Popular 80s Band Removed From Instagram Over Controversial Name

Facebook and Instagram have been cracking down on accounts with offensive and triggering terms lately. Although this move is meant to protect users, there have been unforeseen consequences.

The 80s band "Suicidal Tendencies" found this out firsthand when they realized that their Instagram page had been completely removed from the social media network due to their name.

If you've ever played "Guitar Hero 2," you might be familiar with their hit song, "Institutionalized," which proved to be one of the hardest songs in the game.

In 1980, the American hardcore punk band was founded in Venice, California by vocalist Mike Muir, the only remaining original member of the band.

The band has had a huge impact on the music industry and produced thirteen studio albums, two EPs, four compilation albums, and four split albums during their decades-long career.

Their self-titled debut album was released in 1983 and their main hit, "Institutionalized" received significant airtime after it debuted on MTV.

After signing with Epic Records in 1988, the band continued to produce several more albums until their split in 1995.

However, the band reunited in 1996 and has been churning out hits ever since. After their 2018 album, "Still Cyco Punk After All These Years," the band has been working on new music.

In a 2020 interview, rhythm guitarist Ben Weinman hinted that the COVID-19 pandemic had put plans for a future album on hold, stating, "Maybe when all this comes back, when things go back to normal, we can think about that."

Later that year, Muir hinted that the band was working on an old-school vinyl release, saying that it featured songs from "ST members and people related to ST."

This could involve any number of musicians, as almost 30 singers, guitarists, and drummers have played with ST at one point or another since 1980.

In 2021, the band's page suddenly disappeared from Instagram and stayed removed for three weeks, most likely due to the band's name being deemed problematic.

Many fans expressed outrage with the ban, citing the band's history of positive lyrics, encouraging people not to give up on themselves despite their potentially triggering name.

When access to their Instagram account was finally restored, ST issued a formal statement addressing the controversy, saying, “So as a lot of you already noticed, our Instagram account was down for the last 3 weeks. Long story, this had nothing to do with ‘us,’ but everything to do with our name.”

They added, “This isn't the first time we’ve been flagged but hopefully it will be the last. We'll go into that more later, but right now we want to focus on the positive and give our beST to you all and say thanks for always STanding with us!”

They capped off the message by writing, “That’s it for now familia. STay Cyco & See you in the pit! SUICIDAL.”