Obnoxious Listeners - Latest Comments in Think You’re Anti-Mainstream?

Re: Think You’re Anti-Mainstream?

asdf — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 23:15:02 -0000

Yes nickelback sucks, just admit it. As long as you have ears that work, then you can hear the quality for yourself.
Mainstream music is just like that too. Never mind the song being popular, you can tell if it sucks or not. Especially if you hear a voice that hasn't even reached puberty, or some auto-tuned drunk bitch...
You don't have to fit in just to enjoy something, you enjoy something by not fitting in

Re: Think You’re Anti-Mainstream?

bios — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 13:40:39 -0000

I think this post is interesting, but i disagree with aspects of it. firstly, being anti-mainstream has to do with principles, not music or films as such. What _real_ anti-mainstream people don't like about mainstream music or film is the fact that it generally reflects values they disagree with. If it's not a question of value, then it's a reactionary position, and this mentality is quite trendy with youth subcultures i must admit, but it misses the point entirely.

secondly, your view of what is anti-mainstream is based on caricature rather than reality. most anti-mainstream positions are not entirely consistent and how can they be given the amount of control big corporations have over what we hear and watch? Thirdly, as someone mentioned above, not everything that it's on the radio or at the cinema is necessarily classifed as 'mainstream'. Thirdly, being 'goth' like other goths doesn't make you mainstream. it just makes you a conformist, and yes, this mentality seems hypocritical, but conformism in a subculture is different to how it is in the mainstream. If you confirm to the group you believe in what it stands for, whether real or false, and that choice is conscious. I'm not so sure the same can be said for mainstream culture lovers. I think they tend to just 'go with the flow', and make choices under a heavy set of contraints. and finally, it's easier to be mainstream than it is to be anti-mainstream. There is often the suggestion that, whenever this argument arises, that being anti-mainstream is somehow lazy and done without much effort, but the complete opposite is true. It means you have to rely on alternate sources for your information. it means not being able to chat to people as casually about consensus artifacts. It means isolating yourself, to a large degree, and this is especially the case if you do not like the idea of subcultures.

I personally think of myself as being suspicious of the mainstream, rather than anti per se. I

Re: Think You’re Anti-Mainstream?

blank — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 18:03:11 -0000

I agree with most of what you said, however I find your first sentence to be peculiar to say the least: "I really dislike anything on the radio even if I would like it if it was completely obscure..."

How can you justify this view? What you are saying is that if a band you liked began to get radio play then you would no longer like them, even if the quality of their music were to not suffer. What sense does this make? Equivalently, you're also saying that you let your own personal music preferences be determined by others. This is awfully similar to fans of "Top 40" radio stations; the only difference is that those people are being told what to like whereas you are being told what to dislike. Why not just form opinions for yourself and ignore the outside forces?

Another thing you said made me cringe a little bit but not nearly as much as that first sentence: "Main stream music (to me, what's on the radio)..."

First of all, I'll assume that by "the radio" you actually mean corporate radio station chains. Fortunately, there are still local independent radio stations out there that aren't in the pockets of the major record labels, and therefore don't feel the need to play popular hits. Some of these stations are actually good sources of music that can be considered non-mainstream. I do believe the number of these stations has dwindled over the past several decades, but they are not extinct yet.
Even working under this assumption, I don't buy into the suggestion that everything on the radio is automatically mainstream. The first example to refute this notion that immediately comes to mind is the band Tool, but I'm certain there are many others.

Re: Think You’re Anti-Mainstream?

idontneedtobesaved — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 00:22:38 -0000

Here are my thoughts: I really dislike anything on the radio even if I would like it if it was completely obscure which I most likely wouldn't...We live in a capitalistic society in which these big record execs just want to make money, not give good music or something that's really artistic. They'll put out someone who really has no passion for music and is more likely than not just an image lip syncing words to songs they didn't write to music they had no part of. Music is emotion, life, and self expression. Main stream music (to me, what's on the radio) takes that away and places somethign artificial that I would hardly call art. That's just me. I have alot of passion for these ideas and it makes me cry when i find someone who I can tell has passion for their words and music when I see them live and remember the artificiality of modern mainstream music...when I get really caught up in these emotions it almost makes me despise the people in charge of those records. And the more of this that is spewed out from these top dog, millionaire record companies, teh more accustomed people are gonna become to it.

I'm pretty much a hypocrite too...I mean I've had to check myself. I completely and totally worship Regina Spektor for her folky style, intelligent allusions, truthful words, beautiful voice, and passion. I've never heard her on the radio, but she's really popular. Despite that I can tell she has this God-given gift for music and a passion that not every average Jane has...I love her. A bit hypocritical, no?

Just when I hear something on the radio, it's a total turnoff...like those stations that play "hot" music. I've never been unfortunate enough to love a band that's genuine and that eventually makes there way onto the radio.

What you said kind of gave me the idea you thought someone with my points of views was someone who was trying to be different because it's :cool"...That's not true at all. I have this passion for music and it pisses me off that they would give something so made-up that just takes the beauty and art out of what music truly is...it really truly pisses me off and makes me cry sometimes.

Re: Think You’re Anti-Mainstream?

orbtrip — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 21:49:52 -0000

One thing that this post proves is that you are better at expressing yourself in words than I'll ever be. Because this is along the lines of what I've been trying to say in most of my posts on OL. As a matter of fact, you probably understood what I was saying while no one else did and stole my ideas! You bastard!!

I'm probably more "mainstream" than most of you reading this...yeah, I even went to see Nickelback (well, I went to see Three Days Grace and Breaking Benjamin AND Nickelback) and it was a completely self indulgent show of pyro fire where every Mom who brought their 13 year old was singing along to every song - and I really f'ing enjoyed it man! I don't own a Nickelback album, but yet I was there with all these people who LOVED it and whether it was their happiness that rubbed off on me or the fact that I could also sing out loud like the biggest dork alive and no one looked down on me - I had fun. I enjoyed it. There I said it. Now ban me from the site...if you guys are Anti-Mainstream punks that is...?

Re: Think You’re Anti-Mainstream?

Ashmud — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 18:23:31 -0000

Well said. Lots to be said about music listened to in isolation versus in social context --

Re: Think You’re Anti-Mainstream?

Nirav Sheth — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 18:00:58 -0000

Much of listening to music is about inclusion into communities. Those who listen to mainstream music like feeling that they're apart of the majority and not weird. While those who have been trying to get out of the "normal" crowd thrive doing everything opposite because that's what makes them feel included in their social circles.

I think what makes you a moderate Dan is that you can listen to music by yourself, completely away from people. That makes music less of a social thing and more of a personal pleasure. I won't say you always like music that way as I'm sure you enjoy the community of your friends when going to concerts, shows, etc.

Re: Think You’re Anti-Mainstream?

Dan — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 11:27:32 -0000

2) It seems that way, but he'd only be fallible if he continued to ignore my suggestion
4) Actually, I have showered every time I've even seen that picture...

Re: Think You’re Anti-Mainstream?

blank — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 11:20:05 -0000

Four completely unrelated thoughts:
1) I'm reminded of the South Park episode where Stan tries to get the goth kids to join his dance crew. Check out this short clip - http://www.southparkstudios... - it's funny stuff and it touches on the conformist vs. nonconformist viewpoints.
2) You seem to imply that Mr. Cutright is somehow musically fallible - shenanigans I say!
3) At the end there, you hit a point Ashwin made with his last editorial, What Do We Know?
4) I hope you took a shower after finding that picture of the Nickelback guy