Scorpions "Virgin Killer" Album Cover Art Part of History of Controversial Album Covers

Wikinews has reported that Wikipedia has been censored in the United Kingdom due to allegations presented by the Internet Watch Foundation, which instituted procedures about a "potentially illegal indecent image" (the cover art of the German heavy metal rock band Scorpions' 1976 album "Virgin Killer"). The actions of the IWF have caused at least six Internet Service Providers in the United Kingdom to have operation problems and may have affected up to 1200 websites.

The "potentially illegal indecent image," a nude prepubescent girl on the cover of "Virgin Killer," is considered by many an example of child pornography and caused controversy when it was first released. Not only is the girl nude but many believe she is posed provocatively. A cracked glass image appears over the young girl's genitals (and is part of the original album cover art). The album was released with a picture of the band on the cover in most countries.

But "Virgin Killer" was not the only Scorpions album of a sexual nature to cause controversy. The German rockers seemed to have a knack for it. Preceding "Virgin Killer" had been the questionable black-and-white cover art on 1975's "In Trance," where a woman seems to be in the throes of passion with a guitar emanating from her lower regions.

The "Virgin Killer" tempest was resurrected one studio and one live album later when the band released "Lovedrive" in 1979. The originial cover art on "Lovedrive" depicted two well-dressed individuals in the back seat of what appears to be a luxury car. The man in the picture had just taken his hand aware from the bare breast of his female companion, as is attested to by the thinning string of pink bubble gum that connects his hand with her exposed breast. The album cover of "Lovedrive" was changed to that of a forward facing crystal scorpion prostrate atop the band's name.

Then came1980's "Animal Magnetism," which brought out feminists in waves to decry the cover art. This album cover shows a woman on her knees beside a dog, both with uplifted eyes toward the man in the picture, whose back is to the observer. The album's obvious depiction of female subservience to a dominant male figure, plus the added imagery of the "man's best friend," offered up symbolism that caused an uproar everywhere the album was released. However, the album cover art on "Animal Magnetism," although objectionable and carrying sexual overtones, has not ever been altered.

"Love At First Sting," which was released in 1984 and would become the Scorpions biggest selling album (triple platinum - 3 million units sold), would be the band's last controversial album cover. The original cover art, another black-and-white picture, showed a man and a woman intertwined, provocatively posed, her legs drawn up and her head thrown back. Many retailers in the United States and other countries refused to carry the album until an alternate "cleaner" cover was offered.

But the "Virgin Killer" album cover will more likely as not continue to be controversial simply due to the relative youth, the posing, and the nudity of the model in the photo. Social mores and values change with time, but those that define child pornography are not as likely to alter significantly with time. Whether it is art with a nude child or child pornography is a personal and legal distinction and varies in different societies and cultures, not to mention with regard to each individual.

As is true in the case of "Virgin Killer." Is it art or is it child pornography? The Internet Watch Foundation flagged it for its potential for being illegal. Wikipedia, which has had an ongoing debate over the usage and showing of the "Virgin Killer" album cover image on their free access site, is on the IWF's list of websites containing inappropriate images of naked children (child pornography).

The image is considered art in the United States due to its usage as part of the Scorpions album design, which is considered an artistic endeavor and protected under the Constitution.

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Sources:

Wikinews.org

Wikipedia.org

Billboard.com