Steampunk =/= Anti-Mainstream (A Rant)
As you may or may not know (and you SHOULD.), I'm a huge Abney Park fan. As such, I was delighted when Jody Ellen, present redshi-- I mean, female vocalist of Abney Park announced that the band is at #8 on iTunes for their genre! I was less so when a whiny sophomore (and I mean HIGH SCHOOL sophomore) complained about mainstream.
...This bugs me. Steampunk has become a subculture. As such, it has a 'definition' - which differs from person to person. It's like asking the difference between 'geek' and 'nerd'. Some people use them interchangeably, and to some they have separate meanings. To clarify? My personal opinion on the matter is that a 'nerd' is learned in useful topics - such as math, science, etc. - in a way that is socially unacceptable to the general population. I'm talking calculus professors, IT guys, hackers, etc. 'Geeks' have the same problem, although their topic of interest is USELESS. This is your scarheads (Harry Potter), Trekkies (Star Trek), etc. etc.
Twatlighters, you're GEEKS. Get over you damn self.
Personally, I am proud of my geek knowledge. It's useless, yes, but the culture is generally more fun. Cosplays, RPGs, fanfiction & filk (hiss in fear all you want, I got my start in writing through fanfiction), yadda yadda. Also, when you find someone that shares a fandom, there's a whole PLETHORA of inside jokes you're now privy to. I swear, dating a geek is awesome (PROVIDED you're one yourself), because you don't even have to know each other before you can have hours long conversations about a common fandom. Seriously. Try it sometime. I could go on FOREVER about Harry Potter - it's my specialty. I practically know the series inside and out. When I learn something new, I get jealous of the geek that surpassed me, and try to learn more. But I am also a bit of a nerd. I can be antisocial. I can even be outright apathetic at times. I can be a bitch, but I know how to crack a whip on an underclassman's ass to get his research project done like nobody's business. I have dabbled in programming in five different languages, and was even conteplating a major in Comp Sci before I realised that it's just too strict for me. Fun to play with, but I'm better with the written word then the complex algorithms of a computer program. XD I would be the WORST at bug fixing, let me tell you. Still, I understand physics and Calculus (though trig is my BANE. I wasn't taught it properly, and now it just confuses the hell out of me everytime I see it.) and am fairly well versed in software. I can defrag and reformat a computer, even if I get the words mixed up, and have a working understanding of binary (as in, I frequently have binary switch issues. It's true. I have dyslexic typing fingers, too... When my fingers are going faster then my brain is. I must have a virus...) /programming joke -- I could argue that some of my earth science and biology and etc. is 'useless information', but if SOMEONE can use that science to progress civilisation, I think it counts.
Anywho. Back on topic (lulz). Steampunk is a delightful subculture that has a combination of both aspects. Geek, because it's all a fantasy, and nerd because it at its core requires a remaking and a certain amount of engineering ingenuity to pull off properly. Steampunk at its core is a reaction to the mainstream. The beige plastic boxes that our prepackaged computers come in, to use a visual metaphor (stolen from Robert Brown OF Abney Park, athankya). Instead, we try to take things back to a time when invention was new, and people were creative, instead of shoved in cubicles like so many rats on a wheel. We take our modern science and reinvent it to the time when things had form AND function. Where not only did your new gas-guzzling car DO something awesome, it LOOKED something awesome. We don't plug cogs and gears on everything because it's the rules. We pick clocks with transparent faces because we want to get back to a time where we understood how something works, to appreciate the craftsmanship that goes into the precise ticking of a clock. When we live in a world where 'if it doesn't work, replace it' is a common rule, getting back to a self-education where you can fix the things you depend on yourself (instead of blaming Apple for an alarm glitch, you could have a manual clock that WILL go off, no matter what. Far less fickle, brass cogs) and help others. It was a time of adventure, back when there was still some mystery in the world, instead of the same old lack of adventure we have today. Yeah, there's space, but still. We've seen what we can at present. And when a private citizen can fly out of the atmosphere on his own time, you know it's time to move on.
Steampunk is NOT, howe'er, antimainstream, like so many so foolishly believe. Catholicism is not simply Anti-Devil. It has its own purpose. Steampunk isn't a club of people who whine about the mainstream, steampunk is a subculture where people who are fed up with the mainstream DO something about it, and make their own lives (and that of those around them) into something a little more extraordinary. I had this comment to say to this fellow, and have been commended for it. Ergo, I thought it wise to archive it somewhere a little more permanent, and share it with my faithful followers (*SNORT*). Edited for cleanliness and ease of reading, as well as some snipey comments I was nice enough not to say there, hehehe...:
The main difference between 'mainstreamers' and true fans are that mainstreamers/fadists will go away after a couple years. True fans will always know more, be there longer, and never leave. Abney Park got me in person at Dragon*con in 2008, and while they're one of the best known steampunk bands, right with Clockwork Dolls and Dr. Steel, they're not mainstream.
