Spinner

Amanda Palmer Responds to Criticism of Conjoined Twin Concept Album

Evelyn EvelynA single blog post on Amanda Palmer's website has enraged dozens of fans who aren't pleased with her latest project, Evelyn Evelyn. Still, the Dresden Dolls singer is forging ahead with her concept album about conjoined twins, which is due out late next month.

"I deeply apologize if anyone has been offended by our project," she wrote on her blog last week. "There is and was absolutely no harm meant, and if harm was taken, it's obviously worthy of discussion."

The project pairs Palmer with Jason Webley, the two performing as alter egos Evelyn and Evelyn. Part musical partnership and part performance art, the duo even created a fictional history for the Evelyns. In press interviews, they portrayed themselves as two musicians who discovered the twin act through MySpace and offered to introduce their music to the masses.

"They spent a lot of time in the circus, so they picked up a lot of old folk songs from people they were working with -- the musicians that they were hanging out with on the circuit," Palmer tells Spinner. "They picked up a lot of the old traditional fireside guitar and ukulele songs that influenced some of their stuff. But they also had a radio and they loved the Beatles, they loved the Beach Boys and they really like musical theater. One of their favorite records is 'Jesus Christ Superstar.'"

While media organizations went along with the alter ego approach, Palmer's blog post about the twins' life story -- "they share three legs, but have only two arms, and they play ... their instruments together" -- drew criticism from fans who thought she was making light of people with disabilities. A brief mention about the twins having been molested drew even more ire.

"I had misgivings about that blog that was posted that I didn't voice because I felt, 'Well, that's Amanda's blog -- that's her thing,'" Webley tells Spinner. The initial plan for their press dealings was that Webley and Palmer would do the interviews in character, but by the time the interview occurred, the criticisms had begun, making it difficult for Webley to play the part.

"I don't think this project has a mean spirit or a bad heart," he says. "I don't think we should pull the release of the record, but I do think there are things about the way we've been presenting it that we should rethink a little bit."

While Palmer said they weren't trying to deceive anyone, she still wanted to maintain the fictional storyline, keeping a performance art aspect alive. "We are really hoping to maintain the cosmic joke, as it were," she says.

After speaking with Spinner, Palmer posted another piece on her blog, hoping to clarify their intent with the make-believe sisters.

"In hindsight," she wrote, "since enough people have gotten ruffled about the unsettling nature of their story, I wish I'd left it for you to discover on the album (where the entire epic tale is presented within a much larger, and more understandable, context)."

The post has already drawn over 1,000 comments, with mixed reactions. The self-titled album is due out March 30, to be followed by a worldwide tour and a graphic novel. Webley says he hopes critics give the upcoming album -- featuring old-timey music and a continuous story thread -- a chance.

"I want those people to actually hear the album in its entirety and get a better sense of it," he says.

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Mest

Amanda Palmer and her idiotic fiancee Neil Gaiman are Scientologists. Neil Gaiman just has donated $35,000.00 to Scientology AGAIN (November 2009), according to the Cornerstone Newsletter, and has been named a Scientology Founding Patron. Gaiman and Palmer are working as a team, with the Scientology seal of approval. They got paired up to make money, that’s why their relationship was “launched” with pictures, a soundtrack, a self published vanity book of bloody snuff porn pictures of Palmer. These two idiots seem to take a photographer where ever they go to catch every “intimate” moment. Amanda Palmer supports a dangerous cult.

March 28 2010 at 3:29 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
R.H.

Amanda Palmer is a hypocrite and a narcissist who cares about nothing more than obtaining praise and worship. Of course she ignored her fans who were angry about this. She does not communicate with fans. She only accepts praise. If you are looking to engage with her, you are wasting your time. You're better off engaging with a table.

March 23 2010 at 2:16 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Brooklynne

Personally I think the cover art is amazing! I find nothing offensive about it....then again, many people may not look at it from an art-wise point of view.

February 26 2010 at 7:18 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Miska

Oh for crying out loud. Look, the majority of the people who have a problem with this project ARE Amanda Palmer fans. And none of them are trying to silence or censor anyone. Personally, I'm not offended. But I understand now why others were.

Before you start throwing around your opinion about someone else's viewpoint, TRY ACTUALLY READING THEIR VIEWPOINT. Go over the Amanda's site and actually read the comments on the project. It's a lively, intelligent debate. Unlike this thread.

February 26 2010 at 1:18 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Alex

I agree with Bill totally and completely, and very well said Bill. Unlike what Tom has said Bill is not full of hatred at all. These 'religious' (and i use that word loosely) people are often the problem with the world, and the people who are full of hatred - you have to be an exact carbon copy of them in every single minute little detail otherwise you are condemned and shunned ...and quite often what these people preach and teach is hate... People are much to sensitive and get offended about anything and everything way too easily. Its a very nice album cover ..so the problem with this is??? What is it i'm missing??

February 26 2010 at 8:11 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Wryter

How utterly silly of the masses, but then that's why there called " masses " eh. Her projects a great deal of artistic merit and interesting forethought and its just a bloody pity that those who probably first read her blog were not intelligent enough to see what she was saying as anyone who knew her would see it for what it is or was. Cast your mind further when you read as there is always more there than whats seen........nuff said....Wryter

February 26 2010 at 6:00 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Marie

I happen to not find this album cover concept, or whatever they are calling it, offensive. The woman had an idea and ran with it. Shouldn't the things you decide to do follow under the freedom of speech law? I mean they were not trying to hurt anyone. And I dont remember anyone making a big fuss over movies that were made about conjoined twins.. Twin Fall Idaho, Brothers of the Head, even Stuck On You... (Which I should add starred Matt Damon and Greg Kinnear)And that was a comedy. And was meant to make light of conjoined twins in a way. Does anyone take offense to that? Or do you not because Matt Damon was one of the stars? I mean come on people. Let Amanda Palmer let her creative juices flow freely. And anyone else who decides to do something not so 'politically correct'... And stop being such pansies....

February 25 2010 at 7:32 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Brandon

Actually sounds like a very interesting concept album. If movies depicting mentally challenged people like "Forrest Gump" can make billions at the box office and win 1300 awards on Oscar night, surely we can let some lowly musicians make a concept record about conjoined twins without crying about it. Art imitates life, you see... If artists weren't able to depict interesting people in their work (i.e. Black people, gay people, conjoined twins, mentally challenged people) then what the hell would art be? So storytellers, songwriters, and moviemakers are only allowed to make movies about people with no discernable characteristics that make them individuals without someone going on about how they are offended??? Jeez people grow a skin. If you don't like the art, don't expose yourself to it and it can't hurt you. The rules haven't changed since DaVinci sketched his first fat broad. Seriously.

February 25 2010 at 7:09 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
J Trips

they're not conjoined twins. They're anatomically duplicated embryonic units

February 25 2010 at 7:06 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to J Trips's comment
Wryter


Laughs.........now that's intelligence and good forethought, ......nice one J Trips

February 26 2010 at 6:05 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Aaron

For those of you have never heard of Amanda or The Dresden Dolls I do strongly encourage you to check her out, she is easily the most talented musician in today's music scene.

February 25 2010 at 6:58 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply