Slipknot have been blamed for a savage murder and series of stabbings in South Africa yesterday.
A schoolboy, dressed akin to Slipknot drummer Joey Jordison, was high on drugs when he stabbed a fellow pupil to death with a sword in Krugersdorp, South Africa. He then went on to stab two of the schools gardeners at Nic Diederichs technical high school.
“He stabbed one of the schoolkids in the neck and he died. He then went further and stabbed a gardener in the back and another gardener in the face. They were taken to hospital in serious conditions,” said Jacob Raboroko of the Johannesburg police force.
A representative for Slipknot’s record label, Roadrunner Records, has told South Africa’s The Times web site that the band had no comment regarding reports that the schoolboy (18-year-old Morné Harmse) who stabbed a fellow student to death with a sword in Krugersdorp, South Africa Monday morning (August 18) was dressed like Slipknot drummer Joey Jordison.
Declining to provide her name, the woman at Roadrunner Records said: “We’ve had no confirmation that it was, in fact, a Slipknot mask. The band is not going to respond.”
When asked how they had found out about the stabbing, the representative would say only that people had been phoning the label all day.
Local South African metal bands defended the music genre. As Internet forums from across the world buzzed over the incident, commentators said metal music had “always drawn the short end of the stick” in being linked to Satanism and teenage violence.
Hugo Louw of metal band FEARSTRIKE told The Times: “If you are down, then the music [lyrics] will work with your mind. You need to be mentally strong to listen to that kind of music.”
Louw said it was not fair to blame incidents such as the one in Krugersdorp on the music.
“It is not fair to blame it on heavy metal … it tells fans to show people you are strong and to not be afraid.”
Slipknot lead singer Corey Taylor told Blender Magazine: “Obviously, I’m disturbed by the fact that people were hurt and someone died. As far as my responsibility for that goes, it stops there, because I know our message is actually very positive.” He continued,”You have something like this happen, it could have been Marilyn Manson, it could have been any number of people who make art that is startling visually, on the darker side. It could’ve been Pat Boone, for Christ’s sake. At the end of the day, there are always going to be mental disorders and people who cause violence for no other reason than the fact that they’re fucked up and lost. And all we can do is try to learn from it.”
Maybe I’m in a minority here, but my initial reaction was WTF!
I’m sorry, but just because someone listens to slipknot doesnt mean they’re immediately going to go out and attack people. I couldn’t belive the ignorance of the principal of that school, who called their music ‘bad satanic music’…now I admit their lyrics arent always the happiest, but I havent actually heard them praising satan or anything yet…what a moron.
people are blaming music and games etc for so many bad things, because they cant face up to the fact that its actually the fault [maybe] of the parents? who probably didnt give a shit about they’re kid anyway. oh, and we seem to be forgetting one little fact…HE WAS HIGH. its not exactly a fucking secret that people do messed up stuff when they’re high. but according to those dealing with this case, that doesnt seem to have any significance.
am I wrong? or is most of society full of ignorant morons these days…
cheers for reading my point of view.
Chris.
What a load of crap, I hope slipknot sue all who blame them for this. If you blame mental illness you have to prove that that mental illness was resonsable for the guy going phyco with a sword, if you want to blame the music then prove it was the music. Or better yet prove it was a lack of proper up-brining. - From SA
Sad when it comes down to blaming the music and not the perpetrator i.e. the guy wielding the knife.
How many times has music been wrongly blamed for actions of a few? The mainstream media loves to hang onto to such sensationalist wild and unfounded factors. Let’s not forget the victims of the violence here.
how ignorant are people!
i am no fan of slipknot at all, but to go blaming them for murder!!?? no, i am familiar with slipknots music and i have not heard a song that openly praises satan or in any way encourages this sort of act. this isnt the first time rock music has been blamed, the whole “emo” thing for instance. people commiting suicide and it being blamed on bands like my chemical romance (again i am no fan, but i am aware that they encourage people to “stay alive”)
rock music often a positive escape for people
so for it to be blamed for stuff like this is ludicrous
the media and the other “blamers” are looking for a scapegoat to hide the fact that sometimes this modern world is screwed up.
if they faced the problem instead of blaming on the first thing they find, less of this stuff would happen
anyway!! rant over
enough said
the same happened with Mrilyn Mason whem the columbine high school massacre occurred…
whem shit happens rock is to blame !
judas priest, twisted sister, marilyn mason , (…).
and now slipknot .
Thats a bunch of bullshit,
Slipknot is my favorite band and there
aint shit wrong with me. Fucking
dumbasses blaming it on Slipknot.
Slipknot please come to South Africa for the CokeFest 2009!!* show this country what youre made of because they clearly have no idea just how many fans you have here!!* we love you
Has no one stopped to think that it might just be the idiot with the sword to blame? No?
Okay WTF was my reaction..
wow!!
dude likee howw are they sure that it was Joey Jordison
like anyone coud justt logg on to ebayy and buy a fucking 100dollar ,maskk…
there kindof streotyping into the musics genre
just becausee a guy is in a heavy metall bandd doesnt automaticallyy
turn him into a murder////
WHYYYYY WOULDD HE HAVEE SUTCHH AN URGEE TO KILL THEM anymwyass?
-
you cant blame music for the stupidity of one person im going to keep listning to this music i like it and if people try to harm it ill fight bring slipknot lets see what happens and if something bad doese happen im sure people will retaliate