Idol Worship -_-

Jamstruth

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Ok, I'll be the first to admit I really shouldn't have started the debate/argument with my friends over their personal music tastes but its caused a sort of falling out between me and 2 of them...

I come from a strict school of "Love the music, don't obsess over band members". I love listening to music, my Media Player almost always has Green Day or the Beatles in its playlist but I don't obsess over any members. This may be because I am a male of the species but I really don't get Idol worship. Most of this comes from my Dad who is really against all Celebrity, his response to most news stories along the lines of "OMG! X and Y got a divorce" or "Y cheated on X, X devastated" is "And this is news...why?" I think it is stupid to absolutely love and defend a musician to the bitter end, even if they sell out/make a bad record or argue with people about why my preferred music is better than theirs. Differences of opinion occur constantly. I have a few friends who obsess over certain bands and are complete fangirls/boys, I do tease them about it but this has caused a slight fall out between me and one of them (and subsequently another)

I have 2 friends who I go to school with who obsess over 2 German Metal bands known as "Oomph!" and "Rammstein". One of them's main obsession is a singer called Dero, a 40-something year old goth with a wife and kids. Its actually creepy how much this girl loves the guy. I tease them a bit about it and they generally take it well.

Now to the one which has caused a rift. A little known singer/song writer you may not have heard of, Lady GaGa. I hate most chart music today as it seems to have degenerated into generic pop, R&B, Dance etc. basically styles of music I do not like at all (I'm a Goth/Rocker all the way) Lady GaGa just annoys me and seems attention seeking with her ludicrous outfits, I don't like the music style (use proper instruments dammit) but I will only admit that she is a mediocre singer riding above a wave of generic pop and various other crap, much better than the likes of JLS mind!
Anyway, this friend is completely OBSESSED with Gaga and cannot take the slightest joke/criticism over her. It is really bad, like teasing has been made illegal by a UN statute! He posted a video of a concert of hers to Youtube to show her playing live, in one of these videos she was sitting playing a white Piano wearing a PVC boob-tube. I jokingly commented (on Youtube and Facebook) asking if she was wearing duct tape. Both comments were deleted without reply. I recently posted a status update to Facebook saying "Sitting Playing Wonderwall". My friend commented "Does it come in Duct Tape" as a reference to my earlier comments (which are by this date about half a week old) A comment which makes NO FUCKING SENSE!!!!!!! And then he proceeded to argue with me about how my joke made no sense (which it fucking did).
This guy is completely mad about GaGa, saying that she changed his life (PFFFFFFT) Since he considers himself an outcast like she was at school and her success has given him strength to be who he is and not what he thinks people want him to be... Aren't you told that constantly at school? Be yourself? The guy has friends at his school several in fact, I know them, which he gained by being himself anyway...

So, am I being a douche here or is my friend overreacting? Is teasing actually outlawed by a UN Statute? And when, oh when, will I experience such a life changing musical obsession?

TUNE IN NEXT TIME TO THE AMAZING JAMSTRUTH RANTS!!!!!!
 

Jamstruth

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New stupidity...
The guy often makes twitter posts in french, I make a comment about how I hate it as I hated french in school. After a while I spot a post talking about how I can't understand it and I reply with something saying how I understand enough to see this "insult" against me and add some random Japanese insults (which i have picked up from Naruto days) "Baka" a relatively benign insult meaning idiot and "erro sennin" which is a really random one which means "perverted hermit" He gets all mad at this as he knows, at least what baka means. I explain what both insults mean and then before he starts shouting at me for calling him that I explain I went over the top for comic effect (how could anybody take an all caps with such random Japanese insults seriously) and he's gotten mad at me AGAIN!! Wondering if I'm doing it just to piss him and the other person in the convo (there's a huge twitter convo in french I can't be bothered translating) off. Also saying its not funny at all...
Seriously? I'm really falling out with this guy and I do not want to, at all! As far as I can see its him taking the wrong end of the stick with both hands and hefting it above his head proclaiming it to be the correct end.
 

nasune

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I gotta say, do you really want this dude as a friend? I mean from what I've read this guy doesn't want some friendship but he wants you to be his little minion and simply accept and do everything he says, and if you do something he doesn't want you get the short end of it. That is not friendship in my eyes (hell I insult my friends on a regular basis and they insult me back, who cares).
 

