UPDATED: No Turning Back part ways with Monster
UPDATE: In addition to the news story below, No Turning Back has posted an update on their Facebook page, further explaining their decision to cancel their endorsement with Monster Energy:
Just to make things clear, since reactions are getting off focus:
We decided to end our cooperation with Monster.
Half naked women pouring themselves with Monster and linking that with our underground music and scene is not the way we want to see hardcore portrayed. It is definitely not what we want to bring across as a message to especially our younger fans about what hardcore is about. Putting girls on stage to serve as objects is an affront to every woman present at a hardcore show in our eyes.
We would like to thank Monster for the sponsorship the last couple of years, but they turned into a road we don’t want to follow. So no middle finger to Monster, just a goodbye. We will not be boycotting Monster shows or leading an anti Monster crusade, we will just not represent Monster anymore.
We will still affiliate ourselves with sponsors, as long as their views are and stay in line with our perspective.
No Turning Back will keep to our own set of rules.
That means
NO to racism,
NO to homophobia, and
YES to equal rights for man and woman.
ORIGINAL STORY:
No Turning Back decided to part ways with Monster. This is the short statement on Facebook:
After seeing the “Monster Energy Kicking it at Groezrock 2013” video we decided to quit immediately the cooperation with Monster Energy. What is shown in the video is not what we stand for as band.
This is the video NTB is talking about:
Earlier This Routine Is Hell posted this about the video on their Facebook page:
Big corporations like Moster Energy drink have been cunningly trying to penetrate the ‘alternative’ scene by sponsoring festival for years and years, but this video just tops it all. Objectifying women, filled with rockstar attitude bullshit and making a lasting impression on young kids that it’s a good idea to fill your stomach with this unhealthy crap. I don’t know about you guys, but to me, this shit is exactly at the opposite end of what this music should be trying to achieve.
People need to be encouraged and supported to think for themselves, so let’s keep this corporate unhealthy bullshit ideology out of our music. Here’s the most honest and sincere answer I can give: FUCK YOU!
Back to news overview
Is this really newsworthy? I mean it was pretty naive associating yourself with such a brand, a big one for that matter, in the first place and then be surprised that they don’t share the same values as a hardcore band. It’s a brand that taps into that whole ‘extreme’ schtick to entice young people to buy their product. It’s about money, what do you expect.
I agree with you, but as for your “is this really newsworthy” comment. Let’s just say this news post has had the most views in quite some time.
Yes it’s been getting quite some attention. Maybe i worded it wrong. I like NTB etc. and i will choose my words carefully, but it comes off as them being heralded and praised for something they neglected to do in the first place, namely don’t associate yourself with big businesses that care about money, not about your scene.
It’s all fine with me, if you can get something out of such a thing. I really don’t care, take the money, take the free shit, but don’t act surprised when big corporations turn out to be big corporations doing big corporation shit.
I don’t think it’s necessarily a bad thing to associate yourself with a big business. As long as your principles don’t clash with what a company does (which apparently wasn’t the case before Monster released this somewhat sexist video) and it helps you to cover your expenses so you can maybe lower your ticket prices a bit, I think it’s acceptable. But I can see how this video is a dealbreaker.
Lower ticketprices, for hardcore shows? 😀
I was talking about sponsor deals in hardcore in general. If festivals and bigger shows (European Hardcore Party and stuff like that) can take a few euros off their ticket prices by placing a banner or two, I think that’s fine.
New Morality’s reaction is interesting too 😉
http://www.facebook.com/newmorality/posts/10151487306383929
I’m really wondering whether the band is gonna cancel their show at Jero On Air as well, since that festival is heavily sponsored by Monster.
You really can not play a big(ger) hardcore/metal fest these days without encountering some companies you don’t like.
Personally, I really don’t see what’s wrong with that video…
Playing a show they sponsored is a bit (maybe not much, but still) different from being directly affiliated with them though?
No it’s the fucking same. Hardcore (especially hardcore) should not be a tool for big business to sell their shit. We do just fine without them.
I think it is a bit different and I personally am not at all opposed to some commercialism in hardcore (I’m not opposed to it in my daily life, so why would I be opposed to it in my music? Whether that makes me ‘hardcore’ or not is a whole other debate).
I would find it weird if a band makes a statement this crass and than proceeds to play a festival sponsored by the same brand. In my opinion, part of their fee will be payed by a company they distanced the band from in clear terms.
Personally, I think this is all much ado about nothing. If anything, Monster is thankful for the free publicity, because their silly little after movie that nobody would have checked out otherwise is getting shared like crazy.
I am opposed to companies using a subculture like this, which has a rich history of being a counter culture, for financial gain/marketing their product to impressionable young people.
However people can make up their own mind about what they support and what not. I think bands should do what they like, it has no bearing on me.
after all the fuzz I expected more from the video and was somewhat dissapointed by the total lack of frontal nudity…
and on a more serious note, there are hardly any big bussinesses that still have ‘hardcore’ values. for example a quick Google search shows that Converse shoes are sometimes made using child labor. which I think is way worse than advertising unhealthy drinks. we all drink Coke and/or beer, which are both bad for you too..
On a sidenote Coca Cola is the Monster distributor
All the hc kids wearing Nike shirts and Champion hoodies… all endorse child labor in some form. Bands who print their shirts on FotL, the same.
I wonder how many brands of amps, guitars, drum kits, cymbals, etc have used “sexist” advertisement in the past… I bet a lot of ‘endorsed’ band are actually some pretty sketchy shit.
Other interesting stuff:
http://www.monsterenergy.com/us/en/personalities/monster-energy-gives-back/
“Monster Energy Gives Back Program was created in 2011 to support nonprofit organizations and give back to its community. Be it fundraisers, charity events, or just supporting the scene and people and athletes in need, Monster Energy Gives Back is dedicated to making a difference and changing people lives.”
you see more and more bussinesses creating charities for, I think, good publicity. which is not really a bad thing
Better than charities who act like companies and put a lot of the money they receive in their own pockets… (Foster Parents Plan, anyone?)
Additional statement by NTB on Facebook:
“Just to make things clear, since reactions are getting off focus:
We decided to end our cooperation with Monster.
Half naked women pouring themselves with Monster and linking that with our underground music and scene is not the way we want to see hardcore portrayed.
It is definitely not what we want to bring across as a message to especially our younger fans about what hardcore is about. Putting girls on stage to serve as objects is an affront to every woman present at a hardcore show in our eyes.
We would like to thank Monster for the sponsorship the last couple of years, but they turned into a road we don’t want to follow. So no middle finger to Monster, just a goodbye. We will not be boycotting Monster shows or leading an anti Monster crusade, we will just not represent Monster anymore.
We will still affiliate ourselves with sponsors, as long as their views are and stay in line with our perspective.
No Turning Back will keep to our own set of rules.
That means
NO to racism,
NO to homophobia, and
YES to equal rights for man and woman.”