I wrote this paper in high school for a psychology course. Although my writing has significantly improved since then, I believe the ideas presented here are still worth sharing.
In August of 1956, the biblical Christ himself visited Merle Allin Sr. with the message that his son would be the next messiah. That child, named Jesus Christ Allin, grew up to be one of the most notorious figures in the entire history of punk rock music and culture. Known for his on stage defecation, acts of incest and bestial-necrophilia, extreme self harm, drug use, and radical acts of violence and sexual assault, Jesus Christ, or GG for short, rebelled against mainstream societal norms and conventions by acting on the principle of doing what he wanted, when he wanted, and how he wanted. For these reasons, GG Allin is an intensely fascinating subject for psychological review, especially from the perspective of Freudian psychodynamic thought. Concepts of id, ego, childhood fixation, and thanatos/libido all fit neatly into GG Allin’s story. By looking at GG Allin, perhaps one can gain insight into those who seemingly exist outside of humanity, and thus gain insight into human development, personality, and thought itself. For these reasons, and for the mere purpose of acknowledging, cataloging, and analyzing an exceptionally interesting character in the history of humanity.
Early History of GG
GG Allin was born in New Hampshire to a religious fundamentalist father, with a developmentally disabled brother named Merle Jr. He describes the experience of his childhood in an essay titled The First Ten Years. From an objective perspective, Allin’s childhood was undoubtedly disturbed. He lived with his family in a log cabin in the woods of New Hampshire without electricity or running water. Allin was asthmatic, and struggled to breath and cope without adequate access to medical care. His father frequently abused both him and his mother, often threatening to kill them all in a murder-suicide. It is noted that Merle Allin Sr. had graves dug for each family member in the dirt basement of the cabin. Furthermore, Merle Sr. despised objects of pleasure, including toys or luxury goods, and burned such objects when he discovered them. For a young GG, this was traumatizing, and caused him to be disturbed for the rest of his life; he described it as “a five years that would be scratched into my soul for eternity.” After numerous attempts, Allin’s mother eventually escaped the cabin with GG and his older brother, Merle Jr.
However, GG’s childhood only worsened from this point. Although his mother changed his name to “Kevin” to prevent bullying, Allin was nonetheless ostracized by his peers. He was an extremely poor student — he was put into special education classes. As he got older, he and his brother would cross-dress, steal, break into cars and homes, and sell drugs. GG’s childhood had strong, and bizarre, sexual overtones. From a young age, GG had a fascination with human bodily fluids, including menstrual blood, urine, and faeces. Additionally, he notably had intercourse with numerous living and dead animals, before losing his virginity to his older brother, Merle.
GG’s childhood had a significant impact on his life. The incest, defecation, masturbation, violence, drug use, and religious imagery from his childhood all later manifested in his performance, and characterized the legacy that GG has left to this day.
GG Allin in Later Life
GG Allin gained recognition for his performances and ideologies. After playing in numerous bands throughout high school, he defecated at the first show in 1985, something that later became an integral part of his act. Nudity, violence, sex (and incest) were also included in his act. Part of this stems from Allin’s belief that he was the new messiah; he devoted himself to reforming punk rock at a time when the subculture was becoming increasingly corporate, something that GG saw as contradictory and wrong. He described his purpose as “making punk violent again.” From his performances, he quickly gained notoriety. GG describes his ideology in on a variety of talkshow interviews, including the Jerry Springer show, the Geraldo Rivera show, and more. He explains his act by alluding to Catholic Communion, the “blood and body of Christ.” For GG, the blood is why he viciously self harms during performances. The “body” explains the defecation. However, the primary purpose of GG’s is obvious: Allin wanted to be outrageous, controversial, and vile for the purposes of both compensating for “corporate punk rock” music that strayed from punk values, as well as rebelling against norms and customs of mainstream society in the most atrocious ways possible.
