Respect Towards The Metal Scene...

[Morothe]

I dont know if you guys have to put up with it, but no one respects the metal scene around me. My parents think were a bunch of psychos, my teachers give me looks cuz I wear combat boots, and overall we're labeled as this derilect group. It just pisses me off. I have a 3.5 GPA in school and I plan to go to college for Journalism and Music. I may have long hair, but I'm not dumb, ignorant, or derilect. After reading through these forums, neither are you guys. Everyone here seems like good people, well educated(if theyre out of school) and most likely doing something with their life. I used to get made fun of in school for my "differences" i.e. long hair, vegetarianism, clothes, etc. but now since im very tall I dont get much shit haha.
I was reading this thread and it showed one of our members, in africa helping these little tribal kids, and ya know what, thats just awesome. We're not a group of people who dont give a shit about the world. We care, just people refuse to acknowlage that because we listen to loud music, look different, and act different. The funny thing is, my family tells me of all these "metal" guys in high school (I have qoutes because its more thrash than metal) an example is Karl Sanders of Nile. My dad went to school with him and the guy got a ton of shit, but now hes in a friggin kickass metal band with shitloads of money. Another example is this guy my mom know and now hes a huge fashion designer in Boston and owns a penthouse in Boston. My point is, it bothers me how little credit we get for what we do because of the way we look. I wanna hear what everyone else has to say about the matter.

 

[Skepticism]

I agree, although I don't get alot of shit for my appearance, as many people don't think I look like a metalhead at all(because of my glasses maybe). In fact the only way to tell if I am a metalhead would be if you overheard me talking about metal to my friends, or you could read the Woods of Ypres logo(I never take my sweater off, I wear it over my uniform everyday), or of course heard me listening to it. But I can understand the vegetarianism one, as I am one myself.

 

[zekeyou]

To quote the mighty S.O.D.:

"It doesn't matter how you wear your hair-- it's what's inside your head"

 

[Morothe]

Yeah, I get a ton of comments on my Cattle Decapitation shirt lol. My friend told someone I'm a vegetarian and they told someone and so on...eventually everyone knows.

 

[CaGeD iN]

yeah it seems a lot of metalheads are vegetarians, imho my mom says all the christian bands i listen to (mainly to make her happy) are satanic bands undercover, i dont believe in god but she shoves religion down my throat, she made my brother delete deicide, god dethroned, and bands like that off my itunes, most people laugh at my music, but i think metal seems to show much more emotion, than any other genre.

 

[Morothe]

My dads religious, but he doesnt try anymore.

 

[Skepticism]

To quote Chuck Schuldiner
"I even wore my kitty t-shirt to crush any misconceptions about death metalers being cruel to animals"
Haha, I love that, Chuck is aweosme.

 

[sdmf2]

I get some shit from people, not directly usually, cuz they know I'll kick their ass. But most people dont say anything because they either are scared of me or they just think I'm a cool guy despite the metal-ness. all the "gangster" kids at my high school call me "Ghetto Jesus" because apparently I look like Jesus and that makes me ghetto? anyways, the point is that some people will always be douchebags about it. but thats their problem.

 

[CaGeD iN]

i guess it depends where you are

 

[Skepticism]

I get some shit from people, not directly usually, cuz they know I'll kick their ass. But most people dont say anything because they either are scared of me or they just think I'm a cool guy despite the metal-ness. all the "gangster" kids at my high school call me "Ghetto Jesus" because apparently I look like Jesus and that makes me ghetto? anyways, the point is that some people will always be douchebags about it. but thats their problem.

The way I look at it, douchebags are douchebags, and you can't change them, so I just leave them be. Don't let them get to you, ignore douchebags because they are greatly insignificant.

 

[sdmf2]

exactly

 

[CaGeD iN]

they are everywhere

 

[Wenchmaster]

To quote myself,

"Generally, people will never accept metal for what it is, but frown upon what it's not, even be disgusted by its many diverse and vigorous, obviously different creative aspects. People will ask questions that may seem strange to you because you feel like you're open minded. But then in the end, we're all people, and music is music, and therefore can be interpreted differently by different people. Thus, it is important to note that 1. They will never succumb to your tastes - metal is not for everybody, and 2. They are just as much a human being as you are. Being open minded should incorporate more than just the musical aspects, but the day to day aspects."

