Photo: Universal Music

Sexed-up Rammstein record banned for sadomasochism

Published: 10 Nov 09 16:49 CET
Online: http://www.thelocal.de/society/20091110-23177.html

The latest album from German industrial band Rammstein has been banned from sale to minors for sexually charged lyrics and artwork allegedly inciting sadomasochistic violence.

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After hitting number one in Germany's charts in October, the band's “Liebe ist für alle da,” or “There's Enough Love for Everyone,” can only be purchased by people over 18 starting on Wednesday following a decision by the country's youth media watchdog the BPjM.

The ruling means record shops can also no longer display the album publicly.

The authorities expressed particular concern over the song “Ich tu dir weh,” or “I'll Hurt You,” and a picture in the album booklet showing a seated man about to hit a naked woman. According to deputy BPjM chairwoman Petra Meier, the album promotes unsafe sex and portrays sexuality and power in a sadomasochistic manner.

Most albums indexed by the BPjM are those “with lyrics about racial hatred or glorifying National Socialism,” said Meier. But a large share of the music banned in Germany is classified due to “brutal violence, pornographic lyrics or a mixture of sexuality and violence,” she said.

But Rammstein, one of Germany's most successful cultural exports in recent years, said they were “dismayed” over the album ban.

“There's nothing on the album that could be more misinterpreted than on other Rammstein records,” the band's keyboardist Christian ‘Flake’ Lorenz told the Bild am Sonntag newspaper. “Why now and why this? One of the examiners presumably has a daughter who annoys him with Rammstein at full volume.”

No strangers to controversy, the video for Rammstein's first single on the album, “Pussy,” features fully pornographic scenes of band members having sex. However, the Berlin-based musicians say their provocative material is meant to have a cartoonish satiric edge.

For example, the lyrics “Blitzkrieg mit dem Fleischgewehr,” or “Blitzkrieg with the meat-gun,” in “Pussy” are meant to be a thinly veiled criticism of German sex tourism.

DDP/The Local (news@thelocal.de)

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Your comments about this article:

17:21 November 10, 2009 by UrbanAngel
I already posted about this The Rammstein video for their new single "Pussy"... also, I wouldn't say that "There's Enough Love for Everyone" is a correct translation of "Liebe ist für alle da".
17:41 November 10, 2009 by OPB
Always controversy, I think it is nothing new considering it is Rammstein. Good, fun album.
18:39 November 10, 2009 by Ava90
thats ridiculous!!! I love Rammstein! and in the picture its a picture of Richard(t lead guitarist) spanking a woman's rear. It's not like he is beating her
19:59 November 10, 2009 by Bayern Munich7
I thought they tore the Wall down .......I guess not in some people's mind.
22:56 November 10, 2009 by martell
Responsible for indexing the two songs of the album is Federal Minister for Family Affairs, Ursula von der Leyen, who personally and and on purpose denounced the band. Christian Democrat v.d. Leyen who is nicknamed Federal Brood Mare by parts of the population because of her seven children is the one who personally dictated the "reasons" for indexing to the BPjM.

It seems ridiculous that she is not informed about the diverse facets of human sexuality (practicing s/m is perfectly legal among consenting persons in Germany) and obviously sees sex as an instrument of reproduction only. Even more grotesque is the fact that she names "invitation to unprotected sex" as the other reason to outlaw the album. So far, unprotected sex still is legal in Germany, as I heard. And somehow v.d. Leyen must have had unprotected sex at least seven times herself in her life.

And Lorenz is whing again? LOL Yes, everything was better in the GDR, 'Flake', sure. Only they never would have let you even record your music.
06:08 November 11, 2009 by derExDeutsche
I hate that you can never comment on anything to do with holocaust or bullshit 'right' wing crazy types on this .de bs.

No wonder they need a beating to get off, they need it harder than they got it today!
01:15 November 14, 2009 by Vargaz
These are the new role models for impressionable youth - if only they would electrocute themselves at their next concert, sacrificing themselves in the name of decency, morality, self-respect, and intergrity.
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