In the mid-1980s, Anthrax, the renowned thrash metal band, faced an unexpected hurdle with MTV over their 1985 single “Madhouse.” The music video, set in an abandoned psychiatric hospital and featuring individuals in straitjackets engaging in energetic moshing, was deemed too controversial by the network. MTV expressed concerns that the video mocked individuals with mental disabilities and consequently refused to air it.
Scott Ian, Anthrax’s guitarist and founding member, recalled the incident: “We submitted it to MTV, which was a bit of a long shot for a band named Anthrax playing the music we did. MTV came back to us and very politely said, ‘We will never air this. You are banned from MTV because we think you’re making fun of mentally ill people.’ We were like, ‘What?!'”
Rather than feeling disheartened, the band embraced the ban as a form of rebellious validation. Ian noted, “We were like, ‘F*** MTV anyway! Who needs that s***?!’ This was before [the popular rock and metal show] Headbangers Ball became a thing in the ’80s.” The band’s label even issued a press release announcing the ban, which, according to Ian, “gets people excited.”
This incident highlights how Anthrax turned a potential setback into a badge of honor, reinforcing their image as unapologetic pioneers in the metal scene.
