Enduring Canadian indie rock group The New Pornographers have plenty of fans among their music industry peers, but one of the most successful children’s entertainers of all time isn’t among them — at least when it comes to their name.
Fellow Canadian Raffi, the singer-songwriter known to generations of kids for tracks like “Baby Beluga” and “Bananaphone,” decided on Tuesday to offer his opinion of the group’s name after they appeared on Minneapolis radio station 893 The Current. “Strongly object to that name,” Raffi tweeted, adding that he considers it “as bad as ‘food p**n’ etc.”
strongly object to that name. as bad as "food p**n" etc. https://t.co/MwIrIAysl4
— Raffi Cavoukian (@Raffi_RC) April 18, 2017
He later added that his objection is to normalizing the word, urging followers to “consider youngsters.”
not a word to normalize in public conversation. consider youngsters, etc.
— Raffi Cavoukian (@Raffi_RC) April 18, 2017
That’s when The New Pornographers’ leader A.C. Newman entered the scene and the beef escalated… in the funniest possible way.
TFW someone whose music you loved as a child says mean things about your life's work. https://t.co/fdl60zLqfy
— @ACNewman (@ACNewman) April 18, 2017
Ouch! Except what if the opposite.
Actually I am not very familiar w/ Raffi's work. Just sent that tweet to make him feel bad. Always preferred puppet-oriented entertainment.
— @ACNewman (@ACNewman) April 18, 2017
That’s cold like a Canadian winter, A.C.
Considering my childhood love for puppets, I think Raffi + I both agree that 'Puppetry Of The Penis' is in bad taste.
— @ACNewman (@ACNewman) April 18, 2017
From there, Newman kept the beef going for the better part of the day, even bringing his son up in the discussion.
.@Raffi_RC, it would mean the world to my son if you could tweet that you don't hate his Daddy, just my bands name. Silly misunderstanding. https://t.co/nwgxxdH6Ho
— @ACNewman (@ACNewman) April 18, 2017
"Maybe Raffi can't tweet to you because he's playing a concert" I say to my son. A lie but I want to protect him from this cruel world.
— @ACNewman (@ACNewman) April 18, 2017
Have no hard feelings against @Raffi_RC . I just need him to write a tweet to my son saying 'Aiden, I don't think your father is a bad man'
— @ACNewman (@ACNewman) April 18, 2017
Then came the coup de gras, when Newman dug up a skeleton from Raffi’s closet
You can use whatever euphemisms you want but let me say this: it sickens me, @Raffi_RC pic.twitter.com/0ckLxNRjiZ
— @ACNewman (@ACNewman) April 18, 2017
In @Raffi_RC 's defense, 'Adult Entertainment' was probably meant ironically but still… kids don't know that! It was MARKETED to kids!
— @ACNewman (@ACNewman) April 18, 2017
That seemed to cool things off somewhat, or maybe it’s just a coincidence.
The hunter has become the hunted … pic.twitter.com/a4rXAlH5dj
— @ACNewman (@ACNewman) April 19, 2017
Did this mean the beef was over? Yes indeed. And to prove it, on Wednesday Raffi provided a statement to Pitchfork in which he apologized to the band and explained what happened. “In a fleeting moment I reacted t a word, which I wrote about in my book ‘lightweb Darkweb.’ My Tweet was without context, on a gig night,” Raffi said. “Not cool. I apologize, Meant no disrespect to the band, its music, or its fans. RC.”
And so it was Newman backed down as well.
"Does this mean Raffi doesn't hate you?" Aiden asks.
"Yes, I think it does" He runs to me, hugs me tightly, smiling.
"I think it does". https://t.co/SErfViMTgu
— @ACNewman (@ACNewman) April 19, 2017
And in doing so, he proved he might have been kidding when he claimed not to be familiar with Raffi’s music.
I also meant no disrespect , @Raffi_RC .
Maybe we all need to put down our bananaphones once in a while, and just listen to one another.
— @ACNewman (@ACNewman) April 19, 2017
Wise words. The important thing is that at last, all is well again between two of Canada’s biggest musical exports.