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That Music Sucks.

The whole point of this rant is simple... when you get too popular you can't have opinions that might alienate a segment of your demographic.... so you have to water down your product. And that's everyone's loss. Case in point: there’s a genre of music that I can’t stand. I can hardly tolerate it and when I hear any of it, it drives me out of the room or building.

For years I’ve been trying to examine why I despise this genre and everything else associated with it, from the whinny drawl and tone, to the fashions associated with it that panders to the lowest common denominator. It’s attached to a specific stereotype of working-class American and perhaps some inappropriate imagery. When many of us here this genre of music we think of the worst aspects of human behavior such as…

… And here’s the problem. I can’t say what this genre is knowing full well that I run the chance of ruining my relationships with a segment of my demographic. There are those of you who actually enjoy this genre of music and if I come right out and type; “your music SUCKS” I’ll never hear from some of you again.

And there comes my frustration, the concept a lot of people don’t understand is that The Fedora Chronicles was meant to be edgy but because I want to keep my audience I've 'toned it down, and we've suffered for it.

I run a website for the express purpose of publishing whatever the hell my friends and staff members of The Fedora Chronicles want to publish. The FC was born out of a frustration of not being able to do or say anything with the fear of being banned or excommunicated because it wasn’t “on topic.” If there’s something I have to say I have no other choice than saying it here or my head will explode or I’ll take my anachronistic frustration rant out on some random cashier or traffic cop.

The Fedora Chronicles exists so some of us can say what we gotta say and what we believe you want to hear or read.

What really pisses me off is when someone writes, “I really love your site but I’m not going to keep reading it if you post {blank}.” And that could be a rant criticizing a specific candidate, a political party, a shitty movie or popular band… or a fedora brand they love because they make “fantastic” disposable fedoras for less than 50 dollars. It’s OK, I’m allowed to have opinions so long as they’re in lock-step with those people 100% of the time.

What’s clear to a lot of people is that there are some sacred cows I’m never allowed to sacrifice. It’s OK if I’m edgy and go out on a limb so long as I parse my words and remain as unspecific as possible with some opinions. I can give “Howard The Duck” both barrels but I don’t dare tell folks what I really thought about essential movies that we’re all supposed to “love.”

Apparently, when I get too popular I’m not allowed to have some opinions that might alienate my demographic but some of those strong opinions are what brought me to this level. 99% of the folks out there seem to love my often harsh, sometimes brash, over-the-top but well thought out articles. But like everything else, it’s all fun and games and nothing is sacred until it hits too close to the heart or strikes the wrong nerve and it gets personal.

For some people, music is personal.

And yet… that music still sucks. Everything about that genre of music sucks. What sucks more is the cliché and platitudes genre music lovers use to defend it. “It’s honest music.” Or “it’s wholesome.”

My favorite; “How can you hate that music? It’s your culture and your heritage.”
Which begs the question, how did that crap become my culture? How did that become my heritage? Because I was raised in a specific region of the country? Because I was raised among people who listened to that crap?

Which brings me back to examining why I despise that genre of music and wondering if it’s merely the memories associated with it or the memories of specific people who always played that genre and nothing else. Or the idea that I was forced to “like it” whether I liked it or not.

Or maybe it’s simpler than that. That music simply sucks.

Now it's your turn... you tell me what's your favorite genre of music that you love to hate!