Also, I'd like to add that most people today listen to pop (aka POPULAR) music. Pop music does not mean just Maroon 5 or Gwen Stefani, it means that crap like +44 and My Chemical Romance is also pop. People today don't like to think, so they listen to simple, digestible beats with lyrics about something generic like insecurity or love, as I'm sure those bands are authorities in that field and are obliged to discuss something they probably have not experienced themselves truly. Metal makes you think, no doubt. What we get in the end is that most people are simple minded and ignorant of the truth.

So, in essence, what I'm really trying to say is that most people will never come to understand, let alone appreciate the motives, intentions, and sounds behind the anything-but-shallow face of metal. I am myself surprised that metal stereotypes still exist in todays society, but you eventually learn to deal with these sorts of people in your day to day existence. If they discriminate because of the music you listen to or because of something you wear, personally I just let it go and feel sorry for these kinds of people, because as messed up as they think you are, it is them that truly need the help and attention. I'm sure you've noticed that today, music is not an artform, but a business. People today think they've conquered the media by not going with fads to eliminate misconceptions, and in doing so think they have their own opinion formulated, are better than you in some way, and have a right to think that you as a metalhead, are just following a fad that died years ago. Understand, that the tough guy metalhead mentality of the 80's has continued it's hypocritically ignorant wrath through the minds of average people. If people can't see you for what you truly are, they are the weak ones. They are the very same consumer whores who get so easily influenced by media whether they think so or not. The same people who wear what their friends and peers wear because it's cool for some reason. I know people today think that they don't listen to the media, but I like I said - that's all bullshit.

 

[Dauden]

I think people who really know music, and know real metal, but aren't necessarily that into it, are really respecting it. I've read many reviews that really respect metal as a genre with no boundaries, and are seeing that there are tons of original bands not afraid to do what they like. However there are lots of people who are ignorant, I remember one day my mom was like "you know that music is just wall of sound music, right?" And I almost died laughing. Though I've played her lots of random stuff, and she does realise now that there's lots of talent there. But yeah, generally people have no idea.

 

[Morothe]

I was trying to point out the adults view on it. Thats where all the stereotypes and harsh generalizations come in, i.e. that we're derilects, irresponsible, and satanic.

 

[Wenchmaster]

Oh yea. I was mostly referring to teenagers. With the adults it's different. If you're ever seen the movie Detroit Rock City, and you've seen how the drummer's mother reacts to everything, that's kind of how it is now, except parents now aren't in power to stop you from doing what you really want anymore. It's hard to alter the opinions of people who in most cases have infinitely more wisdom than you, which is rather ironic because they are clearly subject to stereotypes and such hypocrisy as believing that people who listen to metal are strange. And if you look up the definition for strange or weird, it means different. And everyone is different, so why in the world would you want to be not strange?

 

[Insomniainc]

Show them Metal: A Headbanger's Journey

I dunno if it will change their attitude, but its a nice start.

 

[Infernium]

For me it's sometimes a bit the opposite. Metal is so popular around here that I often get sick of those 'omg omg we're so metal we're so genre" -people around and within the scene.

I love metal but it's not a scene/genre/lifestyle thing for me, just music. Damn good music, but music.

 

[CaGeD iN]

not as bad as the emo scene, for the hell of it my bro and i looked at the green day myspace page to see how many views they had (20million) and i swear the "guy" had so much makeup on he looked like a hooker, in the emo scene sometimes the guys look like girls then the girls look like dikes, and metal gets all the shit... well actually emo gets more shit... but just for a kick look at their myspace page its sad

 

[Scarlett Letterman]

For me, music and how I dress are two totally unrelated things, except when it comes to band t-shirts. I might like metal but I don't feel the need to dress up like the lead singer, mainly because I think its a stupid look. But thats just me.