GG Allins life continued with him playing shows between numerous jail terms before his untimely death in 1993 by cause of accidental heroin overdose. He died years before he fulfilled his plan of killing himself onstage in a final act.
On Id, Ego, and Superego
In Freudian thought, the “Id” describes natural, primitive human instincts the are present from birth. Id instincts are unconscious; they operate on the “pleasure principle,” a guiding force that determined people’s actions on the basis of doing things that make them feel good, while avoiding things that feel bad, without regard for consequences. By nature, Id instincts are selfish, illogical, irrational, and out of touch with objective reality. The Id is the most significant force of psychodynamic thought present in GG Allin. Impulsivity in his actions, without any consideration of consequences. This is easily seen in GG’s youth, with his constant theft. He did what he want, when he chose. Id Components of thanatos and libido will be discussed later in this study.
Ego, in psychological terms, is a force that seeks to satisfy Id demands in realistic ways. Unlike the Id, it operates in objective reality. It is logical and rational (ideally), considering future consequences. It too operates on the pleasure principle and includes tension reduction. However, the ego operates on a reality principle that confines actions to what is logical and reasonable. Thus, compromises are often made, and satisfaction may be postponed. The ego is shaped at a young age (3–5) and is determined by social conventions of etiquette and rules. GG’s ego is very limited, if present at all. He has almost no regard for what is deemed acceptable or polite by society; his pleasure principle is not restricted by its place in objective reality, nor is a reality principle present. Furthermore, his actions are not carried out in a logical or acceptable way. Overall, where his ego should be compromising to acceptably reach the desires put forth by his Id instincts, it is not doing so. Thus, GG reverts to primitive, basic instincts that are not compromised or mediated in any way.
Finally, the superego is a term Freud used to describe the concept of “above I,” an amalgamation of societal conventions and morals that are instilled into a young mind (around the ages of 3–5) to create a conscience. This conscience can make one feel guilt or pride, and is primarily used to, like the ego, regulate id impulses, primarily violent and sexual ones. Another component of superego is the “ideal self” — a vision one has as what they should be, as a moralistic being who behaves as a functioning member of society. In relation to GG, his superego is, again, very limited. Guilt or remorse that should be placed on one for acting on negative id impulses, as is normally seen in the conscience, is limited. Conversely, Allin seems to take pride in acting on id impulse. GG’s relation to his ideal self is similar in that he entirely rejects it. He rejects the idea of a moral, functioning member of society and takes measures to negate any aspect of that. His ideal self is in fact the opposite — GG envisions his perfect being to be without morals, to be evil in every possible sense or way.
On Thanatos
A component of the primitive id instincts, thanatos, a word that comes from the personification of death in Greek mythology, is aptly used by Freud to describe the “death instinct.” Thanatos is used in Freudian psychoanalytic psychology to characterize violent, destructive tendencies found within an individual’s natural instinct. This instinct compels people to engage in violent, aggressive, risky, or life-threatening behavior. Thrill seeking is included in this, along with physical aggression, self harm, etc.
Obviously, thanatos is a component of Freudian psychology that is very strongly manifested in both GG’s performance and in his life. One such example of this would be, of course, the acts of violence he notoriously committed on stage during live performance with his band, “GG and the Scum Fucks.” GG described his shows in the 1993 documentary Hated: GG Allin and the Murder Junkies, saying “Everybody’s an enemy. Fuck. I hate everybody. I’m not part of any scene. I do my own thing. My mind is a machine gun, my body is the bullets, the audience is the target.” This is evident in numerous videos of his performances, in which he would viciously attack audience members without provocation. Allin was jailed numerous times for this behavior.
The death instinct component of thanatos is also manifested in GG’s performance in terms of bringing about an experiences that actually brings one close to death. For Allin, this would best categorize the acts of self harm he commits onstage. Many pictures of GG Allin at his performances depict him bloodied after beating his forehead with a microphone; he justifies this, however, not as something that could be construed as an aspect of the death urge, but rather as his act of communion, the blood and body (faeces) of Christ. However, as thanatos is a component of id, which itself is an unconscious urge, one could reasonably argue that self harm is something that GG feels obligated to do, as it fulfills his urge to experience death and mortality, unbridled by his extremely limited ego.
