These days, trying to have civil discourse—especially in the realm of metal—is like attempting to force feed a newborn an entire watermelon. I’m sure it can be done, if cartoons taught me anything, but the baby will just bitch that it wasn’t in season. You have one side that takes things incredibly seriously and another that’s so laid back about things they might as well be asleep. Neither one wants to listen to the other unless it means they have a few seconds to gather their next witty slap. It’s just a gathering of people talking at each other and our united ability to actually listen to what the other person is saying is no longer considered a virtue but a liability. Trying to understand where someone is coming from almost seems to be discouraged, especially in today’s climate where you’re just able to label someone a “communist” or “fascist” without even realizing why you’re saying it, only that you know it ends arguments (and starts new ones).
The same kind of people who will look down on you for thinking something like this is a bad mockery of something you find special are the same ones who lose their shit when their own tastes are called into question. Tell someone you don’t like Myrkur because you think the music is boring and you’ll be persecuted for crimes against humanity. But say you think someone’s vacation photo record cover sucks and you’re the asshole. It’s the devaluation of opinion. It’s an endless race to last place.
- Neil Jameson
