source – wikimedia commons
Phil Anselmo is still dealing with the aftermath of some unfortunate comments and gestures he made at Dimebash back in 2016. Although Anselmo has issued more than one apology, the effects are still being felt. Some New Zealand shows were cancelled earlier this year due to lingering backlash to his outbursts from three years ago. When asked about the incident by Kerrang!, in a recent interview, Anselmo said the following:
“I feel like it’s ridiculous. I made an off-color joke and ‘Boom!’ – it’s like I’m literally Hitler! I’m not. I take each individual one at a time, in the way that any logical individual will. I have love in my heart. Over the years I’ve learned to take the first step with love and to put good faith first. I get along with everybody. If there’s any doubt about my political leanings, people should get it out of their heads.I was raised amongst a dazzling [cast of characters] from the theatre, from the mental hospital, from all walks of life – all colors, creeds and kinds. It’s absurd to me that anyone in this day and age would judge anyone by the color of their skin, their heritage or their religion. I’m a harmless guy. I’m a reactionary, not a troublemaker.”
The question was then posed to him, if he would trade success for anonymity, he replied:
“I’m a realist. What has happened has happened. What is going to happen is going to happen. What am I supposed to do about it? Am I supposed to re-live shit, or rewind time? Erase people’s memories? If you stack what I’ve done up against all the horrible things that have been done on this earth, I’d hope that I’d come pretty low on the list. I don’t have a racist bone in my body. My heroes are everybody.”
The incident occurred at the end of the 2016 Dimebash tribute show. Anselmo stood at the edge of the stage and offered what looked like a Nazi salute to the crowd and yelled a phrase that sounded like “white power,” before being escorted off the stage. Anselmo has expressed a number of times that he is not a racist.
Read the full interview via Kerrang!
