You Are What You Listen To
 

Hey all,

I've been around the forum for a couple of months now and I'm starting to get a better understanding of some of the older members and the dynamic between noobs and mods. It's also interesting to get a feel for your music tastes, and what (most of you) listen to is often unexpected, unique, and very intriguing.

I'd just like to start up a discussion on whether or not you think people are what they listen to, and when a noob introduces themselves as a fan of such-and-such band, do you automatically have a feel for who this person is?

I try not to pass judgement on people, but do you think there are any truths in stereotypes like... depressed people listen to emo music, uneducated people like pop or country music, and stoners are all into reggae and 60s/70s psychedelic whatever. Of course these are just random examples that we all know aren't really true, but...

Yeah. Just curious what you think about the connection between personality and music taste...if there is one.

I'm a MB noob so I'm not familiar with any of the members musical tastes, but it wont have any effect on my opinions of them as people when I do start to gain that knowledge. I don't listen to music as a means of portraying who I think I am; therefore I don't use musical taste as a means of forming an opinion on who someone is. Musical taste is just one characteristic of a person, not the foundation of who they are.

I think there are stereotypes on this forum. If someone mentions Linkin Park or Slipknot, he will immediately get thought of as a close-minded n00b, and trying to defend the bands makes it even worse. Emo fans get viewed as depressesed, but only by people who hasn't read this.

No,

Plenty of members like those bands and don't get any crap for it.

The ones that get thought of as being close minded noobs are the close minded noobs who can't handle the fact that some people might think those bands are not very good.

Nearly every time I see Kiss mentioned in this forum it's usually somebody saying they're shit.

Nobody has ever given me any shit for liking Kiss.

This is a very interesting take! I totally do. I listen to music that I think defines me and promote that music as an extension of myself sometimes.

Makes sense, given your previous point.

So, you've never listened to a song that really felt expressed your personality, beliefs, or ideas? A lot of music, especially instrumental types, given me this very profound feeling of understanding myself and the world around me. I hope I'm not the only one. :)

Like I said, he was given shit for being an idiot, not for being a Slipknot fan.

But I got the impression that nobody (including me) took his opinion seriously, like if it is impossible to think that Slipknot is better than all other bands in existence.

My favourite band are The Fall.

I don't really care if they're the best band in the world or if anybody else likes them or not.

Why?

Because it doesn't spoil my enjoyment of them. And because other people are not me and obviously think differently.

I think you'll find most rational people who are not idiots would say the same thing about their favourite band.

It's not impossible to think anything! :) But still, some thoughts make me sad...