The “Monteroad” To Hell
Did anyone have Satanic Panic on their 2021 bingo cards? If you’ve been following pop culture, you have probably heard about Lil Nas X’s newest music video, “Montero” (Call Me By Your Name). The video has sparked what many are calling a resurgence of the Satanic Panic. In “Montero,” Lil Nas X travels from the Garden of Eden to Hell and dethrones Satan. People from all sides seem to be outraged at the “Old Town Road” rapper’s critique of the church. Many are worried this will somehow cause children to worship the Devil. I, however, believe these critics are missing the point.
For centuries, queer people have been threatened with the idea of Hell. Even the Vatican recently stated that gay marriage is a sin. So why is it that when a queer person actually showcases that ideal, people are upset?
A multitude of the backlash has been about how the video will impact children. This seems odd to me as plenty of popular content marketed to younger audiences doesn’t get the same hatred. TV shows like Chilling Adventures of Sabrina or Lucifer that feature predominantly straight white storylines haven’t gotten nearly the same attention. Additionally, songs like Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” or Maroon 5’s “Animals” that romanticize sexual harassment were topping the charts in the 2010’s. Is the outrage really over the video being a sexually explicit depitction of Hell, or is it that a gay Black man is saying that he loves himself no matter what the church teaches?
According to the Trevor Project, “LGB youth seriously contemplate suicide at almost three times the rate of heterosexual youth.” A study by the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that religious queer people often had higher rates of suicidal thoughts and attempts. This isn’t to say that religion can’t be beneficial to people in the LGBTQ+ community, but treating homosexuality as a sin can be incredibly harmful.
If anything, “Montero” is good for children. Queer youth, especially queer youth of color, rarely get to see themselves represented in the media. Watching Lil Nas X take the power away from the Devil could take away the fear of eternal damnation. Lil Nas X dethroning the Devil sends a clear message: you don’t have to be ashamed of being queer and don’t let anyone tell you you should be. Lil Nas X himself tweeted,
“i spent my entire teenage years hating myself because of the sh*t y’all preached would happen to me because i was gay. so i hope u are mad, stay mad, feel the same anger you teach us to have towards ourselves.”
When Lil Nas X enters Hell, he passes by a phrase in Latin that translates to “They condemn what they do not understand.” I believe that is exactly what happened with this music video. Lil Nas X isn’t worshipping the Devil at all, in fact he kills him! The video is about loving yourself as an outcast, a cause that we should all support. And as SNL says," 'You know that wasn't the real Satan, right?' It was a dude in a Halloween devil costume because the real Satan doesn't do, like, music videos. So maybe chill?"
