Also, @Pigasus, I understand what you said about judging someone if their music has a lot of swear words or is inappropriate, and I see where you're coming from. Personally, censoring music or judging someone because the music seems too objectively explicit is a sore spot for me. I don't think music should be judged or censored because it is explicit. It takes away the message, whether that message is about justice ("Freedom of Speech" by Body Count is extremely obscentive because they are protesting against the fact that their music is being removed from radio stations because it is explicit, while they have a message for human rights to share) or something otherwise "explicit for no reason". And even while I wouldn't listen to a song that just curses for no apparent reason, I don't think we should judge people who do. Because songs like that, like the metal genre, can be used as an emotional outlet, even if we, personally, can't connect in that way.

Also, there is a lyric from the song "Freedom of Speech" by Body Count (as I just mentioned), a song about the right to speak even if it's explicit, that says "We should be able to say anything, our lungs were meant to shout / Say what we feel, yell out what's real / Even though it may not bring mass appeal / Your opinion is yours, my opinion is mine / If you don't like what I'm sayin'? Fine / But don't close it, always keep an open mind / A man who fails to listen is blind / We only got one right left in the world today / Let me have it or throw The Constitution away".

Another story about censorship relates to my favorite band, Rage Against The Machine. They had performed shows and released statements trying to battle the PMRC (an orginization who removed explicit songs from radio stations and put the "Parental Advisory" stickers on albums) because their message was being taken away---just because they had explicit content. (After 9/11, Clear Channel banned the ENTIRE Rage catalogue because they had "lyrically questionable" songs that advocated against police brutality, against systemic racism, for freedom and justice, for women's/LGBTQ rights, among other things. Just because they had released these radical messaged while cursing, in their righteous fury.)

So, RATM, at a Lollapaloosa Festival, instead of performing their set, walked on-stage completely naked with their mouths duct-taped and the letters "P.M.R.C." written across their chests. They stood onstage, completely silent, for fifteen minutes, with high-pitched guitar feedback playing the entire time behind them. They played a free concert days later to show their fans they cared (to be fair, they couldn't have played at Lollapaloosa anyways because their lead singer had blown out his voice). The reason they did this was to show their fans and the world otherwise that if they were to let censorship prevail, music would become empty and meaningless and censored. Rage had a message to share---they didn't want anything to take that message away. Rage has always been unapologetic about their views---but they didn't force them upon anyone. They essentially said "this is what we think. This is what is happening. You can believe us and stand with us, or you don't. It's your choice---here is the information, and it's up to you what you do with it."

That's something I can respect. Even if, with this message, they are cursing while doing so.

I really like this, for so many reasons. I am a fan of heavy metal, and though I'm just getting into the genre, even I know how much of a supportive and intelligent community this genre is. I recently went to my first big concert, Metallica, in Denver (on their M72 tour---IT WAS THE MOST EPIC THING I HAVE EVER EXPERIENCED), and being there with 70,000 likeminded people OWNING the stereotypes and not caring still makes me giddy with excitement. James Hetfield even said "there's a lot of love in this place", which resonated deeply with me. We are not satanic at all, and just because we don't care about the stereotypes and continue with what WE feel like doing doesn't mean we are evil.

That is really unfair what that boy said. I am just a teenage girl who listens to metal and hip/hop (another stereotype is that metal fans ONLY listen to metal, which I find to be ludicrous as I just so happen to also appreciate what would be the polar opposite: classical! I play the piano), but I am well aware and so sick and tired of the stereotypes in our society, centered around music but also race, gender, and pretty much everything around us, if you look hard enough.

I am what one might describe as a happy-go-lucky person. All of my friends, family, and teachers mean well and are amazing people, but when they found out that in my free time I like to write fantasy while headbanging to "Stray From The Path", "System of a Down", and "Rage Against The Machine", they were understandably shocked. I don't judge them for it at all. I just know they've been influenced by the stereotypes that metal fans should wear black leather and be emotionally detached. I'm nothing close to an extrovert, but I wear colorful clothes and have a smile on my face at all times. People do a double-take when I tell them what music I listen to. In the moment, I'm just smiling, happy I surprised them enough to get them talking about music (which is something I love to do), but it makes my heart ache a bit. The thing about all the bands I listen to, and about the metal/rock/grunge and all related genres in general, is about forging your own path and making your own rules. If we can rally enough people, is it possible to bring these societal downfalls into the minds of those affected?

Articles like this brought my mind to a better place, so yes, I do think it is possible.

I listen to rock, very often along with some pop. I'm also a girl and people think all girls like boy bands, not true, stereotypes would list me as a druggy. :/ society man

That is a good point

This is a good article, and I like how you added an anecdote. What you said about not judging people based on the type of music they liked is true, but I also think that it is reasonable to judge someone if their music has a lot of swear words in it, or is totally inapropriate

This is a good article, and it was well written. I can imagine someone saying that you(not you, you, but anyone)would go to hell because of the music they hear, and that is a pretty extreme reaction, but I don't think that he meant it. I can see what you're saying about the steriotypes. I think that sometimes they can be true, but to a smaller extent. However, it is true that we should not judge people because of the msic they like.