Do the actions and reactions of SOME current teenage fans say more about the bands or the listener?

Question

Happy Wednesday! :)

There seems to be a trend that's ramping up here in R&P lately and it's a rather obnoxious one. I really wish I could link to the question that was posted here recently, but it has been either removed or deleted. Anyway, it was from a Fall Out Boy fan who asked what seemed to be a harmless question about musical preferences and her love of the band, but they put all sorts of stuff, including threats, in the Additional Details with words like "rotting corpse" and "maggots". It would be one thing if it was the first time I had seen something like this, but the threatening posts are becoming much more of a fixture here.

As a teenage fan I can remember really liking the bands I did and, at the most, having little crushes. But to threaten someone who didn't like them...that wasn't me, and it didn't seem to be most teenagers in general.

What do you think is going on here? Are the bands inspiring this type of mania or is it solely the actions of the listener?

For the record...the "some" in the question is capitalized because I certainly don't mean all. We do have some younger (well, younger compared to me :) R&Pers who are some of the most mature and articulate posters here. A few of them have already contributed answers, and the rest of you know who you are. :)

xXx.clandestine.xXx - I grew up listening to and loving groups like Duran Duran and Culture Club, who some people called "gay" and who described their music as "talentless" on a regular basis. I never threatened any of those people, no matter what label they gave them.

Answer 1

Happy Wendesday to you, my friend!

I saw that question earlier, and I couldn't even dignify that little tantrum with a response. It was totally and utterly inappropriate and out of line. Someone needs a hug, that's for sure. :)

I think the root cause is a lot of things....ultimately, I think it boils down to the responsibility of the fans.

To be 100% honest, I blame technology for a lot of the social problems. Even with something as wonderfully fun and addictive as Y!A. We're more connected than we've ever been to the world with the internet, IM, text messaging, cell phones....and yet, we're more isolated than ever. No one really *TALKS* anymore.

I consider myself lucky to be the age I am. I grew up with real, live interaction. All the fun techno-stuff came later, so I'm young enough to have easily integrated all the techy stuff into my life, but old enough to understand why face-to-face interaction is so important.

I see all the time kids who spend so much time interacting on forums, MySpace, etc., and are completely oblivious to nonverbal cues in real-life conversation. They're called rude, because they don't realize that "lol" or "j/k" doesn't fly "IRL" - it's tone of voice and facial expression that convey jest. I really think that 90% of "kids" aren't rude - they're just clueless. And lonely. And shielded by a relative degree of anonymity.

Anyway, I know I'm babbling, but it all ties together - I promise...

So you have these kids that are totally wired and connected, but still totally socially isolated, experiencing teen angst. Along comes a band that they truly feels "gets" them, and they become almost like lemmings in their need to follow something - ANYTHING! - and become attached. Really, really attached. It's not like when we were kids and we could just toss on some Doc Martens, a black sweater and crank up the Cure or the Smiths with our friends, and maybe sneak some clove cigarettes while complaining about how no one "got" us. :) (We totally had a better soundtrack for our ennui)

Since they're finally finding something that they can identify with, they feel the need to lash out at anyone who so much as DARES to contradict their opinion....I just think a lot of them need to leave the cell phones at home and ignore MySpace for a day or two and learn how the world REALLY works.

Answer 2

I'm still a teenage fan with an experience similar to yours. For the record, my favourite band is My Chemical Romance. Yes, I think that they are five of the most attractive men to walk the Earth, but this is only a recent development. I listened to them for quite a while without ever seeing their faces. When I finally did see them, they weren't mindblowing. Very anti-model and a little weird, even, which is why they've grown on me so much. There was never an instant physical thing. I'm there with the militia though. The MCRmy was originally the My Chemical Romance street team, which a lot of the recent 'devotees' don't even realise. It's grown way past there now and they don't even need a street team to get word out anymore, but the army is still as supportive as ever. As for threats and violence, there's no need for that. Each to their own. Real fans won't even care if someone else hates their band. The great thing about music is that we all have different tastes. It'd be so boring if we all listened to the same bands. I did convert most of my friends to listening to My Chem, but that was completely accidental. If you're not into the band that's perfectly fine, there's no need to display so much hate for them, or threaten those who do. Wow, that was a long answer. [/rant]

Answer 3

I think it’s both the bands and the listeners that are behind this, although I place a lot more of the blame on the listeners. The way I look at how emo has evolved, it seems to me to be more of a deliberate corporate plot to exploit traditional teen angst in order to make a windfall. The record labels and Hot Topic are all behind it. They got together in the boardroom one day and had a brainstorm. Let’s steal the Goth aesthetic and combine it with Backstreet Boys music. However, the lyrics will be oh so very dark and depressed. This music will “speak” to teenagers. More importantly, this new breed of emo will be VERY polarizing. In the process, kids all across America are duped into thinking that Gerard is speaking to them. The point is that these bands are encouraging such militant loyalty because it means dollar signs. Also, I hear these kids whining and crying all the time that MCR doesn’t encourage depression, cutting etc. OK, fine. Then why doesn’t the band start doing PSA’s discouraging the practice of cutting? If they’re so against it, I think it would be a very responsible action on their part. Perception is often reality.