Honestly, hating mainstream is just as bad as loving mainstream.
Personally, I take all things in mainstream with a grain of salt, but there are some good bands out there, comparative to taste. I'm not one for premanufactured boy bands, but there are some choice songs of theirs I enjoyed (Backstreet Boys' "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" earns an honourable mention for that AMAZING music video; Mr. Hyde on his own). And while some of it's shite, there are some that I've truly enjoyed (My Chemical Romance, Evanescence, System of a Down, Vampire Weekend - I could go on and on, honestly).
Hating mainstream music BECAUSE it's mainstream is like hating rich people because they're rich. Some of them have worked hard and long to get where they are. Not all of them are stuck up heirs, and it's an unfair stereotype. Abney Park is well worth any glory they are given, because they've worked damn hard to not only keep true to themselves, but to do so at the sacrifice of the financial success they could have otherwise enjoyed. They choose to be good to their fans and their listeners rather then their wallets, and that integrity is a HUGE reason why their fanbase is so loving and loyal.
If they can make it mainstream, I say more power to them. If the fadist schmucks want to buy swag, wear it for two years, then get in a new program, woopty-freakin'-doo. Everyone has to deal with the cancer eventually. What makes steampunk any different? How the hell did you get into it without hearing about it from somewhere else to begin with? That's like accusing a church of being a mainstream church purely because they're bigger than yours. There are some churches that are actually GOOD churches, and by being good churches, they get more people to come in, and if you're doing it right, you SHOULD get new people. You SHOULD grow. If you don't, there's something wrong, whatever you're doing.
Making your money more important then theirs is elitist and wrong. When it comes down to it, music is still a business. Abney Park will, if gradually, get bigger concerts, bigger sales, and bigger income. And that will let them produce more. Abney Park will never go 'mainstream' integrally, because that requires a certain prefabrication that I don't think the band is even capable of. Honestly - listen to their music (as if anyone listens to lyrics anymore! SHEEPLE WAKE UP!!!) and you'll find out really quickly that Robert Brown has a couple hot topics. Personal battles, fighting society's oppression, and being true to yourself. It's been a damn hard struggle for him, but the freedom is SO worth it ("Letters" from The End of Days is the first thing that comes to mind, followed by "Off the Grid" and "Throw Them Overboard" (TTO is from Aether Shanties) and it's a damn good example). They're real, honest, and heart-breakingly vulnerable. It's in the writing, the show, AND the people.
How many mainstream artists do you know that man their own booths, chat on their own blogs, and friend their fans on facebook? NONE of them. That's the difference between an awesome band that's become popular enough for everyone to notice and a mainstream band. I'll add the beautiful Amanda Palmer of the Dresden Dolls and Jimmy Buffett - a VASTLY successful artist that most people don't even know, despite the fact that he's been making countless albums and selling out shows since the 70s, and earlier!
Don't hate on their success. If anything, you should be PROUD to know that band before they went big. It's a sign that you invested in something that others saw was awesome, too. Case in point, I love seeing Toy Soldier memorabilia, but it still depresses me that more people recognise the red and black patch of Dr. Steel then my Abney Park shirt. I have to work on it one person at a time, but other bands I love - Pomplamoose, I'll mention - are also getting their chance. Pomplamoose has managed to get a contract doing car commercials, and while someone like you is likely to whine and bitch about how they're 'selling out' (honestly, who the hell wrote Rent? He was probably an idiot like you. He'd rather be dirt poor making nothing of himself and living the high life (see what I did there?) then use his talents to make something of himself, and then make the ONE guy who did it out like a bad guy) and I say that YOU sir are the posseur. You don't appreciate the amount of work, time, money and trials that go into making something out of nothing. Hate all you want, but shit gets popular for a reason. Either because it's designed to be a seller (*cough* Twilight, I name thee) or because it's GOOD (Harry Potter), and you can hate all you want, but any publicity is good publicity.
And really, when you think about it, this cliqueish bullshit is really just an immature selfishness to not want to share your awesome band, at best, and a need to be 'one of the cool kids' at worst. You enjoy that exclusive clique feeling. True fandom never fades, though. And if you're honestly worried that they'll 'ruin' your subculture?
Don't worry about the fadists. They'll fade. That's why it's called a 'fad'. It's short lived.
...And I say that as someone who always seems to find awesome things about two or three years before my brother (who is a fadist) does, or waits until about three years AFTER they come out to see if they're even worth checking out. My list of movies, TV shows, anime, books, comix and music to check out is so long, I never watch anything anymore unless I get several personal suggestions to watch it. Because my friends know what I like, and know I don't bother with anything but the best. And if they last the trial, they'll know that it's worth following, too.
