Daron Malakian, guitarist of System of a Down, is facing criticism for defending the use of a racial slur in a recent social media exchange. The exchange was reported on Instagram.<\/p>\n
The controversy began when Malakian posted content with the caption \u201cLet\u2019s Go Redskins,\u201d referring to the former name of the Washington NFL team.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo disappointing you stand by the name knowing the history \/ meaning behind that slur,\u201d a fan commented on the post.<\/p>\n
Malakian responded directly to the criticism with a dismissive tone.<\/p>\n
\u201cI like disappointing people like you,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
When another fan suggested he was \u201cjust trying to be a troll all the time now,\u201d Malakian defended his position.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been a Redskins fan since I was 6yrs old,\u201d he said. \u201cI refuse to use the new name.\u201d<\/p>\n
The exchange has sparked debate among fans about the musician\u2019s stance on the controversial team name. The name was officially changed in 2020 due to its offensive nature toward Native Americans.<\/p>\n
Malakian\u2019s defense of the term comes years after the Washington NFL team retired the name following decades of protests and public debate. The Washington NFL team officially retired the \u201cRedskins\u201d name in 2020 after heightened social justice movements and corporate pressure amid widespread calls to drop names perceived as racist and derogatory toward Native Americans. The team temporarily used the name \u201cWashington Football Team\u201d before announcing a new permanent name, \u201cWashington Commanders,\u201d in 2022.<\/p>\n
The term \u201cRedskins\u201d has been condemned as a racial slur against Native Americans for many years. Historically, it was used pejoratively by European settlers. It was later popularized in media and sports in ways that perpetuated dehumanizing stereotypes of Indigenous peoples. Native American groups and advocacy organizations have repeatedly called for the removal of the term from sports teams and mascots, citing its deeply rooted offensive connotations and the perpetuation of harmful cultural caricatures.<\/p>\n
The name change was part of a broader reassessment in professional sports regarding team names and mascots linked to Indigenous stereotypes. This movement has seen similar changes across various sports leagues as organizations have responded to concerns from Native American communities and civil rights advocates.<\/p>\n
Malakian is known for addressing controversial themes through his music. He recently released an album with Scars on Broadway titled \u201cAddicted to the Violence\u201d in July 2025. AXS reported that he addresses themes of youth violence and societal detachment with blunt honesty in the album. However, his recent social media stance on the \u201cRedskins\u201d name has drawn criticism from fans who view it as inconsistent with broader social justice values.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Daron Malakian, guitarist of System of a Down, is facing criticism for defending the use of a racial slur in a recent social media exchange. … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3281,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3280","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog"],"yoast_head":"\n