When I think of someone who I would like to know, I immediately think of one person. This person is someone who I would like to emulate in many ways, but I can also learn from his mistakes. As one of my role models, I can see things that got him in trouble that I might have ended up doing without his influence on my life, and avoid them myself. He doesn’t sell out and refuses to become mainstream for the fear of being corrupted by a big record company or some kind of large corporation only interested in money. If he has an opinion that he thinks is important, he will do everything he can to get it out, no matter what consequences he must face.
Jello Biafra was born Eric Boucher in Boulder Colorado in. As a child, he would watch cartoons with just as much interest as the news, because he did not see much difference between cartoon characters such as Bugs Bunny and “important” political officials such as Ronald Regan. His parents would also explain all of the world issues to him in detail, such as the Cuban missile crisis and the assassination of Oswald, so he could understand why people were so angry that they would kill each other. Jello was a loud-mouthed child who always spoke his mind about what he interpreted as the truth, and was arguing with his teachers over political issues as early as junior high.
After high school, Biafra went to Santa Cruz for two and a half months to go to school, but quickly returned to Boulder. He then moved to his current home, San Francisco, and took some acting classes. He noticed an add in the newspaper put up by East Bay Ray, who had a band and was looking for a vocalist. This lead to The Dead Kennedys. Biafra started a record label called Alternative Tentacles, which put out all of The Dead Kennedy’s albums, along with a few other bands. In 1979 he ran for mayor of San Francisco. In 1985, The Dead Kennedys released the highly controversial album, “Frankenchrist”. Biafra was charged with “distributing harmful material to minors” and “obscenity”. After a long trial, Biafra was eventually acquitted. Soon after, The Dead Kennedys broke up and Biafra went on to collaborate with the former members of Ministry in a band called “Lard”, and put out a series of live speeches under the title “spoken word”.
Biafra is an amazing public speaker. I have listened to many of his speeches and they have not only enlightened me on many political issues, but they have also moved me with touching accounts of terrorist attacks, and they have made me laugh with his often comical criticism of politicians. He has highly impacted me with (among other things) his ideas on what he thinks would be a perfect world, his personal account of when he first heard The Ramones and how much it meant to him when Joey Ramone signed his record, and his views on the war in Iraq. By doing everything he can to get his ideas out, he has affected many peoples lives, and has really made me, and I am sure other people, think about what it means to be free like we are and how lucky I am to have my freedom.
He is also an extremely hard working, versatile person. He is a musician, a graphic artist, an actor, and a public speaker. He has worked and worked to get where he is today, as a former member of one of the (in my opinion) greatest bands ever, to affect many people with his speeches, and to be somewhat of a role model to me and possibly many other people. He has put a tremendous amount of work and personal sacrifice into getting his ideas out and changing the world more than many people will ever do.
When Biafra was on trial for including a replica poster of H. R. Giger’s “Penis Landscape” in the final Dead Kennedys album, “Frankenchrist”, he fought until the end to defend his first amendment constitutional rights. The initial charges he would have to face were something along the lines of a two thousand dollar fine and a year in prison. He got it down to fifty dollars, but he kept fighting and never gave in, not because of the fine, but because he knew if he didn’t, it would just open the door for many unconstitutional convictions in the future. He was finally acquitted; free of charge, knowing what he did was best.
In summary, Jello Biafra is an inspiringly adaptable, accomplished, adroit person who does what he thinks is right and knows what is important in life. In his lifetime, he has done so much and changed the lives of more people than most do by the time they are eighty. And he is barely old enough to be considered “old”. He has protested censorship, police brutality, many wars, and pollution. Jello Biafra is such a powerful speaker and hard worker that if you give him the chance, learn a little about him, and listen to some of his music or speeches, he will change your life.
Bio written by: drunkskankskunk |
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