Home Are Bored Apes racist and neo-Nazi NFTs?

Are Bored Apes racist and neo-Nazi NFTs?

Our opinions

7 min read

The famous depressed monkeys known as Bored Apes Yatch Club (BAYC) would be inspired by Nazi ideology...It would be a collection designed for worshipers of Adolf Hitler. In any case, this is what many people think and denounce.

You may have heard the controversy which was recently relaunched by the investigative YouTuber Philion. This one swings heavy in his video. and accuses the founders of BAYC to encourage people to buy images which contain racist and pro-Nazi elements.

video bored apes racist — Philion is an American YouTuber who makes investigative and investigative videos on several subjects.

The latter revives the old debate which had (rapidly) shaken the cryptosphere about the allegedly racist ideology of Bored Apes Yacht Club. This is not the first time that the collection has been accused of secretly supporting xenophobic theories.

As a reminder, the Bored Apes Yatch Club NFT collection is one of the most expensive and coveted NFT collections on the NFT market. Depressed monkeys sell for hundreds of thousands of euros and many stars like Paris Hilton have bought them. That's how depressed monkeys are the hype.

In this short article, we will ask ourselves if the racist accusation of the Bored Apes is heresy or if, on the contrary, there is some truth in this accusation.

The origin of the controversy

In fact, a few months after the launch of the Bored Apes Yatch Club, Ryder Ripps, a New York conceptual artist published an essay article on his blog Gordongoner.com. There is only one page on the blog and the title is evocative: Bored Ape Yacht Club is Racist and Contains Nazi Dog Whistles. This means in French: Bored Ape Yacht Club is racist and contains neo-Nazi symbols.

Note: In reality, in the original title, we find the expression "Dog Whistles" which is translated into French as " dog whistle". The expression gets its name from ultrasonic dog whistles, which are the only ones who can hear them (not humans). Thus, in politics, "dog whistles" refer to the use of suggestive coded language that only a particular group can understand.

It is therefore Ryder Ripps' whole thesis to prove to us that the BAYC collection is in fact a collection intended for neo-Nazis nostalgic for the Second World War.

He develops 13 "proofs" that the Bored Apes Yacht Club collection is inspired by Nazi ideology.

We have selected some (the most relevant) evidence for you here.

1/ The logo is similar to a Nazi emblem

Firstly, the author highlights the similarities with the Nazi emblem Skull. It means skull in German. It's actually the insignia of the Nazi paramilitary organization. Schutzstaffel (SS).

In the image opposite, you can see the badge Skull on the military cap worn by the SS.

Since the end of the Second World War, the Totenkpof has become one of the identification signs of this organization.

So, it may come as a surprise that the Bored Apes logo is the skull of a monkey.

The author points out that both logos have "rounded" and "blurred" edges. He adds that it is very rare to see circle-shaped logos with unclear edges.

2/ The founder has the pseudonym “Gargamel”, known to be a caricature of the anti-Semite.

One of the co-founders of the BAYC project chose the pseudonym "Gargamel". Now, I don't know if you knew this, but this character from the Smurfs is recognized as a cliché representation of an anti-Semitic person. It would be the emblem on the internet of the person who does not like Jews. Moreover, on the 4chan forum, the term Gargamel is often used to speak (badly) about the Jewish community.

(To find out more, you can read the article on NouvelObs: “ Are the Smurfs racist, macho and anti-Semitic?).

Furthermore, Ryder Ripps recalls that co-founder Gargamel's real name is "Greg Solano." (Indeed, BAYC founders were doxed/identities recently revealed). However, Greg Solano would have written his undergraduate thesis around a fiction about the Nazis. For example, in his fiction, we find a troubled character like Hans Reiter. The latter was a German doctor who participated in macabre experiments in the concentration camps of Nazi Germany.

For the author of the blog, this indicates a certain interest in the Nazi universe that co-founder Gargamel has in Nazism…

3/ The other founders have equally suspect references

Another co-founder goes by the name "Emperor Tomato Ketchup." So far, that may seem trivial. Yes, but in fact the name Emperor Tomato Ketchup is the title of a 1971 Japanese film that has since been banned from distribution. The reason? The film was banned in several countries for child pornography reasons.

Thus, it is a film with a pedophile overtone where we see children engaging in sexual practices with adults.

"Emperor Tomato Juice" is the translation of Emperor Tomato Ketchup.

The author of the blog points out that it would be completely unexpected for the co-founder to have chosen such a nickname "by chance". Moreover, the founders have stated in interviews that "chance" is not to be taken into consideration in the collection...

3/ Racist elements from the most fascist forums on the web

This is perhaps the most divisive argument. When we look at the elements worn by the BAYC, some clearly refer to Nazi ideology or the war, like the famous Prussian helmet (Pickelhaube in German). Many elements present on BAYC are also present on memes known from the 4chan forum. Memes used by of people (degenerates) and open racists.

Note: The forum 4chan is known for its numerous abuses. The forum is anonymous and we see the best and worst of the web (for example, racist, homophobic and sexist discussions).

In an interview, co-founder Gargamel said that nothing in the collection “is random,” that there is a hidden cryptic meaning behind the works….

We stop the proofs there knowing that there are others that you can consult on the site, here.

The attempt to clean up the Bored Apes

Ryder Ripps recently launched a new blog, " https://rrbayc.com » in which he announces that he has recreated a completely new collection based on the old one.

He insists and persists because he is determined that the crypto universe does not fall into considerations of this type. For him and for many people, the very concept of cryptocurrency is incompatible with racist thinking. (We think so too).

(Read our article: Why crypto is incompatible with racism).

For example, on the logo he wrote "this logo is inspired by the TotenKopf". He clearly wants to continue to denounce the Nazi character of the BAYC.

His collection is enjoying some success on Opensea but he is already the subject of legal action by the company behind BAYC.

Likewise, the crypto community as well as holders of BAYC and APECOIN token protest against his words. For a large part of the crypto community, these statements are baseless speculation…

So the Bored Apes are racist propaganda?

I cannot comment here. What I know is that very quickly, I came across Ryder Ripps' text. I had doubts at first, I can't lie to you. Then, I read other texts, other counter-evidence which made me hesitate.

Anyway, I sold my BAYC a long time ago as soon as the project was promoted by some bogus influencers on YouTube.

You know, you have to be wary of conspiracy theories in general because you can find anything you want when you look for the details. Look at the alternative theories on the pyramids, we can quickly believe that it was Martians who built Giza... Anything can serve as proof. So you have to be careful and do more in-depth research.

For example, the author notes that the launch of the BAYC collection took place on April 30. Hey…It’s the anniversary of Hitler’s death….

In fact, the official launch of the BAYC collection took place on April 23, 2020. On the 30th, the sales were all completed and secondary sales were opened.

Indeed, some evidence seems far-fetched to me. Others can make us think. I am stoic and at the moment my judgment is suspended.

The founders' responses

The founders recently provided their answers where they justified their choices, the logo, etc. You can see here, that most of the time, it's a coincidence... Honestly, their arguments hold water. Should we believe in their good faith? Up to you.

There you go, I hope you liked this article, if so, don’t hesitate to share it.

I am preparing a much more complete investigation that I will share with you, here and on the YouTube channel.

Indeed, there are lots of elements that must be taken into account before being able to judge anything.

Read other articles on the subject:

You can also watch Philion's video here:

The Bored Apes Nazi Club

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since XNUMX and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from XNUMX-XNUMX. In XNUMX–XNUMX she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Note: No financial advice is given in this or any other article on zonebitcoin. This is information of which you are the sole judge and master. Be responsible with your investments and only invest as much as you are willing to lose.

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