I mean hey, he makes rock music, and like all people who make rock music, he deserves to be shot. Sure, he’s already been brutally murdered. So what? Let’s do it again!
Or to put it another way, what is it about hip hop that makes some fuckwits lose any sense of decency? Hey, look [url=http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=225941] DreadCthulhu doesn’t like someone’s music! Bullet between the eyes for them!
It’s sad that anyone would consider the first paragraph of my post to be heinous, but if we’re talking about a rapper, it’s absolutely all right to rejoice in their death. I’m not a Pac fan. I don’t listen to his music. But, DreadCthulhu, quit being such a callous bastard. You’re not funny. You’re just an idiot. Fuck you, not for hijacking a thread with your moronic comments, not for mindlessly disparaging an entire artform, but for your complete disregard for human life. You’re a disgrace.
Yeah! Fuck John Lennon’s dead ass! Goddamn long-haired communist hippy motherfucker! I’d like to shoot him right through the left lens of those little round sunglasses he used to wear! Too bad that crazy sumbitch already got him.
I suspect part of the thinking behind it has to do with how a lot of us (but no means all of us) perceive “music” as being something far more important than it truly is. What I’m getting at here is that music can be marketed on a whole bunch of different levels. You have people like Avril Lavigne who just exploded onto the scene 18 months ago, and I remember a shitload of people arguing in thread after thread after thread - “Is Avril really punk, or just pseudo punk?” - and on and on it went.
Over the years it’s become very obvious to me that certain people (unwittingly) assign certain landmarks to certain music. The music that’s really important to such people becomes a means of identification as to “who they are” and the musicians they follow become badges of identification as to what sort of cultural identity they like to be a part of.
Now if, and when, you fall into the trap of using music to “define who you are”, then you also fall into the trap of empowering other forms of music (which you don’t like) as being some sort of threat to your cultural identity. And I have to say that it’s really lame when you break down what’s happening and thnk about it.
But you know, in the interests of fairness, it has to be said that the commercial forces involved in selling music CD’s consciously choose to identify and exploit various demographic markets. They do it because they know they can ship more units. Accordingly, His Hop has it’s own sub-genre demographic, and Classic Rock has it’s, and Pop has it’s market share, and Country has it’s particular market share - and whenever music from those genres ever crosses over into the Radio airtime of another genre, it’s like this epic cultural xenophobia runs amok.
So, yeah, to say some muso deserves to be shot simply because you’re threated by the music they’re making is the definitive example of being lame. It also reminds me an awful lot of the book burning rally’s held in Germany in the late 1930’s.
I disagree there Revtim - insofar as yes, the reference to shooting someone is probably hyperbole - no doubts about that - but the sentiment is real. It’s a classic example of railing against someone else’s culture because it’s somehow threatening to your culture.
I mean, seriously, am I threatened by Moroccan music for example? Sure, it’s not my cup of tea, but do I feel the need to get really worked up and maybe suggest that all practitioners of Moroccan music should be shot? Of course not. So by that logic, why should Hip Hop be singled out as one which deserves such aggressive responses? What I’m say is that if something isn’t your cup of tea, just stay quiet and move right along. No need to whine and whine.
By going out of your way to slam a style of music which isn’t your cup of tea, you’re just creating ever more aggro - and that’s just plain uncool for mine. But you know, that just kinda sums up the internet, doesn’t it? Argueing over other people’s opinions.
No offence there Revtim - just my thoughts on the syndrome.
I’ve noticed that too. Talk to otherwise reasonable people (usually the sheltered suburban types who aren’t comfortable outside of their cultural environment), and watch them morph into mouth foaming censorship advocates at the mention of an entire musical genre.
No trying to give them counter-examples to their preconceived notions about what the music is about. No, it’s either all about gangsterism, bitches and hoes, or it is not even really music in the first place. Usually weak arguments about the definition of music ensue, but it’s pretty obvious that they’re only trying to find evidence that supports their already cemented perceptions.
Quite surprisingly, this phenomenon is not unknown to the SDMB.
I posted in that thread about my failed outing as an MC (I can write very well, but I can’t perform-tone deaf, cannot stick with a beat, etc) as evidence of hip hop’s musical nature. I didn’t subscribe to the thread because the minds in it were so closed that it wasn’t worth any effort.
But yeah. It’s odd how the subject is so touchy that rap-detractors suddenly rival US or Bush-bashers in communal circle-jerking when the subject is brought up. I would think that urban music shouldn’t be able to hold a candle to something that effects everyone (global politics), but it does.
Indeed. Is there some reason that those of us who do not enjoy rap or hip-hop simply take the sensible option of not purchasing it, and, at the maximum, not patronizing venues that play it?
I’ve found this to be much less stressful, not to mention cheaper.
