My Chemical Romance’s The Black Parade was released 20 years ago today and it’s still causing a stir. On Wednesday, when the band performed the album at the Hollywood Bowl, dancers wearing Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders-style uniforms came out during “Teenagers” to perform a cheer routine. During the next song, “Disenchanted," armed soldiers from the fictional Draag regime of the band’s anniversary tour storyline appeared, pointing guns at the band.
The cheerleaders opened fire on the authoritarian forces, and characters on both sides were gunned down amid the sounds of gunshots. While that was happening, Gerard Way snuck behind the drums and knifed “Veronika,” a government clerk, to death. (Earlier in the show, he’d shot the Grand Immortal Dictator in the head during his birthday celebration.) On Friday, Pro Silver Star Ltd., the owner of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders brand, filed for a temporary restraining order and temporary injunction against MCR. The petition included screenshots of social media posts that mistook the dancers for actual Cowboys Cheerleaders.
The company argues that pairing its recognizable uniforms with the violent scene could tarnish the cheerleaders’ image and lead audiences to believe the real DCC had participated in or endorsed the performance. The filing also said the company sent a cease-and-desist letter on Thursday, but MCR refused to comply. The second Bowl show was last night and they did the gunfire skit again.
The whole situation has confused at least one real Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader, Kylie Dickson. In a TikTok posted Thursday and since made private, the influencer expressed confusion over the “extremely bizarre performance” and clarified, “it’s not us.” She said she wasn’t familiar with My Chem, but theorized that “it’s some sort of political stance” while questioning the legality of the satirical stunt.
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