Otep replys to message board  questions: july 22, 2005
you all rock! thank each of you who responded with a question! She may have even answered it 

but i do feel kinda bad for asking the personal questions  maybe i should not have ...

1. What do you feel is the most common misconception about your music?
-- that it's mindless, meaningless aggression without intention or purpose ...
2. When a fan leaves an Otep show, what new thought or idea do you most hope they will take away with them?
-- to live everyday as if this is all there is & to fuck the status quo.
3. Is there any particular reason you chose those particular Bible passages for the liner notes of House Of Secrets?
-- yes.
4. After working with Joey Jordison on "House Of Secrets", have you considered working with any other artists for your next release? Maybe Joey again?
-- i am always open to working with other artists ... collaborating with Joey from Slipknot was such a learning and growing experience for me ... i think artists should surround themselves with creative people ... keep challenging ourselves & keep feeding the beast new portions of meat.
5. "Coming out" can be a very difficult process in the LGBT community. Did you have any concerns about being interviewed by AfterEllen.com?
-- of course not. why should i? i do not live my life by some puritan morality that mainstream culture dictates ... fuck them ... this is my life, i own it ... the opinions of a hypocritical herd of sheep have no meaning for me.
6. Did you have any concerns that people would focus more on your orientation then your music?
-- no.
7. Were you apart of any LGBT groups as you were growing up, or are you now?
-- yes, its called THE HUMAN RACE.
8. Do you now see women starting to get the respect they deserve in this genre of music and do you feel YOU were part of this happening?
-- i do see more & more women claiming their identities & breaking barriers ... i don't know if i had anything to do with inspiring that - there are many more women who have done much more than write a few records to inspire & subvert the dominant paradigm ... but i do hope i am part of the process.
9. When it is all said and done, after each show, do you feel you also received something back from the fans and how does that make you feel?
-- yes, its amazing to feel the vibrations from the audience ... it empowers me to improv and follow the muses ... into the fire ... into the abyss ... around the moon and back again ... its actually one of my favorite parts of performing ... to feel a connection with all those around me ... huddled in the dark ... seeking violent sanctuary.
10. I've never understood the meaning to these lyrics: "formulating flows in revolutionary science its the catastrophic prophet from the anarchist alliance"
-- thats too bad.
11. You've already said you aren't an anarchist, and you support this Democratic society we live in; can you explain what these lyrics mean to you?
-- its a viewpoint, a metaphor ..... shedding social custom in a mental mutiny ..... nothing is literal ... check your Bible ... its full of metaphors.
12. Have you, or any of your bandmates, ever been involved in any grassroots political movements?
-- grassroots political movements? such as? blogging? moveon.org? handing out flyers or buttons or putting a sign in our yard? what specifically are u asking?
13. Is it hard to find dedicated hired musicians to play for a politically-driven band and not feel as if their involvement in the band compromises any conflicting ideologies they may have?
-- we're not a politically driven band ... art drives us.
14. For a while, there was a PETA banner on your website - is anyone in the band involved in any kind of animal liberation movements, or in support of PETA?
-- obviously or we wouldn't have placed the banner there ...
15. This last election, you claimed to have voted Democratic - before that, you would say your vote goes to the Green Party. What fueled this change?
-- Nader.
16. Popularity and celebrity status is something hard to handle for many people. How do you feel you al have handled the level of popularity you have earned this far?
-- poorly but i am doing my best.
17. With all this illegal downloading, burning of cds etc that goes on today. This is quite of a hot topic. If I remember correctly, even HoS got leaked some time before it was to be released. Many excuse themselves with that cds are expensive and that they want to listen to the cd before they buy it, so they download tons of cds and buy one fifth of all they've downloaded. How would you, as an artist / couple of artists feel things should be handled? what is good about how things are now, and what is bad about things as they are now. If you had a dime to tell the major labels, how to deal with the issue that is upon us today, what would your words be?
-- i think they should go back to selling cassette tapes & vinyl albums .... end it all right there.
18. You all have had personal stolen from you at shows, by supposed fans. How does that make you feel when you find out these items show up on EBAY or at webshops etc? or other things taken from your live shows like guitar pics, playlists etc ...
-- it sucks. but its part of the game.
19. Can you tell us more about the H8 project and what it means to you?
-- what H8 project? are u referring to our new t-shirts TEAM H8? ... i wanted to offer the counter culture its own team to cheer for ...
20. why did you feel it nescessary to add the U ARE NOT ALONE section to the site? was it difficult to convince "them" that there was a need for that section?
-- the label was very supportive as they always have been ... we are lucky to work with such dedicated people ... the U Are Not Alone section is my favorite part of the website ... i read the forum section often ... i think the intention for the section is obvious ....
21. How does your creative process change when you write with eViL j or another artist from when you write by yourself? For example: Do you riff off of each other? Do you write some lyrics based on a vibe from some music he's brought to the table?
-- yes.
22.What were the criteria for a particular show to get the "March of the Martyrs" encore?
-- time, exhaustion, the energy & vibrations from the audience.
23. What level of audience participation do you feel makes for the best crowds?
-- when they completely lose control.
24. Did you recieve any flak for the title of the JIHAD EP? Especially after the war in Iraq?
-- yes, we were banned in some parts of the country ... Europe refused to release the EP with that name so we had to "self-title" their version ... but this is not new to us ... we've been harassed by the religious right for my comments against Organized Religion, we been protested by Conservatives for the song WARHEAD, we were added to a "blacklist" of bands that are considered SATANIC & DANGEROUS & LIKELY TO CORRUPT THE YOUTH OF AMERICA by a religious political group, and we've had the police stop our shows several times for the erotic things i've done & said on stage, for the fans scaring the local authorities with the power of the passion, & for standing up for freedom of speech.