A California judge has dismissed a lawsuit by Spencer Elden, the baby from 'Nevermind' cover, alleging that Nirvana’s naked-baby artwork for the epic album constitutes child sexual exploitation, BBC News reports. Elden, who is now 30, claimed he suffered “lifelong damages,” including loss of wages, as a result of the album cover, and described the enterprise as a “sex trafficking venture”. The lawyers also noted that, until recently, Elden had seemed to enjoy the notoriety of being the "Nirvana baby": "He has re-enacted the photograph in exchange for a fee, many times; he has had the album title... tattooed across his chest; he has appeared on a talk show wearing a self-parodying, nude-colored onesie; he has autographed copies of the album cover for sale on eBay; and he has used the connection to try to pick up women".

The Nirvana lawyer has responded to a lawsuit by Spencer Elden, the baby from the 'Nevermind' cover, Billboard reports. Elden filed the lawsuit on August 24, accusing Nirvana of violating federal pornography laws and also accusing them of exploitation. The lawyer argues that plaintiff Elden’s claims are “barred by the applicable statute of limitations”, adding in the paper that “Elden’s claim that the photograph on the Nevermind album cover is ‘child pornography’ is, on its face, not serious”. The lawyer also claims that the lawsuit was filed too late.

Great Bill Maher on words-redefining: "The words 'victim' and 'survivor' have traveled a long way from their original usage. The baby from the Nirvana album says he's a victim. He's suing Nirvana for lifelong damages. I never thought I'd have to say this to a baby, but stop being such a fucking baby. You're not a victim. There's no reason you can't have a normal, happy life just because people look at you and think, 'baby penis'".

Spencer Elden, the baby from Nirvana's 'Nevermind' front cover, now a 30-year-old, just like the album, filed a lawsuit alleging that the cover constitutes child pornography. Legally speaking, however, experts who talked to Rolling Stone, say Elden does not have much of a case on his hands. At the core of this knotted web is one thing: Elden’s legal guardian agreed to let a buzzing punk band take photos of him as a baby for 200 bucks. The band’s team asked, and the guardian said yes. “The case is likely going to be dismissed” - says criminal defense attorney Matthew Matejcek of Beles & Beles, pointing to the Department of Justice’s definition of child pornography. “It has to appeal to the viewer’s prurient interest. What’s going to be at issue here is whether this album cover incites the lustful interest, sexual stimulation, or gratification of the viewer. And I think it’s pretty clear that’s not the purpose”. Anne Higonnet in Slate puts some sense into the unpleasant story: "We desperately want to alter the past according to what we sincerely believe right now. I am among those who believe we have a more just vision of society today than we had in 1991. But that doesn’t make me think we can retroactively redo the past. Elden’s feelings about his infant fame in 2021 can’t change what Kurt Cobain meant back in 1991. Let’s change the future instead".

Spencer Elden, who was the baby featured on the cover of Nirvana’s 'Nevermind' reaching for a dollar in a swimming pool, now a 30-year-old, is suing Nirvana, its individual surviving members, Kurt Cobain’s estate, photographer Kirk Weddle, and the labels involved in releasing the album, alleging that the 'Nevermind' cover is child pornography. According to Elden’s lawsuit, neither his legal guardians nor he (obviously, as he was four months old at the time) consented to his naked genitalia appearing on the 'Nevermind' cover. He alleges that the band promised to cover his genitals with a sticker, which was never incorporated into the album art, and that Cobain, Krist Novoselic, and Dave Grohl failed to protect him from being sexually exploited. He is hoping to receive $150,000 from each party named in the lawsuit, TMZ reports.

Black Sabbath

A thought-provoking article in Loudwire about the age rock musicians were at when they wrote their classic albums/songs. All Black Sabbath members were at the age of 20/21 when they wrote their debut, Kurt Cobain was 23 in 1990 when he wrote Nirvana's 'Smells Like Teen Spirit', as old as equally left-handed Jimi Hendrix was when he wrote 'Are You Experienced'. Metallica were 21, 22, and 23 when they wrote their masterpiece 'Master of Puppets', while Silverchair members, at the time of their multiplatinum debut 'Frogstomp', were just children - 14 years old!

