For four decades, GWAR have been decapitating presidents, celebrities and pop culture icons in a blood-soaked, satirical carnival that fans know is closer to Looney Tunes than real life. But their latest bit, a mock beheading of an Elon Musk dummy and the staged ‘murder’ of Donald Trump at Riot Fest, has suddenly found itself at the centre of America’s ongoing First Amendment crisis.
The controversy flared after a New York Post headline painted the show as shocking and dangerous, citing tweets that accused GWAR of “normalizing violence.” Singer Michael Bishop, better known as Blöthar the Berserker, wasn’t having it. “There’s nothing normal about the violence that goes on at a GWAR show. It’s a cartoon, it’s Looney Tunes,” he told Billboard.
Political climate meets parody
The mock outrage arrives at a time when government pressure on entertainment is under the microscope, with ABC’s suspension of Jimmy Kimmel sparking widespread debate over censorship. FCC chair Brendan Carr even hinted at pulling broadcast licenses in response to Kimmel’s monologue, stoking fears of political jawboning.
GWAR’s brand of satirical gore has always targeted everyone, from Reagan to Hillary Clinton to Justin Bieber. The idea that suddenly Musk and Trump are off-limits highlights the uneasy collision of parody and politics in 2025.
Experts weigh in
First Amendment experts have been quick to defend GWAR, pointing out that parody and satire are precisely the kind of speech the Constitution is designed to protect. Kevin Goldberg of the Freedom Forum notes that their performances don’t meet the legal standards for “true threat” or “incitement.” In other words, no one is seriously being urged to pick up a chainsaw.
Still, Goldberg admitted context matters, political violence in recent years makes some spectacles land differently. But for GWAR, that absurd spectacle is the point. “It’s trying to show humanity’s absolute absurdity,” Bishop said.
While politicians posture and tabloids clutch pearls, Riot Fest organisers shrugged. “GWAR crossed a major line” is one of the funniest f**king things I’ve ever heard,” they tweeted. For them, the outrage is just free publicity. For GWAR, it’s business as usual.
RELATED
MORE IN Music
