Dislike Serj Tankian Over His Political Activism? He’s ‘Okay’ You’re Not a Fan
Politics these days can be a bloodsport. People shout at one another. people retweet slogans and call each other “snowflakes.” But not enough people actually do something when it comes to standing up for what they believe in. System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian is among those that takes their political stances and turns them into action, which has led to people over the years disliking him or the band itself.
If you’re one of the people that don’t like him anymore because of his stance on the current goings on in Armenia, or his left-leaning politics, or his take on the genocide in Gaza, he’s totally okay with losing you as a fan. That much we know thanks to a recent interview with NPR. While speaking with A Martínez about his new memoir Down with the System, Tankian explained that his activism has caused some people to bounce off of his art and System of a Down as a whole, but that won’t stop him from standing up for what he believe in.
“I’m okay with that because an artist isn’t supposed to please everyone. An artist is supposed to basically try to receive through the collective consciousness whatever truths that we’re trying to live by, the truths of our times. If we can’t do that as artists, then we’re entertainers.
“From day one, you have to make that choice: Are you an entertainer only or are you going to be an artist? If you’re an entertainer, that’s cool; there’s many entertainers I follow and love. But if you’re going to be an artist, then the road is not going to be easy. You’re going to have to be honest with yourself and everyone else at all times, and people are going to like you and people are going to hate you, and that’s okay.”
In recent days, a lot of the focus surrounding Tankian’s new book has been on the interpersonal workings and relationships within the seminal nu-metal band. And while a lot can be said about the political differences among its members, Tankian revealed that he felt he was always the biggest political firebrand of the bunch.
“I was more of the activist in the band than anyone else. There was always this push and pull between the message and the music. The other guys, rightfully so, didn’t want the music to be victimized by the message at all times. I understood that because I loved the music as well, but when there was [a message] that needed to be dispersed, I felt like that was just as important, if not more important, than the music.”
If you’ve been paying attention to Tankian or System of a Down at all, none of this should be a shock to you. You can listen to the full interview (all six or so minutes of it) below.
