Bored Ape Yacht Club Nazi Inspired?

Is it a Symbolism?

Does Yuga Labs‘ flagship Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) collection uses racist imagery and white supremacist esotericism? An interesting video is posted by investigative YouTuber Philip Rusnack, known as Philion.

He claimed that racial stereotypes of Black and Asian people could be seen in the NFT photos. Also comparing the language and symbolism used by Yuga Labs and the BAYC to those of the Nazis.

An illustration contrasts the BAYC badge with the Nazi Totenkopf symbol used by the SS Panzer Division during World War II.

*BAYC logo (left) alongside the Totenkopf (middle) symbol with an overlay (right) to present the similarities. Source:* *gordongoner.com*

Burning Apes?

Rusnack ends the video with a call , urging his audience to put pressure on BAYC NFT owners to “burn” their token:

“I want every celebrity actor, athlete, and influencer to burn their f*cking ape. I want to make such a f*cking shit storm that everyone from Steph Curry to Post Malone to Jimmy Fallon is forced to act.”
Philion

Ryder Ripps, an artist, presented a compilation of what he believes to be evidence of Nazi imagery and antisemitism in early 2022. Since then, the claims of racial symbolism have been a popular issue on social media.

There is a “point at which these connections are no longer coincidences,” according to Rusnack in the video, adding:

“If I bring up one instance that highlights deliberate Nazi, fascist, or alt-right messaging, you may think to yourself, ‘I see it, but that’s a reach.’ So I ask you: What is your number? At what point do all of these examples become crystal clear in front of your eyes?”
Philion

Yuga lab`s Respond

Yuga Labs replied to part of the charges by tweeting in January.

A little a bit about us to start off the new year and what’s coming. 🧵

1. What’s the inspiration behind the name Yuga Labs?

We’re nerds, and Yuga is the name of a villain in Zelda whose ability is that he can turn himself and others into 2D art. Made sense for an NFT company.
— Yuga Labs (@yugalabs) January 3, 2022

The BAYC logo’s intention, according to Yuga Labs, was to make the “club” appear “ramshackle and divey,” which is why they chose a skull:

“We went with an ape skull to help convey just how bored these apes are – they‘re ‘bored to death.’”

Conclusion

Pitcavage and Carla Hill, another ADL researcher, asserted that the evidence compiled by Ripps does not, in general, point to a particular group of radicals. Ripps has been accused of using his study as a marketing gimmick to promote the sale of RR/BAYC, a collection of over 6,000 NFTs he created as a BAYC derivative.

According to Ripps, the collection is a satire and a protest meant to raise awareness of the BAYC’s allegedly radical affiliations. These accusations, however, do not offer a refutation of the assertions made by Ripps in his study.