It's sad that I have to write this. But it must be done. I have seen, recently, that there is a great amount of ignorance in the world when it comes to music. People throw around words like "emo" and "nu-metal" like there's no tomorrow. Elitism is nearly inescapable, and the saddest part is, no one wants to admit that someone else's opinion is respectable. I have written this article in an attempt to end to ignorance.
Emo Is An Actual Genre of Music
And a respectable one at that. A lot of people, particularly young people (I'm reminded of my 12-year old brother), label any kind of music they don't like as "emo." Please. That's ridiculous. If you do not know what kind of music the song/artist/album in question is, don't say anything. When you say things like, "That's emo," and, "They're emo; they must suck," you make yourself look like an idiot and everyone around you gets dumber. "Emo" is not just a blanket word for "suck." It has an actual meaning, and if you don't know what it is, don't use the word.
All Rap Is Not Crap
If all rap were bad, people wouldn't make rap. That is as close to a fact as one will encounter in such an opinionated discussion as this. However, there is bad rap; top 40/crunk can be formulaic and uncreative and it deserves all the insults it gets. There is, however, a good deal of good "underground" rap. I use the term "underground" quite loosely, because there is such a thing as popular and good rap; it is just very rare. When you say, "All rap is crap," and, "You can't spell crap without rap," once again, you make yourself look ridiculous and the people around you feel dumber just being around you.
There's More To Modern Rock Than Whiny Lyrics, and Simple Guitar Riffs
While many popular modern bands follow a simple formula (see: Fall Out Boy), there are quite a few new and creative artists out there. Don't label entire genres as bad if you have not done research and familiarized yourself with the entire genre. Queens of the Stone Age are an excellent example of this. They are a very, very good band, and they are alternative rock. Fall Out Boy? Not so much. Still, the point is that every genre has its highs and lows. What we, as listeners, must do is sort out the highs and lows and listen to the highs.
Metal Is Not Entirely Screaming
Nor is it entirely immature ballads about dragons, war, and death. While I personally do not prefer the genre of metal (in general), I must admit that there are quite a few solid metal artists. Metallica, for example, is a great band. This is another case of "no genre is entirely bad." Once again, we must only listen to the best of the genre and leave the rest alone. While I admit it can be difficult to find the highs in metal, if you look hard enough, it is possible.
Elitism is Bad. Always
Remember that opinions, especially in music, are just that: opinions. Everyone is entitled to their own, and there is probably nothing you can do about it. Agree to disagree. If your best friend likes rap and you don't, live with it. It is his opinion, and it is just as valid as yours. Besides, let other people listen to their music; even if it's bad, it's still not hurting you that other people are listening to it. When you are in an argument about artists, try your best to keep you opinion out of it, and look at facts or skills, such as songwriting, composition, and technical skill with instruments. This is how not to come off like a four year-old in a discussion about music.
Well I hope you enjoyed reading this. I tried not to sound too didactic, but it was tough. By the way, even if I didn't really show it in this article, I am human with a sense of humor. I'm not some kind of robot or college professor, even if I sounded like one.