On Libido
Initially, one may not associate libido with GG Allin. According to Freud, libido is part of the eros, the life-force (as opposed to thanatos). Freud describes libido as “the energy, regarded as a quantitative magnitude… of those instincts which have to do with all that may be comprised under the word ‘love’.” Thus, it is difficult for one to associate GG with libido, as GG is by no mean perceived to be a compassionate, loving man.
Although this is true, libido took on a different meaning later on, referring to things of a more sexual nature. Libido includes fixation, which is mentioned in more detail in a later section. In terms of intense sexual urge, GG was undeniably subject to libido. From early on in his youth, Allin engaged in sexual acts with living and dead animals, his older brother, and “the smelliest of hookers,” according to GG. Allin also mentions how incredibly aroused he was during his childhood. In his essay The First 10 Years, he mentions his inability to concentrate in school due to an abnormally extensive quantity of erections and sexal arousal. This is something that followed GG through his life — a look into GG’s prison diary reveals that he would masturbate several times a day, to the point of chafing occurring on his sexual organs. Additionally, it is worth noting that Allin was, in multiple cases, accused of sexual harassment and rape during his performances. It is worth noting that under no circumstance is rape done motivated by love — it is an aggressive assertion of power and dominance, and can equally be categorized as a destructive, thanatos urge.
GG may not be notable as a loving man, and the eros aspect of his id may not be especially present, due to his violent tendencies, lack of compassion, and his will to die. However, in a sexual context, GG Allin was subject to frequent and intense sexual urges that often dictated his behavior and actions.
Fixation
Freud believed that during development, a child undergoes a series of psychosexual phases as a component of the libido, that they must overcome in order to achieve normal, functioning behavior. Frustration or overidulgence in any of the stages result in what is known as fixation, an inability to move forward past a certain psychosexual stage. These stages include oral, anal, phallic, latency, and genital.
The oral stage, the first of the 5, is when an infant receives pleasure from oral stimulation, such as biting, sucking, or breastfeeding. Typically, fixation on the oral stage can result in thumb-sucking, nail biting, smoking, or finger chewing. Although it is difficult to know what GG did in his oral stage, evidence of an oral fixation is clearly present in later life. In describing his youth, GG talks about his tendency to suck on underwear (his mothers) for sexual satisfaction. This led to sucking and eating bodily fluids, such as urine, menstrual blood, vaginal discharge, and faeces from guests to his house. This oral fixation continually manifests itself in his performances, both in his onstage acts of oral sex on his older brother, Merle Jr, and in his consumption of his own fecal matter on stage.
Next is the fecal stage. Here, a child derives pleasure from expelling fecal matter from the anus at will. This is especially prominent in GG as one of his outstanding behavioral traits was his tendency to defecate onstage, often handling the fecal matter with his hands and spreading it on his body, consuming it, or throwing it at the audience. Freud held a belief that fixation on this stage may be an authoritarian issue — a child encounters conflict when an authoritarian figure confines them from expelling faeces whenever, forcing them to use a toilet. This is interestingly manifested in GG — his propensity for defecating onstage could easily be construed as an unconscious method at rebelling against authority, or against the confines of society, in one of the most early, primal ways.
Thirdly, the genital stage is one in which the focus shifts to pleasure on the sex organs. This includes masturbation and occurs at a young age, around three to five years. This may not include genuine masturbation, but the stimulus of sex organs is common in those in the genital stage. The genital stage is accompanied by the controversial “Oedipus complex,” Freud’s belief that a young boy had an urge to kill his father and marry his mother (or imitate his father). Although GG was never one to shy away from incest, the Oedipus complex never fully manifested in Allin in any apparent way. The only possible information that can be considered with the lens of the theory is that GG had a horrible relationship with his father, and eventually ended up turning out like him, primarily in his violent tendencies and his bizarre religious beliefs. Could this be emulation of his father? One cannot know. GG never had a great relationship with his mother, yet the sources of information for this stage of Allin’s life are extremely limited.
