I already knew this...

[haldash]

...but I want to thank The Guardian for confirming it: metal heads are smarter, sexier, and better than everyone else. Deal with it!

http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/music/2007/03/why_metal_fans_are_brainier.html

Why metal fans are brainier
A disproportionate number of bright students listen to metal. No wonder - it's difficult, erudite and still

Comments

[beanmonster007]

What a poorly written article. They pretty much just said "people think that radiohead and smiths fans are smart, but metalheads are actually smart too, because a lot of smart people listen to metal." Nevermind the fact that metal is a huge genre with many subgenres. It's like lumping erykah badu in with "rap". His argument is much too vague.

This guy also totally failed to bring up any numbers to support his argument. He just says "a disporportionate number". What is that based on? Obviously, metal is a much larger catagory than "college indie rock" (which I guess is how I would group the smiths and radiohead liking genre). A lot more people like metal, smart and stupid, especially in suburban middle white america.

I think that the point this guy was TRYING (but oh so sadly FAILING) to make was WHY exactly a person who is smart might also be a person who likes metal. His basic and blase reasoning was that smart people feel like outsiders, but he doesn't say WHY. Again, metal is a very predominantly white, middle american genre. I'm just guessing here, but I'd bet that there are way more white rappers than black thrashers. Middle class white teenagers living in suburbia are fundamentally BORED. Especially if they are smarter than the MacDonalds commercials and lackluster sitcoms that the world tries to dumb them down with. Probably, if the same middle class white kid was dodging bullets in the hood, he wouldn't find metal as appealing. He wouldn't feel the same need to rebel against the Man through the power of rock.

Also, what age group is this guy questioning? It seems to me that metal is something more appealing in the high school years, whereas Radiohead and the Smiths have a little bit older audience (i.e. college students). The same person who lists metal as his/her favorite musical choice when in high school may very well list "college/indie rock" as their favorite choice five years later. I think it would be interesting to poll the exact same people five or ten years from now to see how their tastes have changed.

I certainly don't like the same music now that I did in high school. Also, though I really enjoy certain kinds of metal, I find other kinds heinous. And, brace yourself, I ALSO really like the Smiths and Radiohead. I guess I must be some sort of supergenious.

[haldash]

I am SO getting you anger management lessons for your birthday. Anger Management lessons and a blender.

[beanmonster007]

Why would you do that? My anger is the only thing that makes me truly happy.