Editing Rammstein (section)

==Controversies==
===Imagery===
''The New York Times'' described Rammstein's music as a "powerful strain of brutally intense rock... bringing gale-force music and spectacular theatrics together".<ref>{{cite news |url=http://movies2.nytimes.com/gst/movies/movie.html?v_id=184439 |title= NYTimes Movies |access-date= 10 April 2007 |work=The New York Times |first=Manohla |last=Dargis}}{{Dead link|date=December 2012}}</ref> The members have not been shy about courting controversy and have periodically attracted condemnation from [[morality]] campaigners. Till and Flake's stage act earned them a night in jail in June 1999 after a liquid-ejecting [[dildo]] was used in a concert in [[Worcester, Massachusetts]]. Back home in Germany, the band faced repeated accusations of fascist sympathies because of the dark and sometimes [[Militarism|militaristic]] imagery of their videos and concerts, including the use of excerpts from the film ''[[Olympia (1938 film)|Olympia]]'' by [[Leni Riefenstahl]] in the video for their cover of Depeche Mode's song "Stripped". [[MTV Germany]] studied the lyrics, talked to the band and came away satisfied that Rammstein are apolitical; Peter Ruppert, then head of Music Programming at MTV Germany, stated that the band "aren't in any way connected with any right-wing activities".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.helnwein.com/news/update/artikel_3108.html |title=German Band's Fierce Songs Taking US by Storm (Press) |publisher=Helnwein.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080906200325/http://www.helnwein.com/news/update/artikel_3108.html |archive-date=6 September 2008}}</ref>

Their cover of their debut album ''Herzeleid'', released in Germany in 1995, showed the band members bare-chested in a style that resembled [[Strength Through Joy]] in the eyes of some critics, who accused the band of trying to sell themselves as "poster boys for the [[Master Race]]".<ref>{{cite web |url= http://herzeleid.com/en/faq/band |title= Herzeleid.com (FAQ) |access-date= 10 April 2007 |publisher= Herzeleid.com |archive-date= 7 December 2017 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20171207140305/http://herzeleid.com/en/faq/band |url-status= dead}}</ref> Rammstein have vehemently denied this and said they want nothing to do with politics or supremacy of any kind. Lorenz, annoyed by the claim, has remarked it is just a photo, and should be understood as such. ''Herzeleid'' has since been given a different cover in North America, depicting the band members' faces.

The video of "[[Deutschland (song)|Deutschland]]", released in 2019, sparked further controversy, as it portrays black German actress [[Ruby Commey]] appearing as [[Germania (personification)|Germania]], which has been described as "a calculated affront to German nationalists".<ref name="bloomberg-germania">{{cite news |last1=Bershidsky |first1=Leonid |title=What Has Rammstein Revealed About Germany's Soul? |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2019-04-02/rammstein-rock-video-sparks-debate-over-german-national-identity |website=[[Bloomberg News]] |access-date=22 September 2020 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200519042220/https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2019-04-02/rammstein-rock-video-sparks-debate-over-german-national-identity |archive-date=19 May 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref> The video also portrays the band members both as Nazi concentration camp executioners and as Jewish prisoners, sparking the complaints of [[Holocaust survivors|Holocaust survivor]] groups; however, others defended the video and the song lyrics, which have been interpreted as "express[ing] a love/hate relationship with Germany".<ref name="metalsucks-deutschland">{{cite web |last1=Rosemberg |first1=Axl |title=Let's Talk About Rammstein's Controversial "Deutschland" Vide |url=https://www.metalsucks.net/2019/03/29/lets-talk-about-rammsteins-deutschland-video/ |website=Metal Sucks |date=29 March 2019 |access-date=22 September 2020}}</ref>

===Relation to violent events===
Rammstein were cited in relation to the [[Columbine High School massacre]] in 1999, when a photo of [[Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold|Eric Harris]] wearing a Rammstein T-shirt in the 11th grade was revealed.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://acolumbinesite.com/eric/pics/ericramm11th.jpg|title= Eric Harris wearing a Rammstein T-shirt |website= Acolumbinesite.com}}</ref> There was no evidence to correlate the band and the massacre. In response to the shooting, the band issued a statement:

{{blockquote|text=The members of Rammstein express their condolences and sympathy to all affected by the recent tragic events in Denver. They wish to make it clear that they have no lyrical content or political beliefs that could have possibly influenced such behaviour. Additionally, members of Rammstein have children of their own, in whom they continually strive to instill healthy and non-violent values.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://herzeleid.com/en/faq/misc|title= Did Rammstein's music cause Columbine?|website= Herzeleid.com|access-date= 4 December 2014|archive-date= 4 April 2008|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080404201742/http://herzeleid.com/en/faq/misc|url-status= dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1427256/kmfdm-rammstein-speak-out-about-columbine.jhtml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120209222140/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1427256/kmfdm-rammstein-speak-out-about-columbine.jhtml|url-status=dead|archive-date=9 February 2012|title=KMFDM And Rammstein Speak Out About Columbine|publisher=MTV News}}</ref>}}

Coincidentally, on 10 September 2001 the single and video clip of "Ich will" ("I Want") was released, which portrays the band as bank robbers who want to get a message across and receiving a [[Goldene Kamera]] (Golden Camera) award, a German version of the Emmy award, for their "actions". In the United States, the video clip was broadcast only late at night after [[September 11 attacks|the attacks of 11 September 2001]], although many media officials and politicians requested the video to be pulled from broadcast completely.