The latency stage is one in which libido falls dormant and the child focuses on other aspects of life, such as acquiring new skills. Sexual energy is repressed until puberty. For GG, this stage almost never happened. It is recorded by GG himself that from a young age, he frequently masturbated, had intercourse with animals, and sought sexual arousal from bodily fluids he managed to acquire from houseguests.
Finally, the phallic stage is one in which the child develops sexually and , if properly resolved, adopts a normal, heterosexual identity. GG definitely went through intense sexual experimentation during early puberty, but as is obvious by his bizarre and queer sexual tendencies, it was never properly resolved. Overall, when looked at through the context of Freud’s psychosexual stages, many of GG’s bizarre behaviors and personality traits may be traced back to unresolved conflicts in one or all of the stages.
Criticism of Freud, as Manifested Through GG Allin
Sigmund Freud, and his theories of psychoanalytic psychology as well, has been subject to numerous scrutinies. Some of which can be seen manifested in GG Allin.
For example, one of the most highly debated theories of Freud’s has been the Oedipus complex. As mentioned earlier, the complex did not really manifest itself in GG. Allin never had a close relationship to either of his parents — it is unlikely that he felt a need for his mother’s love, as Freud believed. However, it is again worth noting that without enough reliable, coherent information into GG Allin’s life at the age in which such a complex would occur, it is difficult to draw conclusions as to the degree to which the Oedipus complex could be seen in Allin.
Furthermore, one major criticism of Freud’s theory of psychodynamic psychology is the lack of attention to environment. To a majority, the influence of GG Allin’s childhood environment, growing up in such a remote cabin in such a dark, negative environment, would seem to be one of the biggest factors in his development into the notoriously horrid figure he is known as today. However Freud’s ideology would give little credence to this; interestingly enough, Allin himself stated on numerous occasions that he believed his childhood played little to no part in the person he developed into, citing instead a divine predestination, or a “holy path”.
Cult Following and Place in Popular Culture
Although one may expect such an objectively disgusting, horrible person to be largely reviled, GG Allin developed a large cult following and inspired a legacy of loyal devotees, remnants of which remain today. GG inspired a mindset that spoke to many people — his message was widely heard and supported, and many people even took on qualities of Allin’s behavior, such as violence and lack of morality. For defined reasons, GG Allin has gone down in punk rock history as a figure to be loved and hated, honored and reviled — and for many, a figure to be studied as a fascinating glimpse into human development.
Summary
All in all, Jesus Christ Allin was a loathsome man, a violent individual, a rapist, and a criminal, whose glorification speaks volumes to the nature of the culture which venerates him. Yet his message is one that appealed to many, and undoubtedly defines him as an individual of great significance. Freudian theory is an interesting perspective to take when studying GG — the two fit together in many ways, providing insights into psychoanalytic theory and GG Allin himself. By researching GG Allin, an outsider in modern society, one can looks at what happens when the human mind is left to develop under such extreme circumstances, from which we can learn more about the process by which the human mind itself matures. As vile as his existence may be, GG Allin’s life offers a valuable glance into the processes and mechanisms of the human mind in the most drastic of states.
Sources
Hated: GG Allin & the Murder Junkies. Dir. Todd Phillips. Perf. GG Allin, Merle Allin. 1993. DVD.
“The First 10 Years”, GG Allin. 1991.
McLeod, Saul. “Saul McLeod.” Simply Psychology. N.p., 01 Jan. 1970. Web. 22 May 2017.
“Critique of Psychoanalysis.” Socrates Berkeley. Berkeley, 1994. Web. 22 May 2017.
“The Scumfuc Archives.” GG Allin Archives. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 May 2017.
