Black Randy
Black Randy (who wasn't 'black') was one of those extraordinarily split people: his first action in the embryonic Hollywood punk scene was to steal the receipts of the Masque and heroically return them a few hours later. His cerebral and vicious humor, combined with his antagonistic actions and odd appearance meant in some ways that he wasn't the kind of fascist/charismatic rock star figure around which legends build. He didn't seem to embody some kind of ideal state to which to aspire towards. Black Randy was working against the rock star image the majority of artists cultivate- he bathed in the dregs of society without trying to ennoble them. He didn't try to make a virtue out of weakness like punk rock traditionally did- he wasn't the voice of the oppressed or an agent of the oppressor, but rather a howling, bitter laugh. He was a nihilistic satire of our collective vanity and ambition, and showed how the human desire for power is consuming and essentially always the same, whether it's in the form of a bloated celebrity, hipster, African dictator, cultural icon or religious worshiper relying on God to provide.
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