Following the conclusion of the [[Beslan school hostage crisis]] in Russia in September 2004, the Russian authorities claimed that the terrorists had "listened to German hard rock group Rammstein on personal stereos during the siege to keep themselves edgy and fired up".<ref>{{Cite news|url= http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=3601635|title= Beslan hostage-takers were all addicts says top Russian official|date= 18 October 2004}}</ref> The claim has not been independently confirmed.

Band members said this about the issue:

{{Blockquote|text=There's been a lot of talk about that, but if there are radical feelings in people anything can wake them – a painting, a picture, whatever. It's just a coincidence that it happened to be our music. It's important to think about what caused them to make their decisions, how they became animals, not their taste in music. Whenever something like this happens it's like 'Okay, let's blame the artist'. Such bullshit.|author=Till Lindemann}}

{{Blockquote|text=Our music is made to release aggression, and people listening to it are also needed to do that, but it's not our fault. Should we stop making hard music because bad people might like it?|author=Christoph Schneider}}

Pekka-Eric Auvinen, the perpetrator of the [[Jokela school shooting]] in November 2007, also included Rammstein in one of his favorite bands. However, he noted that the music among other things was not to blame for his decisions.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://oddculture.com/the-pekka-eric-auvinen-manifesto/ |title= The Pekka Eric Auvinen Manifesto|date= 7 November 2007 |website=Oddculture.com}}</ref>

[[Elliot Rodger]], the perpetrator of the [[2014 Isla Vista killings|Isla Vista killings]] in May 2014, was also a fan of Rammstein according to his YouTube records. On a lyric video of [[Mein Herz brennt]], Rodger wrote: "[G]reat song to listen to while daydreaming about being a powerful ruler". Even though Rodger wrote in his manifesto that he wished to become a dictator and punish all the people who rejected him, there was no direct link found between the band's music and the killing spree.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.documentcloud.org/documents/1173808-elliot-rodger-manifesto.html/ |title=My Twisted World: The Story of Elliot Rodger|date= 23 May 2014 |website=Documentcloud.org}}</ref> Santa Barbara police later confirmed that Rodger's main motivations were sexual and social rejection.<ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/26/justice/california-elliot-rodger-timeline/ |title= Timeline to 'Retribution': Isla Vista attacks planned over year |date= 27 May 2014|publisher= CNN|first= Alan|last= Duke}}</ref>

The [[Trollhättan school attack]] perpetrator, Anton Lundin Pettersson, used a manipulated version of the band's logo that added Nazi Germany's eagle on his Facebook page.

===Videos===
In October 2004, the video for "[[Mein Teil]]" ("My part") caused controversy in Germany when it was released. It takes a darkly comic view of the [[Armin Meiwes]] cannibalism case, showing a [[Cross dressing|cross-dressed]] [[Christoph Schneider|Schneider]] holding the other five band members on a leash and rolling around in mud.

The band's own views of its image are sanguine; Landers has said: "We like being on the fringes of bad taste".<ref>{{cite news|last= Smyth|first= David|date= 10 February 2012|title= Flame and glory: Rammstein set to light up London|url= https://www.standard.co.uk/goingout/music/flame-and-glory-rammstein-set-to-light-up-london-7441820.html|newspaper= [[London Evening Standard]]|access-date= 21 January 2015|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150121093526/http://www.standard.co.uk/goingout/music/flame-and-glory-rammstein-set-to-light-up-london-7441820.html|archive-date= 21 January 2015|url-status= dead|df= dmy-all}}</ref> Christian "Flake" Lorenz comments: "The controversy is fun, like stealing forbidden fruit. But it serves a purpose. We like audiences to grapple with our music, and people have become more receptive".<ref>{{cite news |last= Haider|first= Arwa|date= 29 January 2005|title= Shock'n'roll Circus |url= https://www.thetimes.com/travel/destinations/europe-travel/germany/berlin/shocknroll-circus-959rmrkw3h9 |newspaper= [[The Times]]|access-date= 26 March 2015}}</ref>

