All Nonfiction
- Bullying
- Books
- Academic
- Author Interviews
- Celebrity interviews
- College Articles
- College Essays
- Educator of the Year
- Heroes
- Interviews
- Memoir
- Personal Experience
- Sports
- Travel & Culture
All Opinions
- Bullying
- Current Events / Politics
- Discrimination
- Drugs / Alcohol / Smoking
- Entertainment / Celebrities
- Environment
- Love / Relationships
- Movies / Music / TV
- Pop Culture / Trends
- School / College
- Social Issues / Civics
- Spirituality / Religion
- Sports / Hobbies
All Hot Topics
- Bullying
- Community Service
- Environment
- Health
- Letters to the Editor
- Pride & Prejudice
- What Matters
- Back
Summer Guide
- Program Links
- Program Reviews
- Back
College Guide
- College Links
- College Reviews
- College Essays
- College Articles
- Back
Stereotypes and music
When you hear the word "music", what comes to mind. Do you think about your favorite band or instrument. Ok, but when you hear the word "metal" or "punk" the thought that usually comes to mind is senseless thrashing with guitar vamping or screaming randomly in a satanic manner...
A few months ago I was on the bus listening to my music like usual when something
unexpected happened. One of my earbuds fell out and the boy next to me asked to hear what I was listening to. I shrugged and said it was fine but not 5 seconds later the kid (whom I had never met before) yanked my headphones out of his ear(breaking them while at it) and exclaimed "please repent because if you continue on the path you are on now then you shall certainly know eternal torment". I was shocked. Being a devout Christian (Mennonite/pacifist) I told him politely that I personally didn't believe in hell. The next day I saw the boy again. We made eye contact and he hurried along trying to avoid me. I was quite disturbed with what the boy had said earlier though. I didn't mind that he practically told the whole bus that he thought I was going to hell. I get that a lot. What shocked me was that he did not wait a heartbeat to judge me based on my music taste.
The song that I was listening to was "second and Sebring" by "of mice and men". The song is about how the main vocalist, Austin Carlile's mother died when he was a child, and through his depression and mourning he found the inspiration to create music and help save lives through his lyrics. If the boy had waited to understand the meaning of the lyrics he would have seen that it was a truly beautiful song. But since it contained heavy guitar riffs and screaming it must have been satanic. How quickly the boy was to judge and deem my music, was like a huge wake up call telling me to realize that most of the world is like this when it comes to diversity in general. It is a dilemma in today's society that needs to be addressed.
Hip/hop= a gangster who's never going to graduate high school
Metal = a punk with crazy hair who has anti social and a destructive personality
Rock= apparently influences teens to do drugs and alcohol
Pop = teaches hormonal teenagers to have sex at an early age because all the pop stars did.
These and many more are stereotypes that people associate with the genres. Although some are true for each case, it is usually from the listeners own choice and was not influenced by listening to certain types of music.
With this I hope you go out into the world, and not just give music a second chance, but human beings in general. We are creatures of love.
I don't want you to be like me, I want you to be like you and make a difference
-Marilyn Manson

Similar Articles
JOIN THE DISCUSSION
This article has 6 comments.
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.
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.