I posted this elsewhere but figured it might deserve its own thread. The Canadian indie-rock supergroup New Pornographers has been around since the 90s, stubbornly sticking with a name that has probably caused them more grief than it’s worth. (They are a seriously great band, though - check ‘em out!)
But today might’ve been the last straw. Their drummer, who has been with them for the last few albums, was arrested after photographing young boys in a Chick-fil-A bathroom. He was arrested and a search warrant executed on his devices found - you guessed it - child porn.
Is it possible for the band to continue under its current name?
(In seriousness: if they’ve been able to operate, and succeed, under that name for almost 30 years, and clearly their fan base doesn’t mind the name, I don’t really see how Seider’s arrest changes it.)
They should change it to “The Newt Pornographers” and get really weird. (The amphibian and the politician are both valid focuses, but the girl from Aliens is probably too much of a lateral move from their current problem.)
I had no idea that band was still together until I saw a reference to them on the “band’s name change” thread. I just assumed they were a one-hit wonder and that was it.
For a while in the mid 1990s, Hootie and the Blowfish toured with Toad The Wet Sprocket. Both bands said that had they had any idea they would become popular, they would have chosen other names.
Along those lines, “Metaphorical Pornographers” is almost a good band name, but the two words sound too similar to have a nice meaty feel in the mouth. How about “Metaphorical Filthmongers”?
Many years ago Calvin College (Christian) in Grand Rapids, Michigan cancelled a New Pornographers concert because they got so many complaints from (clueless) people appalled by their name.