The video for "Pussy" was released September 2009. It features hardcore pornographic scenes of [[nudity]] along with women engaging in sexual activity with body doubles of the band members.<ref>{{cite magazine |title= Rammstein's Pussy Released in Mucky Vid |magazine= The Quietus |date= 17 September 2009 |url= http://mp-3.net.ua/mysik/rock/930-rammstein-pussy.html |access-date= 17 September 2009}}{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes}}</ref>

===Placement on the ''Index''===
On 5 November 2009, their sixth studio album ''[[Liebe ist für alle da]]'' was placed on the ''Index'' of the [[Federal Department for Media Harmful to Young Persons]] (''Bundesprüfstelle für jugendgefährdende Medien'', or ''BPjM''), making it illegal in Germany to make the album accessible to minors or display it where it can be seen by people underage, effectively banning it from stores.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/Rammstein/|title=Rammstein|website=www.facebook.com|access-date=7 April 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://schnittberichte.com/news.php?ID=1693 |title=Report |publisher=Schnittberichte.com}}</ref> According to the official statement of the BPjM, the depiction of lead guitarist Richard Kruspe holding a woman wearing only a mask over his knee and lifting his hand to strike her behind has given cause for offense, as well as the lyrics to "Ich tu dir weh" (meaning "I hurt you") which supposedly promoted dangerous [[BDSM]] techniques. Furthermore, the advisory board took into consideration the alleged promotion of unprotected sexual intercourse in the lyrics to "Pussy".

The band, as well as several members of the German press, reacted with astonishment to the decision. Keyboardist Christian Lorenz expressed surprise at the advisory board's "parochial sense of art" and regretted their apparent inability to detect irony.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sueddeutsche.de/kultur/469/493812/text/ |title=Liebe ist nicht für alle da |work=Süddeutsche Zeitung |access-date=12 November 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091112125016/http://www.sueddeutsche.de/kultur/469/493812/text/ |archive-date=12 November 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.laut.de/vorlaut/news/2009/11/11/23636/index.htm |title=Rammstein-Zensur: Mit Fleischgewehren auf Spatzen |publisher=Laut.de |access-date=8 September 2010|language=de}}</ref> On 16 November 2009, a stripped-down version of ''Liebe ist für alle da'' was released. As of 31 May 2010, the administrative court in Cologne had decided to suspend the inclusion into the ''Index'' (case 22 L 1899/09). The German department deleted the record from the ''Index'' on 1 June (Decision No. A 117/10). On 9 June, the band announced that the original version of the album was available in their shop and that the single "Ich tu dir weh" would soon be released in Germany. In October 2011, the album was judged not harmful to minors and deleted from the ''Index''.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.sueddeutsche.de/kultur/urteil-zum-rammstein-album-liebe-ist-doch-fuer-alle-da-1.1172929 |title=Liebe ist doch für alle da |work=Süddeutsche Zeitung |date=25 October 2011 |access-date=29 July 2015}}</ref>

In 2016, Rammstein filed a lawsuit against the German state claiming €66,000 in compensation for damages that had allegedly resulted from the indexing, chiefly the destruction or withholding of 85,000 copies of the album that the band says would have otherwise sold.<ref>{{cite news |title=Rammstein sues Germany over indexed album |work=[[Deutsche Welle]] |date=5 April 2016 |access-date=27 September 2016 |agency=[[Deutsche Presse-Agentur|dpa]] |url=http://dw.com/p/1IPZl}}</ref>

===Concert misconduct allegations===
In May 2023, a woman claimed that her drink was spiked (drugged) during a Rammstein concert in Lithuania and was selected for an aftershow party, during which she was ushered into a small room underneath the stage for lead singer Till Lindemann. After making herself unavailable for sex, she claimed Lindemann reacted angrily and left. While emphasising that she was never assaulted, she believed there to be an "organised system of funnelling girls."<ref name="bbc-08-06-2023">{{Cite news |date=8 June 2023 |title=Rammstein fan Shelby Lynn alleges she was groomed for sex |website=[[BBC News]] |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-65843882 |access-date=8 June 2023}}</ref> Although Vilnius prosecutors found no evidence of drugging, her story amplified the band's "Row Zero" practice, where young women would be pre-selected on social media by casting director Alena Makeeva to stand in an exclusive area closest to the stage dubbed Row Zero and attend pre-show and after-show parties, during which Lindemann would request to have sex with fans in attendance.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Rammstein won't be investigated in Lithuania – DW – 06/26/2023 |url=https://www.dw.com/en/rammstein-wont-be-investigated-in-lithuania/a-65991207 |access-date=23 July 2023 |website=dw.com |language=en}}</ref> Further claims against Lindemann prompted an investigation by German police for sexual offences and the distribution of narcotics.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Schuetze |first=Christopher F. |date=15 June 2023 |title=German Police Investigate Rammstein Singer Over Sexual Assault Accusations |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/15/arts/music/rammstein-singer-sexual-assault-accusations.html |access-date=23 July 2023 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> In response, the band denied all claims of illegal behavior, fired Makeeva and halted the "Row Zero" afterparties.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Exberliner |date=7 June 2023 |title=Rammstein allegations mean no more "Row Zero" at Berlin concerts |url=https://www.exberliner.com/english-news-berlin/rammstein-allegations-mean-no-more-row-zero-at-berlin-concerts/ |access-date=23 July 2023 |website=Exberliner |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=19 June 2023 |title=Rammstein scandal: casting director fired amidst abuse accusations |url=https://www.msn.com/en-sg/entertainment/news/rammstein-scandal-casting-director-fired-amidst-abuse-accusations/ss-AA1ccDUp |access-date= |website=www.msn.com}}</ref>

