Apollo Braun

Doron Braunshtein (Hebrew: דורון בראונשטיין; born May 2, 1976), known by his pseudonym Apollo Braun, is an Israeli poet, musician, author, playwright, LGBTQ+ activist and former owner of two boutique shops in the Lower East Side of New York City, both named Apollo Braun.[1] The provocative, politically charged slogans of his self-designed T-shirts brought his boutiques public attention on numerous occasions before the eventual closing of his second boutique in 2009. He released his debut album in 2001 and has since released many more.[2] His song "Party in My Pants" appeared in the film Religulous and the Helsinki Burlesque Festival.[3][4] In 2015, Apollo appeared on the Israeli TV show HaKokhav HaBa (English: The Next Star), where he sang two original songs.[5] Braunshtein's music consists primarily of spoken word, and often references or sexualizes celebrities, politicians, and religious figures.

Apollo Braun
Braunshtein in 2011
Background information
Birth nameDoron Braunshtein
Also known asApollo Braun
Born2 May 1976
Petah Tikva, Israel
Occupation(s)Poet, Author, Musician, Activist
Years active2001-Present
Braunshtein in New York City in the early 2000s

He began writing books in 1999 and has since published over a dozen books in English, as well as several in his native language Hebrew.[6] The content of his writing includes philosophical essays, plays, poems, and frequently concerns sexuality (Braun is himself openly bisexual). In recent years, Braun has turned his attention to travel photography, releasing a series of books documenting his travel and research about repercussions of the Holocaust in countries such as Bulgaria, Mexico, and China.

Since 2014 Braunshtein has produced several documentary films accounting the testimony of dozens of Holocaust survivors. They have since been distributed by Yad Vashem through their online movie catalog.[7]

In 2021 Braunshtein traveled to Abu Dhabi and visited many landmarks (at times photographed with his trademark handwritten signs) including the Sheikh Zayed Mosque while dressed in pride “rainbow” accessories; scarf, wrist bands and flags for an opportunity to recognize the members of the LGBTQ+ community still suffering stigma and oppression.[8] He was able to depart the country shortly thereafter without arrest.[9][10] In an interview with the Knesset Channel he said that he is a symbol for LGBTQ rights all over the world, and that he is planning to go to Turkey, Russia, and Chechnya to wave the pride flag.[11]

Braunshtein protesting inside Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi in 2021[12]

In 2022, Braunshtein's play "stars" (taken from his 2014's book "Bread vs. Water: a collection of plays") was adapted into a film by the same name, directed by Mars Roberge and starring Rah Digga, Eva Dorrepaal, Spookey Ruben, Michael Musto and Jim Sclavunos.[13][14]

Boutiques

In 2003, Braun opened two self-named boutiques in the Lower East Side of New York City. One at St. Marks Place closed in 2004, while the second on Orchard Street remained open until 2009.[15] The boutique garnered attention for its flamboyant provocativeness: NYMag described it as a "wonderland for the sexually (and stylishly) uninhibited."[1]

In 2008, Braun released a series of T-shirts with highly provocative slogans concerning presidential candidate Barack Obama, including "Obama = Hitler," "Obama is my Slave," "Jews Against Obama," and "Who Killed Obama?"

In July 2008, Metro New York, Politico, and Huffington Post ran a cover article about a 25-year old Manhattan graduate student who was allegedly assaulted by a group of four teenagers while wearing Braun's "Obama is My Slave" T-shirt.[16][17][18] When Braun refused to allow the student to return the $69 shirt, she threatened to bring Braun to court, but never did.

In 2009, Braun closed his last boutique. He denied having financial difficulties, instead telling Racked New York he was "fleeing endless death threats" and that he is "just terrified from big black penises and [is] sure that Obama has a huge black penis."[15]

Music

Braun's music, which he creates under his birth name Doron Braunshtein, is mostly spoken word poetry. However he also created instrumental and vocal tracks in his earlier music.[2] His poems often focus on American celebrities, satirizing the obsessiveness of American Pop culture. Some poems consists of overtly false news stories about celebrities, such as "Jenna Jameson Dead." Other poems sexualize celebrities in surrealist ways, such as "Questions - And Answers - About Amal Alamuddin's Vagina."[2]

Braunshtein's poetry also frequently toys with the subject of Judaism, his own religion, as well as Nazism and Adolf Hitler. In doing so Braunshtein creates strangely autobiographical poems. One such poem states "If I Wasn't a Jew, I Would be a Nazi. Or not!"[2]

Another common theme in Braunshtein's music is the phrase "after all," which often acts in lieu of a rational justification for a surreal statement. An example of such a usage comes his poem "Michelle Obama's Last Words," which states "After all, Jesus was black too!"[2]

Braunshtein's most famous poem is "Obama is My Nigger," which has amassed 15,000 plays on Spotify as of March 2017. In the poem, he states "In 2012, the meaning of the word 'freedom' is in the word 'nigger.'"[2] In 2019, Braun's poetry was removed from Spotify due to its provocative content, but has since been restored.