Jamstruth

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This is a disagreement of rather epic over the topness brought on by his complete obsession with lady GaGa and my adamance that obsession is stupid. He's a really good mate most of the time, and was a really good guy to talk to about some stuff. He's completely overreacted in the Twitter thing, as for doing everything he says...I doubt he'll be able to enforce anything over the 100 miles between us (something I haven't really mentioned) I'm not saying the whole picture, if I'm honest I started this whole thing by baiting him about Lady Gaga (saying she was terrible while knowing he was a fan) and beginning the whole debate.

He's now apologised for his outburst over Twitter, though still advising me to learn comedy... Can somebody please tell me how "MY LIMITED FRENCH CAN SEE YOUR INSULT AGAINST ME!!! BAKA!!! BAKA ERRO-SENNIN!!!" Can be taken seriously? Its so obviously over the top with the Caps Lock and multiple exclamation points, maybe I need the sarc mark...
 

nasune

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Still having to tip toe around issues he finds important is not really equal footing, like I said I've insulted my friend many times (at times even seriously insulting his pride and joy, his antique collection), still he understands that this is to get a rise out of him and he does the same to me. He may not like what you say, but even so he can simply tell you if he thinks you're going too far without blowing his top.
 

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Jamstruth said:
This guy is completely mad about GaGa
You could say he's completely ga-ga over GaGa
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Yeah, mad fanatical infatuation with band members is kinda weird. I always separate the artist from his/her work, and realize there's no firm connections between them. I can disagree with the artist but like the work, or vice versa. Often an artist is an asshole, an idiot, a generally unpleasant person I'd never associate with, but their work is outstanding; often a pleasant, amicable person I'd like to hang out with produces work that's, while not neccessarily bad, entirely contrary to my tastes. The fact I like a song/movie/book/whatever by that person doesn't mean I'd like that person, so I really don't care about them. I've long since learned to separate the artist from their work. On one hand.

On the other hand, those are people I've never met, and (probably) never will. All I see is an image completely distorted by media, propaganda and spin, something that's often completely divorced from the actual person. I don't know these people, I can't judge them, but I can't like them either. And all I care about, when I like someone's music (since we're talking music here) is the music, not their latest drug scandal or marital status. Who cares? Well a lot of people do, apparently. Yeah, I don't get it either.

I happen to like Rammstein (some albums more than others; this last one is pretty meh, overall) but I can't say I care much for the people in the band. I mean, the only significant tidbit from their personal life I care about is whether they're alive or dead, because them being dead would somewhat hamper their work and hinder future releases (although you never know; 2-Pac, anyone?). I don't get people's obsession with singers, actors, members of royal families, Paris Hilton... in one word, celebrities. I can't fall in love with a picture or a video clip (I can find other uses for those
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but falling in love is not one of them; let's just say I keep it purely physical
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), I can't judge a person by a heavily edited half-page interview I happen to be unable to avoid reading. All I can say to people praising or despising someone they've only seen on TV is "chill out. You don't know them. Your opinions and feelings toward them are laughable at best. Your opinion isn't fact, it's the sum of your bias, projection, insecurity, wishful thinking, all those combined, that you happen to attribute to a pretty face (or in the case of Oomph's singer, not so pretty... but I digress) that you see, heavily photoshopped, in the papers and on TV." It never helps, though.

All you can do is leave their little obsessions be. It will pass soon enough. Those things have a way of blowing over. Your friends will get fed up with their "idols." In a little while, they'll be embarrassed of their little infatuation themselves. You'll see. It's how it goes. Until then, smile and nod and leave well enough alone. No point in worrying about it.
 

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