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Seattle-based all female rock band Thunderpussy shared a fiery cover of Jefferson Airplane’s “Somebody to Love” today, ahead of a Supreme Court case on April 15 that will determine the fate of trademarking their name. The band shared this about the track: “At a time when it feels like empathy and compassion are lost and the polarization of thoughts and ideas is paramount, maybe it’s time to stop looking for someone to blame and instead find someone to love.“The song follows the release of Thunderpussy’s self-titled debut album last year via Stardog Records/Republic Records, which Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready lent guitar and production on, calling them his “favorite new band.”
In May 2015, Thunderpussy applied for a US trademark to protect their name and brand in preparation for world domination. A short time later, they received a letter from the US Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) denying the band their trademark on the grounds that their name was “immoral” and “scandalous” per the guidelines laid down in the Truman-era Lanham Act of 1946, even citing Urban Dictionary as a credible source as to why the word pussy is regarded as a derogatory term.
The band’s fate now depends on the outcome of a new case, Iancu v. Brunetti, which will be argued at the Supreme Court on April 15, 2019, where Eric Brunetti will be defending his clothing brand, FUCT, a case he’s been fighting for nearly 20 years.Two years ago, Asian-American band The Slants won their case based on the argument that they were reappropriating an ethnic slur and turning it into a badge of pride. Similarly, as women, Thunderpussy’s intention has always been to shed a positive light on a word that has been used in a derogatory manner and seen as a joke or weak. Because it is exactly the opposite – the word pussy is powerful.