Come as you jam
February 13, 2021

Nirvana still have jam sessions

An amazing and heartwarming segment from the Howard Stern Show with the Foo Fighters this week when former Nirvana members Dave Grohl and Pat Smear reminisced about Nirvana. Stern asked Smear whether he still listens to old Nirvana stuff to which he responded he doesn't need to because - "every once in a while, me and Krist and Dave get together and we do play as if we're Nirvana, so I don't have to miss it - we do it". Grohl added they even recorded some stuff. Foo Fighters frontman also talked about how his 11-year-old daughter had asked him about Nirvana for the first time, and how they listened to it together also for the first time. She wanted to know whether Kurt Cobain was shy.

Spin is celebrating their 35th anniversary with a list of 35 most influential artists since 1985, with Nirvana taking the top spot because - "these days, you’d be hard-pressed to find a rock band or any modern artist — that’s not inspired in some way by that rowdy trio from Seattle". Lower down the list, among the Top 10, there are Prince, Madonna, N.W.A., Nine Inch Nails, 2Pac, Run DMC, R.E.M., Public Enemy, and Rage Against The Machine.

Something in the bat
August 24, 2020

Impressive new 'Batman' trailer set to Nirvana music

Warner Bros. released the first trailer for Matt Reeves’ 'The Batman' set to Nirvana's 'Something in the Way'. Strings added to the Nirvana original, and the grandiose undertone in general make for an impressive trailer. Forthcoming re-imagining of the Batman stars Robert Pattinson as The Dark Knight, set in grey and realistic Gotham City. Zoe Kravitz is seen in the trailer as Catwoman.

Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic, and Pat Smear reunited for a brief set at the Heaven is Rock & Roll Gala at the Palladium in Los Angeles on Saturday night, Consequence of Sound reports. Beck, St. Vincent, and Grohl’s 13-year-old daughter Violet took a turn singing lead vocals. St. Vincent took the lead on 'Lithium', 'In […]

Nirvana's most famous song reached 1 billion views on YouTube, making 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' the second-most-viewed ’90s music video on YouTube, only trailing Guns N’ Roses’ 'November Rain' (1.3 billion views). GN’R also have the most-viewed video of the ’80s - 'Sweet Child O’ Mine' recently topped 1 billion views.

YouTube Music and Universal Music Group have started a project of remastering a series of iconic music videos. The first group of videos to be remastered include works by Lady Gaga, Janet Jackson, Tom Petty, Nirvana ('Smells Like Teen Spirit' included), Beastie Boys (watch Sabotage' below), with new titles appearing each week, and over the […]

French fashion label Vetements is selling an “Oversized Printed Cotton-Jersey T-Shirt” that rips off the “Corporate magazines still suck” shirt that Kurt Cobain famously wore on the cover of Rolling Stone in 1992. They sell it for $550! The shirt reads “CORPORATE MAGAZINES STILL SUCK A LOT!” The “A LOT!” is a new addition to […]

The surviving members of Nirvana - Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic and Pat Smear - reunited last weekend (Oct. 6) at Cal Jam 18 in San Bernardino, Calif. They were joined by special guests Joan Jett and Deer Tick's John McCauley, with McCauley leading the band through "Serve the Servants," "Scentless Apprentice" and "In Bloom," before […]

Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl played drums for an energetic horn-filled rendition of Nirvana's 'In Bloom', during a surprise appearance with Trombone Shorty and The Preservation Hall Jazz Band at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles last weekend. This is only the second time Grohl has played 'In Bloom' live since Nirvana’s split - the first […]

“For years I couldn’t even listen to any music, let alone a Nirvana song. When Kurt died, every time the radio came on, it broke my heart” Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl sad GQ in an interview. He adds, “I don’t put Nirvana records on, no. Although they are always on somewhere. I get in the car, […]