When Music Was Dangerous
Negativland, Free Speech, and the Fight We’re Still In
I first discovered Negativland sometime in the 1990s, most likely while scanning the college radio airwaves of WPRB in Princeton. That station — unpredictable, raw, alive — was a lifeline to music you couldn’t find anywhere else. It still is. Even now, decades later, I find new sounds flipping on PRB. There’s something comforting about that — the spirit of discovery still alive in a world that’s gotten much louder but not necessarily more interesting.
One of Negativland’s standout tracks, Christianity is Stupid, appears on their 1987 concept album Escape from Noise. Built on cut-up sermons by Estus Pirkle (specifically his 1968 LP If Footmen Tire You, What Will Horses Do?), the song remixes phrases like “Christianity is stupid! Communism is good! Give up!” into something unsettling, funny, and deeply subversive. It marches forward on heavy metal riffs and chaotic sound effects — a prank, a protest, and a warning all at once.
That spirit — creating work almost defiantly not meant for mass approval — pulled me toward experimental artists like Negativland and Miranda July. Around the same time, I stumbled onto Miranda July’s 1998 The Binet-Simon Test CD, released by Kill Rock Stars (and yes, again, discovered on WPRB). Neither Negativland nor early Miranda July were chasing popularity. They were building strange little worlds, knowing most people would never bother to visit. And somehow, that made it even more vital.
Today, Miranda July has crossed into the mainstream: critically acclaimed films, bestselling books, 328,000 Instagram followers. And yet, her work remains weird and honest. She didn’t sell out — the world just, somehow, caught up to her a little. Meanwhile, Negativland quietly goes on, with just over 4,500 Instagram followers. And to me, that obscurity almost feels like a badge of honor.
It was through Instagram that I saw Negativland was printing Christianity is Stupid. Give Up T-shirts — and of course, I had to have one. It arrived this week, and I couldn’t wait to wear it.
Then I read the news.
President Trump signed Executive Order 14202, creating the so-called Anti-Christian Bias Task Force. The order claims to protect Christians from government discrimination. In reality, it elevates one religion above all others, which flies directly in the face of the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause. This isn’t an anti-discrimination measure — it’s a political tool to reinforce the myth that Christians, who still make up about 67% of the U.S. population, are a persecuted minority.
That myth is dangerous. Because when the dominant culture starts to see itself as “oppressed,” it justifies extreme actions in the name of “self-defense.” History shows us where that path leads — censorship, exclusion, even violence. When a government starts making special protections for the majority faith, it isn’t preserving freedom. It’s dismantling it.
I haven’t worn my Christianity is Stupid shirt out in public yet. But I will. Maybe my experience won’t be as extreme as poor Nick’s in our comic strip. But if we ever slide into that dystopian future — if the ideals of free expression and religious neutrality really do collapse — then people like me (and probably a lot of you reading this) will find ourselves on the wrong side of the wall.
Speaking of censorship — this comic was actually the second one I’ve created that’s been removed from Webtoons. I received an email that read:
“We are writing to inform you that the episode titled The ACB Task Force from your series Trash Talk with Bud, Nick, and Joe has been removed for violating our Community Policy due to unsuitable content.”
The thing is, I can’t for the life of me figure out what “unsuitable content” they’re talking about. Unless — and this is where it gets chilling — it’s simply because I dared to criticize Christianity. If that’s the case, then my point has already been proven. That’s scary.
And that’s exactly why you should be subscribed to this Substack.
Substack doesn’t censor. Here, I can still say what needs to be said.
If you haven’t already, hit that subscribe button and stick around. We’re going to keep talking about this — loudly, critically, and freely.
Take it easy,
James