Still, the kids are ultimately more at fault. They seem to have taken the entire MCRmy thing a little too seriously. Kids are far too thin-skinned these days. Somewhere in the modern day maturation process, the lesson of accepting dissenting opinion never occurred. I find it shocking that so many middle-class and above youths can manufacture so much fake angst and problems. It’s like they’re buying into it because that’s what Hot Topic wants them to believe. Most of it goes back to really bad parenting. So, when the parents aren’t around, the children turn to fake prophets.

Answer 4

The bands may actually be inspiring the mania as you put it, but I think a lot of that has to do with the changes in our culture and an overall lack of family values.

The afore mentioned FOB fan needs to have their *** beat by Mommy and Daddy for suggesting such a thing; and if Mommy and Daddy don't believe in spanking, well... that's why they have a f*cked up kid threatening people for differing opinions.

It's really just another example of "Gerard saved my life." If you're parents had done a half-assed job at raising you, then you wouldn't need your life saved.

Little Suzie and her pants-sharing boyfriend wouldn't be so radically devoted to {insert band name here} if their families had instilled the values that seemed to have disappeared over the years... things like respect, honesty, and general politeness... which in turn causes the kids to focus more on family and not whatever band is earning their devotions.

Okay, I probably didn't state that very well.

I'm just saying if Mom and Dad were better parents, their kids would be so damn f*cked up.












NP: "Heaven's on Fire" - Kiss

Edit: You damn right James. I tell you something, I was at a store this past weekend picking up a few things for the Christmas party we were hosting. I look up and see some kid, probably about 15, in full emo gear (including the girls jeans). He looked like he was aneorexic and his skin was pale as a ghost. Call me silly, but I'd be kicking my son's *** out the door. Go outside... play... run... build some muscles and get some sun.

Edit again: Sylvia - you rock.

Answer 5

Happy Wednesday Sookie
Thank You for your lovely reply in Silver's B-Day Party question on Monday about Me by the way.
Now on to the subject at hand. Speaking as someone who has been literally death threatened by an MCR fan. I find the mania surrounding this whole thing to be getting up to uncomfortable levels of crazy.
And I think (look out I'm gonna preach) that it reflects the decline of American society in the past 20 years in general. You won't, for example hear Me threaten to pull a knife or something everytime Black Sabbath gets dissed, that's just crazy to Me. Back in the day I remember Me and My Father having insult convos over His Classical and My Metal, but I surely never threatened to kill Him.
nobody seems to understand not crossing the line anymore Sook, and to Me that's deeply frightening.
It is ultimately society's fault I believe

*Edit*
Rockets Mike and Sylvia
The three of You spoke to the issue perfectly. Right to the heart of the matter. I could not agree more.

Answer 6

it isnt the bands inspiring the listeners, its more of the difference of music now. This has been going on forever. Look back when KISS was still up and going. People would assault others if they didnt like KISS. People have always gotten carried away with music. I agree that it is wrong and i would never threaten someone for liking different music. For example, i hate country but im not gonna make fun of someone over it. Its music, who cares? People just take messages the wrong way and believe that everyone should think like them.

Answer 7

That's kids for you. If we were to try and do this forum in person (and keep it as close to what it is now as we could), then there would be a few people over the age of 20 meeting in mall outside a Hot Topic during some "Nightmare Before Christmas" sale (and don't even get me started on my opinions regarding the popularity of that musical).

Answer 8

It's the listener,you wont hear anyone beyond 16 or 17 say that stuff because most of us can accept that some music just is'nt for everyone and someone is going to put them or you down, it's life,who cares life goes on I'm still a fan and who I am at the end of the day,someone not liking it wont change that and niether will someone who tries to put me down because I just dont care,if they dont like me or the music I choose to listen to then so what it's not huting me any

Answer 9

Happy Wednesday, Sookie :)

It is almost entirely down to the fans, but, some of these bands just exacerbate the problem.

And, other than that, Mike and Sylvia said *exactly* the things I wanted to say!
{and probably phrased it far better than I would have}.





np: 'Saturday Night at the Movies' ~ The Drifters

Answer 10

Have a nice day Sookie!

I can't imagine a band having that much influence on a fan!
A fan that threatens people if they don't like the same music as them obviously has some EMOtional problems.