Reclaiming (Or Replacing) “The Goat”

[I disagree]

Over the past few years, we metallers have seen our special sigil—the goat horn—stripped of its significance (i.e., magical power) by clueless celebrities (Miley Cyrus gets it wrong first then gets it right second) and pop culture junkies looking add ‘edge’ to their persona. That ‘edge’ they seek is, or rather was, ours. True, I’ve seen movie and television stars in Maiden, Priest, and Baroness shirts, but it’s hard to tell if they, like us, revere those bands like gods or are meddling in mundane hipster irony. Probably the latter. Occasionally, the Earth parts and I feel ‘good’ about peeps in high places repping the darkest of metals—often willingly exposed by dB’s Closet Metalhead feature (see Jeanne Fury’s Cee Lo Green intie)—but usually my suspicions are confirmed. Dorks like Lindsay Lohan, Justin Bieber, Rihanna, and Kid Rock show the maloik, as popularized by the late great Ronnie James Dio, for no other reason than to appear ‘dangerous’. Milk in cereal poses a greater threat.

So, maybe it’s time we retire the maloik and the reverse maloik.

We’ll have to be intensely creative to come up with something new. Options are damned sparse. We’ll have to avoid sign language configurations—don’t want our new sigil to unintentionally translate to ‘cucumber’ or ‘fail’—and gang sign configurations—don’t want to be gunned down outside a club (hello, Harpo’s in Detroit) for hoisting our new digit designation—in our pursuit of a replacement for the oft-misused maloik. Whatever we come up with, just don’t let it be the Witchery ‘W’.

http://www.decibelmagazine.com/featured/reclaiming-or-replacing-the-goat/

Does this symbol formerly used by metal heroes lose or have any value when hollywood celebrities and hipsters misuse it as a petty means for teenage rebellion?  I don't know if I agree with Decibel that a new symbol needs to be devised as it is easy enough to reroute any symbol's meaning, but I can't help but feel that it's association with metal is being diminished with its use.  This leads me to question whether metal still needs this symbol?

Some metallers have been diverting to a more offensive symbol, that you are unlikely to see many celebrities and hipsters use in public, but I don't see this as becoming a substitute for saluting metal.

What do you think? Are the "horns" still relevant?

[Transcix]

Some metal listeners like me don't find the devil's horns gesture was ever relevant in the first place, and personally I don't care if it goes the way of the dinosaurs. It's a relic from the days where everyone was so stupid that cross-dressing was the best way they could think of to rebel. I don't think it's necessarily crude and silly, but I think it often is the way people use it, i.e. when idiots who don't actually (know how to) listen to metal in any serious way make the gesture with a dead-set look on their faces... the seriousness they devote to making that little gesture, they don't even give it also to the questions of life and what is truth, so in my view they have the right to make the gesture, but they come off as idiots for doing it.

"Dorks like Lindsay Lohan, Justin Bieber, Rihanna, and Kid Rock show the maloik, as popularized by the late great Ronnie James Dio, for no other reason than to appear ‘dangerous’."

Dangerous? Come on, Dio in that photo makes me want to laugh and puke.

Anyways, if the devil's horn is no good anymore, if you need a replacement I recommend this.

Thanks for the link though, I enjoy learning about the misappropriation of metal aesthetics.

[Cargést]

I do it at shows, or at clubs for amusement.  I tend to use the middle finger more, though.  Guess I'm with the Averse Sefira/Birth A.D. crowd.

[Jim Necroslaughter]

On the Blaspherian EP, the boys give the horns down to the ground, rather than up in the air.

[Levy_Spearmen]

Has anyone considered the heads up?

[Veritas]

give the horns down to the ground, rather than up in the air.

So it shall be.

[wood]

Might need to ditch the Sigil of Baphomet as well..

[Andrew]

The question is not so much whether we should leave these old symbols behind, but whether we can make new symbols that can't be commodified by the machine and its slaves.  So basically, how do we make a symbol with the taboo-level of a swastika but with the values of anus and hessians?  Or perhaps we can develop a long set of esoteric and occult symbols with complex meanings, so that one has to invest a lot of time into undestanding them before they can be used.  Why it is so easy for corpse-paint, baphomets, and "the goat," to be commodified is that anyone can do them.

Might need to ditch the Sigil of Baphomet as well.

I enjoyed that.  Not as in I enjoyed the music, but it is clearly symbolic for the way in which popular culture (like vampires), is not alive itself, but manages to suck the life out of things that are real and do have life of their own, until they are only empty shells.  Which is why we are left with art that is so gruesome and horrible, because popular culture has consumed everything else (much like what the modern world does to the environment).  Now, through hipsters, the same seems to be happening to black metal.  I was defending hipsters in the past, thinking they wanted to make real music too, but I see now they are as much a part of the machine as all the pop garbage that preceded them.

[Muaddib]

While we're on it, might it be a good idea to establish a form of communication which would exclude not only non-metal listeners, but also non-hessians? As it would happen anyway, when shared with the non-hessians, it will get assymilated in the end. Some of it is already starting to develop (are you talking to me, o.peth, aids, pink frothy, etc) but it's only a beginning. suggestions\ideas?

[radiant=ANIME WITCHES]

Man, I used to get so salty when people called it the "rock on sign."My eyes would bulge and my blood pressure would rise, but I've given up now. As a public display it is meaningless, at concerts it is a symptom of mass hypnosis. Still, in the darkness and privacy of my room, as delirious voices moan under the freezing moon, I occasionally am compelled to invoke the goat. At such times it feels a natural expression of the rage and beauty that is metal.

[Dinaric Leather]

I use the pentagram hand sign, it can be seen here: http://www.rotten.com/library/religion/satanism/pentagram_sm.jpg

This thread is relevant, IDOS is coming up and you know Hessians will be flashing their gang signs.

[Veritas]

I use the pentagram hand sign, it can be seen here: http://www.rotten.com/library/religion/satanism/pentagram_sm.jpg

This thread is relevant, IDOS is coming up and you know Hessians will be flashing their gang signs.

haha niceee

I still love the idea of a downwards point devil horns. Subtle, representing the underground, esotericism, Satan, Cthulhu. Upwards pointing horns can only be shown if it's a full-moon.

[Jim Necroslaughter]

I use the pentagram hand sign, it can be seen here: http://www.rotten.com/library/religion/satanism/pentagram_sm.jpg

This thread is relevant, IDOS is coming up and you know Hessians will be flashing their gang signs.

That is outstanding!  haha, but I'm not sure I can even figure out how to do it!  I could be here for hours!  damn kids and your gang signs!!!

[Cargést]

I remember my guitarist showing me that about a year ago.  It's pretty good, if a little complicated.

[Jim Necroslaughter]

I use the pentagram hand sign, it can be seen here: http://www.rotten.com/library/religion/satanism/pentagram_sm.jpg

This thread is relevant, IDOS is coming up and you know Hessians will be flashing their gang signs.

I figured it out!!!!