The Michigan Journal

The Michigan Journal

The Imperial Orgy sparks controversy
Four out of five stars
by Rene' Cizio

Listeners and audiences alike have extreme love-or-hate reactions to the message contained in the music of Caeser Pink and The Imperial Orgy. It's not just the name of the band that caused this controversy; it seems to be everything about them.

Their album, Gospel Hymns for Agnostics and Atheists has caused them to be banned and picketed nearly everywhere they perform. Shows have been canceled due to terrorist threats from Christian organizations, their posters have been banned from college campuses, radio stations have banned their recordings and their Web site, theimperialorgy.com, was banned from its Web hosting company for being "an insult to God."

The Imperial Orgy began in 1994 at Penn State University's film department and was soon mixed up in controversy for its nonconformist message. The Imperial Orgy's musical message quickly transformed into a lifestyle as the band's fans began to form a multi-cultural community exploring sexuality, alternative spirituality and social activism.

While most bands create recordings and perform concerts, The Imperial Orgy and their network of fans have also presented street theater protests, as well as created their own underground TV series and a network of unique Web sites to create an interactive experience for a "journey of spiritual self discovery."

On multiple occasions, Caeser Pink, the band's leader, has been physically attacked by audience members who were enraged by the band's performances. However, the hate reactions have garnered them quite a bit more press than the love has.

It's not only the title of the album, it's the lyrics they "preach." They point out the flaws of society and claim a Godless world with lyrics such as, "We preach what we lack, we curse what we sow, and people are the opposite of what they show."

"It's no longer graphic content that's controversial, but nonconformist ideas which people find offensive," they claim on their Web site. "It's caused an uproar from those who oppose freedom of thought."

At Penn State University, the band battled over censorship of their flyers, which were banned because "they were offensive to some students." But Penn State isn't the only college that has banned them. The CD has been banned from airplay by stations across the country. Other stations chose to play the CD, but only under the condition that the band only be referred to as Caeser Pink.

"I don't really see what the controversy is all about," said band frontman Pink. "I think it all has to do with the CD's title. When people hear the word 'atheist' they seem to go insane. What bothers me is that they don't seem to listen to the music or read the lyrics, but because these stations get it into their heads that the CD reflects a different religious belief than their own, they are banning us from the airwaves."

The Imperial Orgy's music consists of a variety of musical genres, often mixing elements of different styles to create new sounds. It's not something you'd likely hear on the radio, it isn't "pop" or rap or rock or gospel - it's a mixture.

The Imperial Orgy's live show is also a mixture. It combines music, performance art, video projections, theater, dance and poetry. It's described as "part tent-show revival-meeting, part political rally and part tribal fertility ceremony."

It may be different than audiences are used to, but should it be banned?

"This trend towards censoring expression is disturbing," Pink stated on a Web blog. "For an artist, if you don't have access to the media, you have no voice with which to reach people. It's a sign of the conformist spirit that has taken America. It's odd because these days, you can be as outrageous as you want when it comes to sex and violence and no one gets too excited, but ideas are what tend to get censored. If you dare to suggest that people should think for themselves and not blindly accept the dictates of church and state, that is when people get nervous and try to shut you up. Rock music has become so safe and vacuous that young Americans have forgotten that music is an art-form with which to express ideas, and that there was a time when rock music was a conduit for social change."