and dictates every aspect of our lives. Like a black hole, there is nothing in its orbit that escapes its vast reach. Your job, your health, your homes, your sexuality, and more are all legislated by the state. Politics that hinder more than help, that place deceit over principles, that prioritize criminality over justice, and that destroy rather than build, can do nothing for its citizens other than create a seemingly inescapable, toxic society.
George Clinton, founder of P-Funk bands Parliament, Funkadelic, and the Brides of Funkenstein (and many others), once said in an interview about the funk genre:
“Funk is the antithesis of everything that [is] sterile, one-dimensional, monochromatic, arhythmic, and otherwise against freedom of bodily expression.”
Similarly, Neuerotica was designed to be the antithesis of the anti-intellectual, conservative, evangelical, and right-wing warmongering patriarchs who wield racism, misogyny, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, the exploitation of the poor, and sexual repression like a sledgehammer in their efforts to lay waste to the pleasures of life, and subjugate the greater part of humanity’s will and freedoms (pardon the run-on sentence). In an oppressive society, art that fails to challenge the status quo or societal norms is worthless. This is the reason Neuerotica exists. I wanted to attract creatives who refuse and resist the political and cultural hegemony of the oligarchy and the state, individuals who would unapologetically release their inhibitions through the creative process. Inhibitions are, as you’ll see in a minute, harmless desires that we suppress for fear of society’s ridicule or judgment.
Movie Promo for Shivers
”Civilization is repression. You don't get civilization without repression of the unconscious, of the id. And the basic appeal of art is to the unconscious. Therefore, art is somewhat subversive of civilization. And yet at the same time, it seems necessary for civilization. You don't get civilization without art.”
-David Cronenberg
The 1975 film “Shivers”, written and directed by Cronenberg (his first film), literally sent shivers down the spines of its audience and authorities worldwide. It revolved around an apartment complex where a mad scientist has released a worm-like parasite that infects the residents, causing them to lose their inhibitions and have feral intercourse with their neighbors. The film was heavily censored in some countries and banned in others, and it wasn’t solely because of the sex scenes.
“What authorities found truly threatening wasn’t just the gore or nudity, but Cronenberg’s subversive suggestion that repression, not expression, was society’s real disease; the parasites liberate their hosts from social constraints, turning a luxury apartment building into a communal orgy. For a post-sexual revolution, pre-AIDS culture still negotiating new boundaries, this vision struck a nerve with both progressives and conservatives” (source).
Cronenberg understood the significance and impact of unfettered art. It shocks a sleeping populace into wakefulness, threatens to dethrone oppressors, and liberates the minds of the masses. Books on any number of topics have always drawn the ire of the powerful, and art, another medium of disseminating knowledge, was looked at with equal suspicion and disdain. Fascist leader of Nazi Germany, Adolf Hitler, was responsible for the destruction of both books and art, the latter of which he labeled “degenerate”. The Führer and his party deemed these things anathema to the prosperity and strength of Germany, and a threat to Hitler’s ambitions. Today, here in the United States, we find ourselves amid a burgeoning fascist state, where our government has begun to purge any literature it deems subversive from our schools, libraries, bookstores, and universities. Conservatives consider these works contrary to their ideology and a threat to their machinations. President Donald Trump (our Fascist in Chief) has taken control of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the Smithsonian Institution in a bid to control the narrative of our nation’s historical and cultural legacy. Steeped in superstition and anti-intellectualism, America values and protects its ignorance to the detriment of its well-being, both its institutions and its citizens.
“I think the best pop is always subversive in its nature.”