...This bugs me. Steampunk has become a subculture. As such, it has a 'definition' - which differs from person to person. It's like asking the difference between 'geek' and 'nerd'. Some people use them interchangeably, and to some they have separate meanings. To clarify? My personal opinion on the matter is that a 'nerd' is learned in useful topics - such as math, science, etc. - in a way that is socially unacceptable to the general population. I'm talking calculus professors, IT guys, hackers, etc. 'Geeks' have the same problem, although their topic of interest is USELESS. This is your scarheads (Harry Potter), Trekkies (Star Trek), etc. etc.
Twatlighters, you're GEEKS. Get over you damn self.
Personally, I am proud of my geek knowledge. It's useless, yes, but the culture is generally more fun. Cosplays, RPGs, fanfiction & filk (hiss in fear all you want, I got my start in writing through fanfiction), yadda yadda. Also, when you find someone that shares a fandom, there's a whole PLETHORA of inside jokes you're now privy to. I swear, dating a geek is awesome (PROVIDED you're one yourself), because you don't even have to know each other before you can have hours long conversations about a common fandom. Seriously. Try it sometime. I could go on FOREVER about Harry Potter - it's my specialty. I practically know the series inside and out. When I learn something new, I get jealous of the geek that surpassed me, and try to learn more. But I am also a bit of a nerd. I can be antisocial. I can even be outright apathetic at times. I can be a bitch, but I know how to crack a whip on an underclassman's ass to get his research project done like nobody's business. I have dabbled in programming in five different languages, and was even conteplating a major in Comp Sci before I realised that it's just too strict for me. Fun to play with, but I'm better with the written word then the complex algorithms of a computer program. XD I would be the WORST at bug fixing, let me tell you. Still, I understand physics and Calculus (though trig is my BANE. I wasn't taught it properly, and now it just confuses the hell out of me everytime I see it.) and am fairly well versed in software. I can defrag and reformat a computer, even if I get the words mixed up, and have a working understanding of binary (as in, I frequently have binary switch issues. It's true. I have dyslexic typing fingers, too... When my fingers are going faster then my brain is. I must have a virus...) /programming joke -- I could argue that some of my earth science and biology and etc. is 'useless information', but if SOMEONE can use that science to progress civilisation, I think it counts.
Anywho. Back on topic (lulz). Steampunk is a delightful subculture that has a combination of both aspects. Geek, because it's all a fantasy, and nerd because it at its core requires a remaking and a certain amount of engineering ingenuity to pull off properly. Steampunk at its core is a reaction to the mainstream. The beige plastic boxes that our prepackaged computers come in, to use a visual metaphor (stolen from Robert Brown OF Abney Park, athankya). Instead, we try to take things back to a time when invention was new, and people were creative, instead of shoved in cubicles like so many rats on a wheel. We take our modern science and reinvent it to the time when things had form AND function. Where not only did your new gas-guzzling car DO something awesome, it LOOKED something awesome. We don't plug cogs and gears on everything because it's the rules. We pick clocks with transparent faces because we want to get back to a time where we understood how something works, to appreciate the craftsmanship that goes into the precise ticking of a clock. When we live in a world where 'if it doesn't work, replace it' is a common rule, getting back to a self-education where you can fix the things you depend on yourself (instead of blaming Apple for an alarm glitch, you could have a manual clock that WILL go off, no matter what. Far less fickle, brass cogs) and help others. It was a time of adventure, back when there was still some mystery in the world, instead of the same old lack of adventure we have today. Yeah, there's space, but still. We've seen what we can at present. And when a private citizen can fly out of the atmosphere on his own time, you know it's time to move on.
Steampunk is NOT, howe'er, antimainstream, like so many so foolishly believe. Catholicism is not simply Anti-Devil. It has its own purpose. Steampunk isn't a club of people who whine about the mainstream, steampunk is a subculture where people who are fed up with the mainstream DO something about it, and make their own lives (and that of those around them) into something a little more extraordinary. I had this comment to say to this fellow, and have been commended for it. Ergo, I thought it wise to archive it somewhere a little more permanent, and share it with my faithful followers (*SNORT*). Edited for cleanliness and ease of reading, as well as some snipey comments I was nice enough not to say there, hehehe...:
The main difference between 'mainstreamers' and true fans are that mainstreamers/fadists will go away after a couple years. True fans will always know more, be there longer, and never leave. Abney Park got me in person at Dragon*con in 2008, and while they're one of the best known steampunk bands, right with Clockwork Dolls and Dr. Steel, they're not mainstream.
