The Effect of the Media on Impressionable Minds
I'm watching old videos of Axl Rose, whom I've always loved more than life itself. I think the fact that I don't hate minorities, women, gays, and lawyers is proof that children don't mindlessly absorb their pop heroes.
The funny thing is, I'm sure that if I had first met Axl now, instead of in 1991, I would hate him. I wonder what that says about me as an adult? Certainly I'd say that I'm more judgmental. But at the same time, I wonder if I wasn't smarter and more discriminating as a child. After all, what do I care what a musician believes? What right do I have to take it personally? As I child I had no trouble separating the artist from the bigot/person. I loved the music, the rebellion, and even the lifestyle that was lived so dangerously without fear. All the stuff I didn't like, like the misogyny, I simply ignored. I don't think I even felt conflicted, or saw the need to reconcile my love with all the things I had problems with.
The funny thing is, I'm sure that if I had first met Axl now, instead of in 1991, I would hate him. I wonder what that says about me as an adult? Certainly I'd say that I'm more judgmental. But at the same time, I wonder if I wasn't smarter and more discriminating as a child. After all, what do I care what a musician believes? What right do I have to take it personally? As I child I had no trouble separating the artist from the bigot/person. I loved the music, the rebellion, and even the lifestyle that was lived so dangerously without fear. All the stuff I didn't like, like the misogyny, I simply ignored. I don't think I even felt conflicted, or saw the need to reconcile my love with all the things I had problems with.
posted by Rex at 2:13 PM
2 Comments:
I do love me some GNR, but yeah, Axl Rose is so unpleasant as a human being. I guess when I was little I was all about consuming the product (music, videos), and didn't really care so much about the artist? But I have a harder time separating the two now. Like, when all that Polanski stuff flared up recently, and all these people signed a petition on his behalf? Whoooo boy. I don't know that I'll be watching movies by the people who signed that petition any time soon.
I totally agree. Back when I was a kid, my thinking was, "What do his beliefs have to do with his music?" Now it's more like, "Why should this pedo-asshole get a free pass just because he makes movies?"
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