Music we love to hate
By Molly Webb, ArtsEtc. editor
I was half asleep on the couch at 6 a.m., watching MTV, when I saw something that made me suddenly garner the energy to leap up, scramble for the remote and change the channel as quickly as possible to anything else.
That something was the new Avril Lavigne video.
After I collapsed back onto the couch, safe from all harm, I asked myself why I harbor such hatred for Avril’s latest. Perhaps I’d just heard the song too much and couldn’t stand to hear it even one more time, but I can’t recall ever actually hearing the song.
Maybe I harbor secret feelings of extreme animosity toward girls who wear ties; however, my friend wore one to a party just a few weeks ago and I didn’t get the urge to injure her.
Then it dawned on me — I just hate that kind of music. I don’t know why I hate it, and I don’t even really know what “that kind of music” is. But for some reason, I know it when I hear it, and I can’t stand it.
Since hatred of certain musical genres seems to be an omnipresent force in society today, I’ve decided to explore a little further the reasons some of us simply despise certain sounds. Perhaps, if we all work together, we can end the hatred.
1.
The “The” bands
Easily the most pervasive trend of 2002, the overnight popularity of seemingly every band with “The” in front of its name is a phenomenon that no one could have missed. The rise to popularity was so quick, in fact, that The White Stripes went from playing Madison’s own Party in the Park in 2000 to playing the MTV Video Music Awards in 2001.
Each band has its own sparkling gimmick, neatly packaged and ready for your enjoyment. The Hives are the cute Swedish boys, The White Stripes are either brother and sister, husband and wife or divorced, always clad in red and white, The Vines are the wild and rebellious Aussie partiers, and The Strokes are the ones who started it all, New York personified.
It seems to be this gimmicky nature itself that makes people hate The bands. A sharp divide seems to exist, though, between those who just think they’re lame and those who think The bands are the next big thing that will save rock ‘n’ roll.
How to stop the hate: Listen to only one or two of the The bands rather than all of them. Recognize the contribution of a relatively new mainstream-music sound, but question the theory that the saviors of rock have returned to heal us all. Heed the prophecies of Nathan Lichtman, who, last August, correctly predicted that none of the bands would last.
2.
Nu-metal
Although this trend began in the late ’90s and has definitely fizzled since then, nu-metal was quite the omnipresent force on the radio at the time. What began as Korn’s big comeback after a few years of inactivity has ballooned into Ozzfests, mainstream radio singles and the inability to avoid hearing “It’s Been Awhile” by Staind, even if one puts forth an honest effort.
Most people’s gripe about nu-metal — and it may very well be a valid one — is that it all sounds the same. Can you really tell Puddle of Mudd from Mudvayne? Do you really care?
Another hateful aspect of the genre is its tendency to, well, be angry. All the time. I can’t think of any nu-metal song that is even remotely positive, and this can be a turnoff to everyone out there who hasn’t had an overly traumatic life experience that causes them to hate a lot of people.
How to stop the hate: Realize that the trend is indeed dying. Korn, the king of the genre, easily sold out the Alliant Energy Center in 2000 but didn’t manage to sell out the Eagles Ballroom in Milwaukee last December.
3.
Boy bands
Once again, a trend that is dying out, but one that has been constantly despised nonetheless. Unlike other trends, however, this one has a long history.
It all began with The Monkees, the first nationally recognized all-male band that was put together by producers in order to film the television show. Sound familiar? It should, because, minus the television show, that’s how the world became exposed to the likes of New Kids on the Block, The Backstreet Boys, N’Sync, 98 Degrees, etc.
The notion of a produced and engineered image is no new concept, and it has consistently been effective since its inception.
It would be hypocritical of me to hate today’s boy bands, as I was one of the millions of screaming New Kids fans of the early ’90s. I’m sure some of you were, too. I had posters, pajamas, t-shirts, hats, buttons, you name it — and then one day I just stopped liking them.
This seems to be what has happened over the past year or so with today’s NKOTB equivalents, as well. Where are any of them now? Launching solo careers, launching themselves into overnight jail cells, launching into space, you name it — but they aren’t launching themselves onto the airwaves anymore.
How to stop the hate: The trend is all but gone (for now), so don’t worry. It’s also fairly easy to avoid top-40 radio these days; just stay away from any show Casey Kasem hosts.
