Quote: Nirvana On Rape (1993)

[rocknroll1968]

Interviewer: Some of the people who responded to the song, "Rape Me", said they were offended by it, in some way, or that they couldn't understand it. Could you explain the meaning of the song to perhaps clear up...

Kurt: Well, we're the cover boys of about ten different magazines this month and in every one of those magazines we explain it pretty good. It's an anti--let me repeat that--ANTI-rape song. I got tired of people trying to put too much meaning into my lyrics, you know, as being too...not making enough sense, so I decided to be really blunt and bold. I just thought, it's a kind of a funny, just reward for a person who rapes--like a guy, like a mean asshole who rapes a woman, violates her, then he goes into jail and get raped, you know. And I think it's a kind of justice, in a way.

Krist: Maybe being offended and not understanding it goes hand-in-hand.

Int: Yeah, well the only reason they were offended is that they obviously took it as a macho, you know--

Krist: They've been programmed by too many beer commercials, or something.

Int: Yeah, I mean, I don't really know how you would misunderstand something like that--

Kurt: I thought we made our stance on rape clear within the last year-and-a-half. Plus, anyone who knows about us would probably know that we are pretty much anti-rape, at this point, you know?

Int: Yeah, you'd think that would be clear, but I guess these were people who didn't know that much about you and were just listening to a record. I mean, you had trouble with Saturday Night Live, right? I mean, trying to get that song played. Why is that if it's this straightforward anti-rape song? Why are they having a problem with it?

Krist: Maybe you shouldn't be talking about it. It's like, taboo, you know? Daddy's bonking the little stepchild, "We don't talk about that here! Nope!".

Int: What's controversial about an anti-rape song? I guess it's the nature of...

Krist: It's a taboo.

Int: Taboo subject.

Krist: Yeah.

-24 Sept 1993