University of Tennessee, Knoxville TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School 8-2009 Was That Racist or Not? I Can’t Tell: The Music of Prussian Blue Michael J. Davis University of Tennessee - Knoxville Follow this and additional works at: https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss Part of the Communication Commons Recommended Citation Davis, Michael J., "Was That Racist or Not? I Can’t Tell: The Music of Prussian Blue. " PhD diss., University of Tennessee, 2009. https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss/31 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized administrator of TRACE: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. For more information, please contact [email protected]. To the Graduate Council: I am submitting herewith a dissertation written by Michael J. Davis entitled "Was That Racist or Not? I Can’t Tell: The Music of Prussian Blue." I have examined the final electronic copy of this dissertation for form and content and recommend that it be accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, with a major in Communication and Information. Dr. John W. Haas, Major Professor We have read this dissertation and recommend its acceptance: Dr. Ronald Taylor, Dr. Joan Rentsch, Dr. Barbara Kaye, Dr. Dwight Teeter, Jr. Accepted for the Council: Carolyn R. Hodges Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School (Original signatures are on file with official studentecor r ds.) To the Graduate Council: I am submitting herewith a dissertation written by Michael J. Davis entitled ―Was That Racist or Not? I Can‘t Tell: The Music of Prussian Blue.‖ I have examined the final electronic copy of this dissertation for form and content and recommend that it be accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, with a major in Communication and Information. Dr. John W. Haas, Major Professor We have read this dissertation and recommend its acceptance: Dr. Ronald Taylor Dr. Joan Rentsch Dr. Barbara Kaye Dr. Dwight Teeter, Jr. Accepted for the Council: Carolyn R. Hodges, Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School (Original signatures are on file with official student records.) Was That Racist or Not? I Can’t Tell: The Music of Prussian Blue A Dissertation Presented for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree The University of Tennessee, Knoxville Michael J. Davis August 2009 Copyright © 2009 by Michael Justin Davis All rights reserved. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS There are many people to whom I am grateful for making my time at the University of Tennessee so rewarding. I am particularly grateful to my Doctoral Dissertation Committee, Dr. John Haas, Dr. Ronald Taylor, Dr. Barbara Kaye, Dr. Joan Rentsch, and Dr. Dwight Teeter, Jr., for their support and encouragement. I would also like to thank my friends here in Knoxville who made my time in this city so engaged. To my parents and grandparents, thank you for your love and support. Lastly, the greatest debt is owed to Sarah. Without her encouragement, patience, and organization I would have never reached the end of this journey. iii ABSTRACT This study is an investigation into the music group Prussian Blue. The study was conducted by textual analysis of cultural material including novels, Web sites, documentary films, online interviews, music, videos, and magazine articles garnered through theoretical sampling. The textual analysis was conducted following the grounded theory approach to coding qualitative data. The findings reveal various discursive and ideological interconnections between the music group Prussian Blue and the contemporary hate movement. The group has a history of Holocaust denial, celebrates Adolph Hitler as someone with ―a lot of good ideas,‖ and cultivates relationships with some of the most notorious figures within the U.S. hate movement. White power music is being used as a tool to advertise and recruit people to the hate movement. This research also explored the meaning of white power music from the perspective of those of produce it as well as those who consume the music. Describing the meaning to them, fans report enjoying the music, appreciating the pro-white messages, and express the belief that Lynx and Lamb represent good role models. From April Gaede‘s perspective, the mother and manager of Prussian Blue, the music represents a counterhegemonic activity designed to mainstream pro-white messages and make money. April also described that music is a way to showcase her daughters‘ music, while also extending the white power music scene. Finally, April expressed her hope that Prussian Blue music would recruit other youngsters to produce pro-white cultural material. The meaning of Prussian Blue music to band members Lamb and Lynx Gaede represents the most complex and evolving perspective. Earlier narratives from the duo described how making music was a fun process and that the pro-white message of their music was of their own choosing. More recent narratives, however, express a strikingly different perspective. Specifically, the two reject their earlier pro-white music while also expressing regret for making those songs. This transformation has implications for cultural identity and action. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page CHAPTER I ........................................................................................................................ 1 Introduction and General Information ............................................................................ 1 Research Topic ................................................................................................................ 2 My Subjectivity ............................................................................................................... 8 Rationale for Study ......................................................................................................... 9 Purpose of Study ........................................................................................................... 10 Key Terms and Definitions ........................................................................................... 11 Organization of the Dissertation ................................................................................... 14 CHAPTER II ..................................................................................................................... 15 Literature Review.......................................................................................................... 15 Ideals for Cultural Identity and Action ......................................................................... 15 Music as a Communicative Form ................................................................................. 19 Texts, Messages, and Communication...................................................................... 20 Culture, the Hate Movement, and Understanding .................................................... 21 White power Music Genres ...................................................................................... 27 New Communication Technology for Educating, Recruiting, and Funding ................ 28 First Amendment: Bases and Boundaries ..................................................................... 31 Precedents in Incitement ........................................................................................... 34 Incitement and media ................................................................................................ 37 Free Expression and Restrictions on Hate Speech .................................................... 39 Art, Hate Speech, or Something Else? ...................................................................... 40 CHAPTER III ................................................................................................................... 42 Materials and Methods .................................................................................................. 42 Theoretical Basis: The Qualitative Perspective ........................................................ 42 Data Collection: Theoretical Sampling ..................................................................... 44 Data Analysis: Textual, Inductive, and Grounded .................................................... 49 CHAPTER IV ................................................................................................................... 52 Results and Discussion ................................................................................................. 52 A Convergence of Ideologies and Discourses .............................................................. 53 A History of Glorifying Hitler and Nazism .............................................................. 53 The Band Name: Signifying Holocaust Denial ........................................................ 54 Cultivating Relationships with High-Profile Haters ................................................. 57 Nationalist Folk Music to Pop Music ........................................................................... 62 Lynx and Lamb‘s Perspective on Prussian Blue ........................................................... 66 Making Music is a Fun Process ................................................................................ 67 White Nationalist Message is Our Choice ...............................................................