I'm a little annoyed

[sparkfrost]

Fandom, you're annoying me right now.

Supernatural- did you HAVE to kill off yet another black man? At first I got really excited that you had a person of color playing a major role, but the moment he called humans mud-monkeys I shook my head and stopped caring about the character. I just... I love the show, I really do. But do you think they could try to be less racist and less misogynist? Because that would be really awesome. I'm also a little annoyed that most people on the boards at TWoP are like, FINALLY! Uriel is dead! Hooray! I know that he 'had to die' for the episode, but his story could have been so interesting! What would make a specialist like Uriel, an angel in God's army for thousands of years, decide to turn to Lucifer? Instead we got a short speech about humanity sucking, then a quick fistfight, then BAM! Stabbed through the throat. I'm just... annoyed.

Bandom- QUIT HATING ON THE WOMEN! Goddamn, but I'm getting sick of this. Pete Wentz is my current favorite for calling out all the haters and subtle sexism that goes on, for serious. I've said this before and I'll say it again- It is perfectly fine to dislike a band's music. I don't like Tyga, so I don't listen to him. But I don't go around talking shit about him! If you dislike Hey Monday, don't listen to them! But quit saying that they're only popular because Cassadee is pretty! Or, on the other hand, say you love the band but hate Cassadee. That is bullshit. Cassadee is the lead singer, she is the frontwoman, they wouldn't be Hey Monday without her. So lay off!

I just don't get it. Is it jealousy? I'm jealous of their success, I'll admit it. I would do all sorts of things for RiP to get big. But I also admire them for doing it! All this hatred makes me think of Mean Girls- these little haters are tearing people down to try and make themselves feel better. But it doesn't work, and I wish they'd just stop.

Gah! Off to go listen to Hey Monday and do my homework. New friends, sorry for the ranty intro. Although I did warn you...

Comments

[fax-celestis.livejournal.com]

Nothing annoys me more than idiotic characterization, so I feel you there. I mean, I don't watch the show, but it seems like either they needed more "dissatisfaction" build-up or better reasoning, rather than relying upon sensationalism.

[sparkfrost.livejournal.com]

He was just so one-dimensional, it really bothered me. I would have been very interested to learn more backstory and motivation. Instead we got him acting like an asshole and then getting stabbed in the throat. Gah!

Also, hi! :)

[novembersmith.livejournal.com]

Ohhh, man, I was upset about Uriel for that very reason. One, I thought it was too soon to kill off a fascinating character--whoo, Uriel/Lucifer! YES. REBEL ANGELS. Two, did it really have to be another strong black character that went evil? I think it would have been awesome to have switched the actors playing Uriel and Castiel. Not that I don't love Misha as Castiel, but it would have been interesting.

And I have absolutely nothing to do with the Hey Monday fandom, so I cannot really contribute much to that conversation. But other parts of bandom don't hate on women! Or at least not that I've seen--there are some assholes, yeah, it is the internet. But for the most part there's a lot of love for bandom ladies like Lyn-Z and Jamia and Kitty and Chantal. ...I guess there is also a strong chance that I just happen to avoid the cesspits where such hating might exist, because it hurts my soul. :/

[sparkfrost.livejournal.com]

I would have loved to know more about Uriel. Like, what made him decide to finally support Lucifer? Why now? I agree about switching actors- I love Mischa Collins as Castiel, but I would also love a strong black character WHO DIDN'T DIE!

I'm not really in Hey Monday fandom per se- I'm just sick of people talking shit about them on ICH. Every time Pete mentions the band or Cassadee anons come out of the woodwork to rag on her, and it just pisses me off.

[novembersmith.livejournal.com]

I agree SO HARD. I had a whole little universe in my head about Uriel, about what it would be like to have to be an instrument of God for killing people--he said he'd cleansed towns before. I feel like the way he viewed humans had to have had something to do with that, and I wonder how much might have been self defense. The whole "angels have no feelings!" schtick is clearly hogwash, after all. And I was so mad when they killed off Henriksen--he was one of my absolute favorites, and he would have been such an amazing recurring character. Also, have you seen that SPN art AU where Sam and Dean are African American? God, I bet that would have been an utterly amazing and totally different show.

Tbh, I think fannish hate for girls--fictional or not, is sort of pervasive, which depresses the hell out of me. A combination of shipping wars and just pure jealousy.

[sparkfrost.livejournal.com]

I loathe fannish hate for girls. I surround myself with awesome people who don't go in for that, but sometimes it seeps through, and it kills me. Hence the angry rants. :)

I was so angry about Henriksen! I loved him, thought he was interesting and an excellent foil for Dean. I was so excited to continue seeing him and then they killed him. Goddamn.

[novembersmith.livejournal.com]

I almost feel like Dean needs someone like Henriksen right now to snap him out of things with a good, no-nonsense "GET UP OFF YOUR ASS AND CRY LATER. HONESTLY." If only they hadn't killed him. Seriously, I think this season would have been infinitely better with him.

I just don't get the girl-hate. Girls are hot and awesome! WTF. I know the hate exists, it just completely and utterly baffles me.

[greybeta.livejournal.com]

I was at a friends house the other day, and this was the first Supernatural episode I have watched this season and I was like "The black dude is the bad guy, right?" Sadly, yes.

[sparkfrost.livejournal.com]

Yeah, pretty much. The last black guy they had in a major recurring role was killed violently. The one before him turned evil (and was killed violently). I believe they've had one black female in a main role, and her characterization was just awful.