Honestly, hating mainstream is just as bad as loving mainstream.
Personally, I take all things in mainstream with a grain of salt, but there are some good bands out there, comparative to taste. I'm not one for premanufactured boy bands, but there are some choice songs of theirs I enjoyed (Backstreet Boys' "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" earns an honourable mention for that AMAZING music video; Mr. Hyde on his own). And while some of it's shite, there are some that I've truly enjoyed (My Chemical Romance, Evanescence, System of a Down, Vampire Weekend - I could go on and on, honestly).
Hating mainstream music BECAUSE it's mainstream is like hating rich people because they're rich. Some of them have worked hard and long to get where they are. Not all of them are stuck up heirs, and it's an unfair stereotype. Abney Park is well worth any glory they are given, because they've worked damn hard to not only keep true to themselves, but to do so at the sacrifice of the financial success they could have otherwise enjoyed. They choose to be good to their fans and their listeners rather then their wallets, and that integrity is a HUGE reason why their fanbase is so loving and loyal.
If they can make it mainstream, I say more power to them. If the fadist schmucks want to buy swag, wear it for two years, then get in a new program, woopty-freakin'-doo. Everyone has to deal with the cancer eventually. What makes steampunk any different? How the hell did you get into it without hearing about it from somewhere else to begin with? That's like accusing a church of being a mainstream church purely because they're bigger than yours. There are some churches that are actually GOOD churches, and by being good churches, they get more people to come in, and if you're doing it right, you SHOULD get new people. You SHOULD grow. If you don't, there's something wrong, whatever you're doing.
Making your money more important then theirs is elitist and wrong. When it comes down to it, music is still a business. Abney Park will, if gradually, get bigger concerts, bigger sales, and bigger income. And that will let them produce more. Abney Park will never go 'mainstream' integrally, because that requires a certain prefabrication that I don't think the band is even capable of. Honestly - listen to their music (as if anyone listens to lyrics anymore! SHEEPLE WAKE UP!!!) and you'll find out really quickly that Robert Brown has a couple hot topics. Personal battles, fighting society's oppression, and being true to yourself. It's been a damn hard struggle for him, but the freedom is SO worth it ("Letters" from The End of Days is the first thing that comes to mind, followed by "Off the Grid" and "Throw Them Overboard" (TTO is from Aether Shanties) and it's a damn good example). They're real, honest, and heart-breakingly vulnerable. It's in the writing, the show, AND the people.
How many mainstream artists do you know that man their own booths, chat on their own blogs, and friend their fans on facebook? NONE of them. That's the difference between an awesome band that's become popular enough for everyone to notice and a mainstream band. I'll add the beautiful Amanda Palmer of the Dresden Dolls and Jimmy Buffett - a VASTLY successful artist that most people don't even know, despite the fact that he's been making countless albums and selling out shows since the 70s, and earlier!
Don't hate on their success. If anything, you should be PROUD to know that band before they went big. It's a sign that you invested in something that others saw was awesome, too. Case in point, I love seeing Toy Soldier memorabilia, but it still depresses me that more people recognise the red and black patch of Dr. Steel then my Abney Park shirt. I have to work on it one person at a time, but other bands I love - Pomplamoose, I'll mention - are also getting their chance. Pomplamoose has managed to get a contract doing car commercials, and while someone like you is likely to whine and bitch about how they're 'selling out' (honestly, who the hell wrote Rent? He was probably an idiot like you. He'd rather be dirt poor making nothing of himself and living the high life (see what I did there?) then use his talents to make something of himself, and then make the ONE guy who did it out like a bad guy) and I say that YOU sir are the posseur. You don't appreciate the amount of work, time, money and trials that go into making something out of nothing. Hate all you want, but shit gets popular for a reason. Either because it's designed to be a seller (*cough* Twilight, I name thee) or because it's GOOD (Harry Potter), and you can hate all you want, but any publicity is good publicity.
And really, when you think about it, this cliqueish bullshit is really just an immature selfishness to not want to share your awesome band, at best, and a need to be 'one of the cool kids' at worst. You enjoy that exclusive clique feeling. True fandom never fades, though. And if you're honestly worried that they'll 'ruin' your subculture?
Don't worry about the fadists. They'll fade. That's why it's called a 'fad'. It's short lived.
...And I say that as someone who always seems to find awesome things about two or three years before my brother (who is a fadist) does, or waits until about three years AFTER they come out to see if they're even worth checking out. My list of movies, TV shows, anime, books, comix and music to check out is so long, I never watch anything anymore unless I get several personal suggestions to watch it. Because my friends know what I like, and know I don't bother with anything but the best. And if they last the trial, they'll know that it's worth following, too.