In 2020 Braunshtein's music returned to Spotify and continues to be available.

Discography
  • Sex With the Ex (2001)
  • I Love You (2002)
  • Apollo (2003)
  • Hava Nagila (2005)
  • Number 1 in Iran (2006)
  • Dance In Tel Aviv! (2008)
  • Mein Kampf (2009)
  • Michelle Obama (2011)
  • (Between Me and Allan Ginsberg) (2011)
  • The Obsessive Poet (2011)
  • Sophie's Two Dads (2012)
  • The Divine Desperation of the Human Condition (2012)
  • Words Are My Home (2012)
  • Modern Haiku for the Ancient People, Vol. 1 (2014)
  • Modern Haiku for the Ancient People, Vol. 2 (2014)
  • Modern Haiku for the Ancient People, Vol. 3 (2014)
  • Modern Haiku for the Ancient People, Vol. 4 (2014)
  • Modern Haiku for the Ancient People, Vol. 5 (2014)
  • Jesus: Songs of Peace and Love (2015, under the name "Jesus")
  • When You've Got Nothing to Hold On To, You Hold On To What You've Got (2015)
  • I am Dada (2015)
  • Doron Braunshtein is my Father or: The Rules of No-Rules (2016, under the name "Jesus A.")
  • The Lost New York Diaries (2016)
  • The Meaning of Abstract (2016)
  • I love you (the same as you love me) (2016)

Books and plays in English
  • America, my Whore (2006, book)
  • Artist vs. Landlord (2007, play)
  • Opposites Do Not Exist: A Breakthrough Philosophical Theory (2009, book)
  • Oh My Josh! (2009, play)
  • The Divine Desperation of the Human Condition (2009, book)
  • Love Counts on the Inside (2009, book)
  • Sophie's Two Dads: The Gay Children's Book (2012, book)
  • The Gay Dating Rules: The Bible of Gay Dating (2013, book)
  • Bread Vs. Water (2014, book)
  • Ego and Homosexuality + The Misconception of the Definition "American" + The Philosophy of the Artist = Three Philosophical Essays (2014, book)
  • Very Positive Thinking: 100 Excellent Advices for a Healthy life with HIV in the 21st Century (2016, book)
  • Henry's Dad has HIV (And he lives with it fantastically!) (2017, book)
  • Love memories from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico (2017, book)
  • Madonna, the Greatest Gay Obession: Interpreting the Essence of the Emotion, the Rational and the Never-Seen-Before Admiration by Gays Towards the Greatest Diva in the World (2019, book)
  • Why do Gay Men Love the Eurovision: The Philosophy and Rational behind the Obsessive Love of the Gay Community for the Eurovision Song Contest (2019, book)
  • Shoah Business: Looking for the Jews of Plovdiv, Bulgaria, who survived during the Holocaust (2019, book)
  • What do they know in China about the Holocaust: Or Made in China (2019, book)
  • The Gay New York Days: A photography book by Doron Braunshtein (2020, book)

References
  1. "Apollo Braun".
  2. "Doron Braunshtein - Album Discography - AllMusic".
  3. "Religulous". 3 October 2008 – via IMDb.
  4. Schlep Sisters (2015). "Party in My Pants The Schlep Sisters". Vimeo. Retrieved 17 Dec 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. Mako Israel
  6. "WorldCat Identitiers".
  7. "Viewing Center- Online Movie Catalog". Yad Vashem. 2018. Retrieved Dec 17, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  8. "הישראלי שהניף את דגל הגאווה בדובאי: "זו לא פרובוקציה זולה, זו דרך חיים"". Wedge News. 11 Dec 2021. Retrieved 13 Dec 2021.
  9. Bossiden, Ruth. ""דורון בראונשטיין הניף את דגל הגאווה באבו דאבי"". Tel Aviv Online. Retrieved 12 Dec 2021.
  10. Forti, Natalie (12 Dec 2021). "Reason For Pride: Community Flag Hoisted in Abu Dhabi". Yoka News Israel. Retrieved 13 Dec 2021.
  11. "Knesset Channel". Knesset Channel. 5 December 2021. Retrieved 16 Dec 2021.
  12. Dor, Mor Gafni (6 Dec 2021). ""נזכרתי בילד שצעקו לו הומו ורצה למות". צעיר מפ"ת נופף בדובאי בדגל הגאווה | צפו".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  13. IMDB, Stars (6 Dec 2021). ""Stars - Doron Braunshtein".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  14. Roberge, Mars (6 Dec 2021). ""Mars Roberge".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  15. Grinspan, Izzy (15 January 2009). "Discontinued: Apollo Braun Proves There's an Upside to the Recession".
  16. Metro, N. Y. (25 July 2008). ""Obama Is My Slave" Shirt Sparks Lawsuit Threat In New York".
  17. Smith, Ben (2008). ""Only in New York"". Politico. Retrieved 16 Dec 2021.
  18. Weiner, Rachel (2011). ""Obama Is My Slave" Shirt Sparks Lawsuit Threat In New York".
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