Read on Twitter
a diehard metalhead's (LONG) take on the whole "wearing a band shirt if you don't listen to the band" debate:
*while i consistently say "to a metalhead" etc. for obvious reasons, clearly you can apply most of this thread to whichever genre/s of music you hold close to you!*
*while i consistently say "to a metalhead" etc. for obvious reasons, clearly you can apply most of this thread to whichever genre/s of music you hold close to you!*
i feel compelled to leave a disclaimer: i am in no way out to make any person/group of people feel insulted or invalidated in any way with this thread; that said, i AM here to try & explain this in the best way i can for those that feel rather strongly about this issue.. enjoy.
music is something that helps define many people.. it is a part of the human experience that runs through our blood (no matter our personal tastes in genre) and allows us to express ourselves and feel understood in a way that nothing else possibly can.
now, metalheads in particular (both historically + observationally) have been known to define themselves by their bands; partially in response to societal protests toward the genre, they hold close the bands that persevered against a world that thought they weren't enough.
that said, to a metalhead, a shirt is not merely a piece of fabric to look nice in. it is a physical representation of a history, a legacy, that so many RnR/metal bands have worked with every fiber of their being to build and maintain. it is a symbol of pride and of passion.
i'd like to point out that particular other groups/cultures of people who put their faith in certain directions also have representational symbols etc., and you definitely wouldn't wear any of those as a meaningless fashion statement, because that would be disrespectful-
-to both that faith/culture itself and the people who genuinely put their hearts into it. so.. why would you do it to the metalheads? to many of them, non-fans of the genre wearing the merchandise is, in a sense, a disservice to everything that the merch/the band rlly represent.
i'm sure there are some of you thinking, "okay, but i really don't care and i'm a metalhead myself", and i want to remind you that you're no less of a metalhead if this doesn't bother you, but on the other hand, those that are bothered also aren't taking this too seriously...
...however, i'm sure that as metalheads, you also understand why some of us are so passionate about this issue. (if you're not, i'm sure you can apply this to whoever your favorite artist is.) the love we have for our bands truly has no limits...
to be perfectly fair, i need to point out that a metalhead bullying someone else in ANY way for being a non-metalhead that wears the merch makes that metalhead an asshole; real metalheads don't stand for that shit & there is never a need to be disrespectful with your feelings.
at the end of the day, there are just some people that won't ever understand the passion you feel for your bands and will wear the merch regardless, and the best way to handle that is to shut the fuck up and let it be, i promise.
to the metalheads: while i fully understand how this makes some of us feel ofc, pls remember that at the core of metal is respect for everyone.
to the non-metalheads: pls try to understand that the plea not to wear the merch comes from a place of passion for what & who we love..
to the non-metalheads: pls try to understand that the plea not to wear the merch comes from a place of passion for what & who we love..
metalheads simply want to know that when someone wears a band shirt, they do it w the reverence & passion for everything that band represents. it's something that we live & breathe, and we care about it far too much for it to be shown off by someone who doesn't feel the same...
(again, pls know i tried to word this as well as i could and everyone is always valid no matter what they listen to and no matter what they wear! no exceptions!)
