Opinionated Metalhead: Common Misconceptions (Part 1)
There are a lot of misconceptions about metal heads and what happens at metal shows. So I am here to clear the air with the fragrant joy of my vanilla and patchouli body oil. There are not enough Dwight Meme’s to infer how false some of these are.
1. We are Violent and Rude: FALSE….
Let me cover the violent part first. When you go into the mosh pit it is to rage with the music and yes … to push people and get out some of that pent-up aggression from your day to day life. However, it rarely turns into a fight unless someone neglects etiquette in the pit.
The bottom line is those that are in the pit and stay in the pit are consenting adults who are okay with getting a little beat up to expel some of their demons. Some just enjoy the rush like an adrenaline junkie who likes sky diving or bungee jumping. While others use it as a coping mechanism to help them release, it’s kind of like sex, everyone tends to be in a better mood afterwards unless it was a bad experience.
Next let me squash this “rude” business. When you go to a metal show, people are always polite. Yeah you get that hand full of just inherently rude people within a crowd of 100 to thousands to hundreds of thousands, but that is because there are assholes everywhere. If you are short the tall people, if you ask nicely, will 7 out of 10 times let you in front of them. 2 of those 10 times where they say no it’s because of the pure lack of room. And then that 1 no is that super rude asshole who also puts his armpit in your face when he is taking pictures with his smartphone.
Someone being violent or rude is a matter of opinion. I am loud and obnoxious and speak my mind. For some people they think this is me being rude. However, I am not usually rude and in your face unless you are in mine first.
2. We are all racist white people: Holy Shit FALSE…
We are not all white hood wearing, aryan brotherhood supporting, nazi loving skin heads looking to make an example of someone who is from a different ethnic background at a show. Now this of course is all about location. There are some areas in certain cities where this may be the case but none that I have thus far been in attendance to or witnessed.
Metal is a genre that embraces everyone. Despite your race, sex, gender, orientation, religion, and so forth. The expression of metal music is not lost to the struggles of all. It doesn’t leave anyone out.
3. We all worship the Devil: FALSE….
We are not members of some satanic cult sacrificing babies and holding orgies to please the dark lord. Although I personally am an Atheist, not all metal-heads are anti-religion. There are plenty of God fearing Christian metal bands and metal-heads. Although they normally don’t go into the darker more “demonic” sounding branches of black metal they are still out there.
4. We lack personal hygiene: Mixed Bag …
Have you seen the intricate hair styles and makeup that some metal-heads sport? That shit takes time and a ton of effort. Most of us shower daily and don’t like to smell like body odor with greasy unkempt hair.
There is a fair share that show up to a show after a long day of work. Normally they didn’t have time to go home and shower or change. So you can’t really blame them for not being so fresh and so clean clean. Even fewer that carry the stench of booze and B.O. You do get the people that just reek. And it is god awful, but you can get that just walking down an alley way after 2 am in any city (not recommended in high crime areas). It is not limited to metal show attendees.
If we are really making a comparison the same assumptions are made about country music concert goes all being from the back woods and smelling like cheap beer and cigarettes. Which is also not the case.
At the end of the day we are all human and have our own individual quirks and issues. So don’t be a generalizing cunt nugget that lumps people into the same group based off their tastes in music.
