GWAR are no strangers to fake blood and foam entrails, but their latest act of theatrical violence has the internet’s right wing corners clutching their pearls. At Riot Fest, the band staged the beheading of an Elon Musk dummy, and clips of the stunt have since gone viral, landing in the feeds of people who clearly had no idea what a GWAR show actually is.
The outrage kicked off when X (formerly Twitter) user @hottakekaren posted the video before cheekily updating their bio to read “GWAR’s biggest fan.” From there, the usual suspects piled in. Accounts aligned with the MAGA movement accused the band of “inciting violence,” with Libs of TikTok calling it proof that “Democrats love promoting violence.” That’s despite the fact GWAR have been disembowelling rubber politicians of every stripe for over 40 years, from Trump to Clinton to Obama. This is theatre, not policy.
The pearl clutching only amplified the band’s legacy. GWAR have always thrived on grotesque satire, pushing absurdity to cartoonish extremes. The gore, the costumes, the absolute ridiculousness, it’s why fans keep packing in to be sprayed with fake blood decades on. Expecting a GWAR show to be family friendly is like expecting Slayer to cover Ed Sheeran.
Riot Fest, instead of backing down, doubled down. Their official account has been busy roasting critics, openly mocking the idea that anyone takes the Musk dummy seriously. “Honestly amazing publicity for us,” the fest’s social team wrote, leaning all the way into the absurdity.
GWAR Remain Silent
True to form, GWAR have stayed silent on the “controversy.” Silence, of course, is part of their schtick, they don’t need to clarify that their shows are over the top parody. Fans already know! With the band’s next appearance scheduled for Aftershock Festival on October 5, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Musk dummy made an encore in Sacramento.
For GWAR, outrage is part of the brand, for Riot Fest, it’s free promo.
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