I love this show, I really do, I just wish they'd see that people aren't bitching for the hell of it, that there are real issues they need to address.

[katieupsidedown.livejournal.com]

I think "Homecoming" is pretty catchy, as are the other bits of the album I've heard, but I'll admit I'm not a fan of Cassadee. I get really sick of Pete promoting the hell out of Hey Monday while bands like The Hush Sound fall to the wayside.

It all depends on how much stock you want to put in bandboys' opinions, but I don't feel as bad about disliking Cass when I met her because apparently their labelmates are not fans of hers either. What I've heard from others who've met her more than once pretty much confirms my initial impression: she's a phony. She's a little prom queen/cheerleader type who thinks very highly of herself. She couldn't cut it as a solo vocalist so she went Avril-punk and got herself a band. Every time I've been around her it seems like she thinks she's a lot more popular than she really is... and most of her bandmates act the same way, which is why most of the bands they've toured with dislike them so much.

And that's as much as I'm willing to say in public. :)

[sparkfrost.livejournal.com]

Ok, but see, you have reasons for it! I tend to choose Cass to defend because of the rabid hate for her- but I don't really know her that well. Since you have heard from multiple sources that she's not the nicest person, and since you have actually met her in person, you have perfectly valid reasons for disliking her as a person. I have issues with the people who dislike her because she's a girl.

I didn't get a chance to meet all of them, but I talked to Jersey for half an hour or so outside the venue, and he seemed really genuine. It sucks that people think they're full of themselves- maybe they're all overcompensating for being the newbies on the label?

If you want to talk more about this feel free to PM or email me. I'd love to hear more!

[sayingwhatiam.livejournal.com]

I've pretty much given up on expecting anything like...socially conscious from SPN. They're going to hate on women and make black men evil. I try to ignore it or I'll just end up hating the show. I would've loved to see some Uriel backstory though, even just Castiel asking him what happened to make him think like this. It would take two minutes!

Cassadee seems adorable and I really don't get why everyone seems to hate on her. And I love HeyMonday - they're like the actually good version of Paramore! People just need to...leave the band alone if they don't like them, and stop being dicks about Cass because she...what, has a vagina? And those are OBVIOUSLY evil. Whatever, bandom, you might hate women almost as much as SPN.

[sparkfrost.livejournal.com]

Yeah, SPN is not a socially conscious show. Which makes me sad, because they have a woman as a main writer. I just... I want more from the show, I think they're smart writers and I want them to do better.

I get if people dont like their music- to each their own. I also get if people have met her and dislike her, or heard from reliable sources that she is not all that cool. But rabid hate for no reason (other than her super evil vagina) really pisses me off.

[berserkide.livejournal.com]

my thoughts, totally without need for justification or pseudo-academic babble, is this:

Just because she's a woman, doesn't mean I can't still dislike her, and her music. I still wouldn't like her and her music if she was a dude.

Their music isn't my thing, and while she's been perfectly nice every time I've interacted with her, she's just one of those people who grates on my nerves.

The end.

[sparkfrost.livejournal.com]

I still wouldn't like her and her music if she was a dude

That's just it! People's music tastes are their own business, and vary widely. You don't like them, and that's fine. What bothers me is when people say they would like them if Cassadee wasn't in the band and one of the boys was lead singer.

And you have met her, you have had personal interactions that have led to you not liking her. And that's fine too!

I just... I don't like it when people dislike a band just because of the female in it. I wasn't trying to say that everyone who dislikes Hey Monday does it out of misogyny, and I am sorry that I came across that way.

[berserkide.livejournal.com]

No, no, that's not how you cam across at all. Just, a lot of people have lately, and in discussions like this I frequently get the feeling that people are telling me "she's a girl, she's in a male dominated field, you HAVE to like her or you're a sexist pig", and that makes me uncomfortable.

I'm reaching the point where (and I say this fully aware that this might change by next week) I'm pretty tired of the talk of sexism in music in particular. It might make me a bad feminist or whatever, but the thing about sexism is that it's always been there, it's always gonna be there, and in my experience raising only a verbal fuss (and I'm not saying this is what you're doing) about it only sets us further back, if you will.

I had an awesome point about how in the music scene/business, a lot is based on personal, individual respect, but I forgot where exactly I was going with it.

But regardless. I have thinky disjointed thoughts.

[sparkfrost.livejournal.com]

"she's a girl, she's in a male dominated field, you HAVE to like her or you're a sexist pig"

I hate that line of argument. I think it is just as damaging as people disliking her because she's a girl. Everyone has a right to their own opinions, and saying that you cannot dislike someone because they are in a minority position is bullshit.

I've been ranting about Hey Monday in particular because to me, they seem like the band most attacked for having a female lead singer. Few people who dislike them seem able to leave it at "I don't like their sound" or even, "I heard things about/met Cassadee and I don't like her because [insert reason here]".

I don't think it makes you a bad feminist for becoming tired of an old discussion. It has always been there, it (most likely) will always be there, its natural to get fed up with the same old argument. Even though I joke about inviting wank, I really just want to open people's eyes, maybe get them to think twice about something that tends to lurk in the background.

If you remember your awesome point, I'd love to hear it. I really did appreciate your answers to the questions I sent, and even though they didn't make it into the paper they definitely gave me food for thought.

I love your thinky thoughts and I love you!

[sparkfrost.livejournal.com]

Edit! Rather, you can dislike someone for reasons other than them being in a minority position. Saying that this person is inviolate because they are a minority is just as damaging as disliking them because they are a minority.

In my opinion.