I saw a TikTok video recently of a man who asked his son what tee shirt he was wearing. The son replied, "Slipknot." The dad then explained to his child that some douchebag will likely ask them if they know any of their songs. The kid said, "Before I forget..." and then named off three songs. The dad pointed out his excellent parenting.
I agree.
Our youngest child wanted a sweatshirt from Target for Christmas. It was cute. Cream colored with pastel thunderbolts across the front. I didn't see the whole thing until she opened it on Christmas morning. It was an AC/DC sweatshirt.
I had a very similar conversation with her. I told her that some asshat would likely approach her and ask if she even knows their music. I also told her what to say if they do. She looked at me expectantly as I gave her a response to use.
"Baby, all you need to say is this:" I paused for a moment to gather my thoughts and finally delivered the best comeback ever.
"Hells Bells! I am Thunderstruck that you would even ask such a thing!" Then wink at them as you say "Who made who?" as you walk away."
She smiled. I doubt she'll do it. I sure wish she would though.
I don't understand this weird trend of trying to embarrass or demean someone for wearing a shirt with a band on it with the automatic presumption that they don't know the music. The cool art that comes with the music is still awesome, and inherently part of the music. It doesn't win the asker any points on the coolness scale. When I see these videos or posts on social media, I roll my eyes because the person trying to point out the other's musical deficiency is being a douchecanoe of the highest order.
Number one. Why in the world would one derive pleasure from demeaning another about something that really doesn't fucking matter? Seriously. If you are "offended" that someone doesn't know any Nirvana songs, then you have way too much free time on your hands. If the best you can do with yourself and your time is to ridicule another person based on your errant presumptions, then you honestly don't have a lot going on for you. Didn't anyone ever tell you that it is rude to comment on another person's attire? It's asinine that you believe others should dress to please you or dress according to your standards in music.
Number two. Back in the day, we used to share music with one another. It was no big deal if you hadn't heard of a band or listened to their music. It was a great way to forge a friendship or even spread the word about your favorite band. I've spent hours listening to new music with all kinds of folks that did not begrudge me anything because it was new to me. Isn't that the joy of finding a new band or genre? Getting excited by a certain riff or resonating with a specific lyric is a thing of beauty. If you are the kind of person that would rather mock someone for not knowing a certain band, then you are missing out on the prime opportunity to be a mentor and share something you love with someone else. Sharing music should get all the cool points.
Number three. If you are older and you are doing this to someone younger, then isn't it YOUR fault they don't know? Isn't the older generations' job to teach the younger ones about cool stuff like music? For real, I have even seen parents scoff at their own children for this, as if it wasn't their own damn fault for not teaching them about these incredible bands. Seriously, there is more to parenting than feeding and clothing them. You're supposed to teach them shit too. Teach them to take care of themselves, teach them to be decent, and teach them about some of the things you love. Who knows? Maybe you will even find a common ground with your kids if you do.
My kids listen to so many new bands that I can barely keep up. They share them with me too. I have found some newer artists that I actually love. My husband and I share what we love with them also. This is an awesome family experience.
This reminds me, I need to go play some AC/DC for our kid because For Those About to Rock, the Girls Got Rythm. She was just listening to her dad's new Melvins album the other day. We couldn't be more proud!
