Malcolm McLaren, the promoter and manager responsible for assembling the world’s first boy band — The Sex Pistols — has died at age 64. We at Verbicide tip our hats in salute to the man who, in one fell swoop, set in motion both the commoditization of punk rock and the marketability of talentless young boys based on image and fashion (no matter how insulting or plain fucking baffling). Everyone from Good Charlotte to N’Sync owes this man a debt of gratitude.

Verbicide’s Agent Automatic had this to say:

“Today a Svengali, swindler, and possible musical genius has died. The great Malcolm McLaren is no more. Some thought McLaren would die as the result of an assassin’s bullet, others said he’d be the victim of some sick sex crime at the hands of his fans. However, it was cancer which killed him in New York City earlier today. He’s best remembered for destroying some good bands (the New York Dolls in particular) and inventing one brilliant one, The Sex Pistols.

McLaren is survived by his son, Joseph Corré. He will be buried in England at Highgate Cemetery.”