GG Allin: What Did We Learn?

by on August 27, 2012  •  In Articles

GG Allin’s life and death are still the subject of much controversy among those that know who he was. Some people think he was brilliant, while other’s dismiss him as an impulsive fool. Personally, I feel they are somewhat one in the same. I mean, if there was absolutely nothing special about the man, then why have none of the poseurs that came after him been able to come close to his level of sheer illegality? It’s been nearly 20 years since the overdose that caused his death in 1993, and no performer has even attempted to go to GG Allin’s lengths.

Of course no reasonable person would even want to, but think of all the gutter punks out there with nothing to lose and everything to gain. Think of the prestige. But not even the meanest street kid is ready to step into GG’s shoes. The world would know it.

With nearly two decades past, there is a lot to think about. As insignificant as people like to think his contribution is to ‘productive’ members of society, it’s unquestionable that his “Fuck what you think” attitude influenced those around him in a positive way. Who would have guessed that an NYU film student that decided to make a documentary about GG would go on to write and direct “Old School” and the “Hangover” films?

And more punk rock than ever!

Okay, that’s really the only concrete success story I know linked from GG Allin’s life. But speaking from a personal perspective, there is something to be admired about his spirit. The man has a tiny dick and spends 90% of his stage life naked. How fucking awesome is that!? As if that weren’t enough, he shits on himself, attacks random concert-goers (often taking more damage than he dishes out), and shoving foreign objects in his ass. At the very end of his life, he assembles a small army of street kids spread throughout the nation (built in large part on popularity of the film and controversial television appearances). Underage groupies are all over him (male and female, thank you)…

After all this time, after being a fan for over 15 years, I can finally put into words the reason *why* I respect this man so much:

As mentioned before, he had a micro penis. That probably sounds funny to you… Unless you’ve been afflicted with this condition. He was effeminate early in life and probably got beat up a lot. His father was notoriously bizarre and cruel…

I feel like GG Allin was a frightened man. A frightened man that spent a long stretch of his life facing his fears at every turn. If something scared him, he rushed toward it. Whether it was taking something he wanted, confronting someone that looked tough, or embarrassing himself in public… He took damn near every opportunity that came his way to face fear.

This is such an alien concept in this culture of image and bullshit. But it’s a valuable skill that all of us could stand to use a little more of.

Do I believe that a balanced human being should have dialed it back a notch? Sure. But sometimes a little imbalance is just what the world needs.

david

Sylvester Stallone

I'm Sylvester Stallone. I was in the hit film "Tango & Cash" opposite Robert Z'Dar.

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