-James Righton
My sincere belief in the above quote by the former Klaxons keyboardist is the reason for Neuerotica’s bright and colorful pop-oriented theme. Unlike most people, I’ve always despised the character of Joker from the Batman franchise. However, I came to understand and respect his unorthodox strategies. For instance, his weaponized thematic props, which, despite their lethality, resembled bizarre but perfectly harmless toys, camouflaged with garish colors and absurd shapes that lulled law enforcement and Gotham City’s citizens into a false sense of security. The Joker’s eccentric personality, attire, and the frolicsome antics of his henchmen made their criminal operations a circus of chaos where no one was the wiser; no one would suspect the imminent death and destruction that lay concealed beneath his prismatic cloak. He was the master of spectacle, knowing full well that ordinary methods of criminality would yield far less success.
With the Joker’s strategy in mind, I determined that I would incorporate his tactics and those of former P-Funk propagandist and friend, Pedro Bell, into my “nefarious” designs.
I believe that pop music is the ideal medium for disseminating propaganda and raising class consciousness, with its ability to reach farther, spread faster, and burrow into the minds of listeners with earworms that are unmatched by other musical genres. I’m not necessarily talking about commercial pop (though it does apply to a certain extent), because in recent years, I have found that in the underground pop music scene, hyperpop has usurped commercial pop’s position in terms of creativity and diversity and has become the preeminent form of pop winding its way through the underground scene (though for many, underground music of any genre is superior to most of what one would typically hear on the radio). Its strength lies in its. The unfortunate thing is that underground music doesn’t reach as many people as corporate music, which is one of the reasons I chose to publish articles and interviews with lesser-known figures in underground pop-influenced artists, musicians, and fashion designers. Without question, they deserve to be seen and heard by a wider audience, but that’s not the sole reason for my interest. The underground is where the most subversive art and fashion dwell and thrive. Despite the lack of corporate backing, they consistently manage to create a network where creatives connect across continents and influence one another. I believe those bonds can be strengthened by amplifying the radical artistic and political ideas of Neuerotica’s artists and audience.
Neuerotica is youth-centric in spirit, and the reason for this is simple: it’s their turn. There are no barriers to older subjects or audiences being a part of what we do, however. On the streets, they used to say, “Get in where you fit in.” So, if you feel like you're a good fit, then welcome to the family.
Addendum:
There are two things I’d like to remark about, and that is the proliferation of young women, guns, and women with guns.
In 1921, Lenin had this to say about women in the revolution:
”The involvement of proletarian women in the common class struggle, and their growing solidarity have shaken the usual self-confidence of the bourgeoisie and spread alarm in place of its previous tranquillity: the increasing organisation of the female proletariat removes the last defenceless victim of capitalist exploitation.”
Throughout history, there have been (at least) hundreds of accounts of women not only fighting for their country but also leading troops into war. There are many names of these courageous women I can think of, such as:
Queen Nzinga Mbande fought the Portuguese after they had invaded her home, the central African nation of Angola.
Boudicca led her troops, the Iceni, into battle against the Romans, who had taken over Britain.
Mother Lu, the Chinese Restorer, in a bid to exact vengeance against Emperor Mang Wang’s executioner, who was responsible for her son’s death, gathered a group of more than a hundred peasants, naming themselves the Strong Tigers. She killed the man who carried out the execution, and soon became the symbol of resistance, which led to the toppling of the emperor.
If I had time to list (and you had time to read about) all the female revolutionaries throughout history, I would. Former Black Panther Party and the Black Liberation Army member Assata Shakur once said:
”A woman’s place is in the struggle”.
So, that’s why you’ll see art and photographs of armed women.
I suspect that both the right and the left will be concerned with the proliferation of guns in our magazine and memes.
In a 1988 interview with Spin magazine, Chuck D of rap group Public Enemy had this to say when asked about references to Uzis in their music and their display at PE’s concerts:
”My Uzi is my mind, the bullets are the words I speak.”
Basically, what Chuck is paraphrasing is the old axiom that “The pen is mightier than the sword”. When I conceived Neuerotica, I chose to fight the system through words and art. Our e-magazine is the weapon, our words are the bullets, and our memes are the landmines scattered throughout social media.