In view of the allegations, Rammstein's label [[Universal Music Group|Universal]] announced that it would be suspending all promotional activities for Rammstein's albums.<ref>{{cite web |title=Universal Halts Rammstein Marketing Amid Abuse Claims |url=https://www.barrons.com/news/universal-halts-rammstein-marketing-amid-abuse-claims-dd99192c?refsec=topics_afp-news |website=[[Barron's (newspaper)|Barron's]] |access-date=15 June 2023 |date=15 June 2023}}</ref> Universal also confirmed a press report that it had confidentially requested the German Music Industry Association [[Bundesverband Musikindustrie|BVMI]] not to include the 25th anniversary re-release of ''Sehnsucht'' in the [[GfK Entertainment charts|official album charts]], regardless of its actual sales figures, and that the request had been authorized by the band itself.<ref>{{cite news |title=Rammstein will nicht in die Musikcharts|trans-title=Rammstein doesn't want to enter the charts |url=https://www.faz.net/aktuell/wirtschaft/nach-lindemann-vorwuerfen-rammstein-will-nicht-in-die-musikcharts-18966021.html |website=[[Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung]] |access-date=16 June 2023 |language=de |date=16 June 2023 |last1=Theurer |first1=Marcus }}</ref> Various other companies including [[Kiepenheuer & Witsch]] and [[Rossmann (company)|Rossmann]] also halted joint ventures with the band.<ref>{{cite web |title=Der Verlag Kiepenheuer & Witsch beendet die Zusammenarbeit mit Till Lindemann |trans-title=Publishing house Kiepenheuer & Witsch ends cooperation with Till Lindemann |url=https://www.kiwi-verlag.de/magazin/news/der-verlag-kiepenheuer-witsch-beendet-die-zusammenarbeit-mit-till-lindemann |website=[[Kiepenheuer & Witsch]] |access-date=14 June 2023 |language=de |date=14 June 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Nach Vorwürfen gegen Till Lindemann: Rossmann stellt Verkauf von Rammstein-Parfüms ein |trans-title=After allegations against Till Lindemann: Rossmann suspends sales of Rammstein perfumes |url=https://www.stern.de/lifestyle/leute/vorwuerfe-gegen-till-lindemann--rossmann-stellt-verkauf-von-rammstein-parfuems-ein-33531836.html |website=[[Stern (magazine)|Stern]] |date=6 June 2023 |access-date=15 June 2023 |language=de-DE}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |title=Rammstein: Radioeins lässt Sendung mit Flake ausfallen |trans-title=Rammstein: Radioeins cancels program with Flake |url=https://www.rollingstone.de/rammstein-keine-radioeins-sendung-mit-flake-heute-2599659/ |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |access-date=15 June 2023 |language=de |date=15 June 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.spiegel.de/kultur/musik/rammstein-plattenfirma-setzt-marketing-und-promotion-aktivitaeten-aus-a-a6731634-940b-4a62-90da-058667bf1694 | title=Rammstein: Plattenfirma setzt Marketing- und Promotion-Aktivitäten aus | newspaper=Der Spiegel | date=15 June 2023 }}</ref>

On 29 August, the German prosecutors announced that they dropped the case, saying that the investigations did not unearth any evidence of a crime.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.barrons.com/news/germany-drops-sex-assault-probe-into-rammstein-frontman-prosecutors-a3c69809 | title=German Prosecutors Drop Sex Assault Probe into Rammstein Frontman }}</ref> The investigations were originally taken up because of complaints filed by unaffected third persons who were unable to identify any victim. While alleged victims sent sworn statements to journalists, none of those women filed a criminal complaint, and therefore the police were unable to contact and interview them. Also, the journalists had promised the alleged victims anonymity, and made use of their [[Source protection|legal right to keep their sources secret]].<ref>{{Cite news |title=Ermittlungen gegen Lindemann eingestellt |url=https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/staatsanwaltschaft-lindemann-100.html |date=2023-08-29 |access-date=2023-12-21 |work=[[Tagesschau (German TV programme)]] |language=de}}</ref>