Battle between the Scythians and the Slavs (Viktor Vasnetsov, 1881)
Today is anti-bullying day. Lots of people rocking Pink. (I wore black today cuz I am more pro space than anti-bullying, but yeah, semantics aside). Jason and Dylan had a powerful discussion on their show this morning that would be worth your time to revisit.
I wouldn’t say I was bullied a ton in school. I was am a skinny guy and I remember back in grade 8, my first year of middle school, being made very aware of how skinny I was. There were some older kids that gave me a hard time and I didn’t like being in the gym change room when the football guys were there because they’d push me around. I do remember wanting to be fat? I thought people would pick on me less if I were a giant lumbering barbarian man! How fucked is that? Probably didn’t help that I played a TON of Dungeons and Dragons.
The way I dealt? Fought back… once at least. Results… hmm mixed. I would spend my lunch sometimes in the tech room with the other nerds in grade 8, thinking I would be clear of bullies there. Wrong-O. there was this alpha cowboy nerd guy that would beat on us… and my friend Rob in particular. I got tired of it so one day I told the teacher guy and he turfed him. He lost his lunch privileges. After his little suspension, he came at me one time but I fought him off and all was cool. He kind of avoided me and I him. The older football guys… well I just avoided and they moved up to highscool at the end of the year.
I also made some friends and quick. Got tribal. And the tribe of choice for me were the “rockers.” They were some “big” guys and they were into metal and rock and liked to party and there were girls around. And when I got bothered by the “homies” it wasn’t “me” they were laying into, rather the culture and that was cool… because our culture was strong and we could give it back.
My high school was so big that by grade 11… to me at least, people didn’t worry about that stuff so much. I am sure it mattered to most people but I had a thick skin by then and just focused on graduating and parties.
The idea of music and bullies does live on. The music and style you listen to attracts comments, dissent and dissection. Sometimes fun and sometimes unwanted. Any closet country fans reading this blog? Probably not the first thing you share when you walk into a room. Save that dirty secret for your lover or priest or something. Ace of Base fans? Just kill yourself.
See, that is me being a bully.
Working on the Zone I get a LOT of phone calls from people with their opinions of the music we play. Being a professional broadcaster, I have the confidence to listen and then not really care that you think Wintersleep’s “Black Camera” is too repetitive (mostly because I don’t think you really know why you hate the song and you picked the wrong way to articulate it).
To me, harshing on someone’s taste in music is a form of bullying. Its a personal decision that doesn’t have to effect anyone else (well except on the Zone, we broadcast our taste to your car stereo… so please feel free to beak off if you so desire). At the end of the day, every song we play is someone’s favourite, or it wouldn’t be on the radio.
I do try to not slam anyone’s music (except Vancityrockgirl’s obsession with Placebo… creepy). Its not that I don’t have opinions or strong dislikes… I’d just rather focus my arguments on what are the best… instead of what is the worst.
Go with yourself.
The Morning After 
Hmmm, interesting. I wonder if your opinions will change as your daughter gets older and more social.
I was bullied in highschool and elementary school – i even got beat up by a gang of girls at the 7-11 once who left me shirtless. I fought back by withdrawing into the emo-goth thing and becoming an athlete – strange combo yes! – which had me traveling for the majority of the school year (diving – i was on the canadian team).
But, i think it greatly contributed to the ongoing problem i have with anxiety and being a hermit.
So? I do worry about my kids, especially the older two, and monitor very closely all their Facebook/online activity and i can already see potential problems in my daughters peer group on Facebook.
Luckily, because of me they listen and favour very cool music!
sorry opinions about what? I will want her to accept all people’s taste in music… as long they are passionate about it, it has merit.
And I am sure I will train her in my zen like state and hopefully teach her to not sweat the small things. Looks change, people change, music changes…
and I’ll be a nazi on her facebook too! haha or futrebook whatever exists when she’s old enough to go online.
I can’t control if she gets bullied, but no daughter of mine will be beating anyone up at a 7-11.
Futurebook, lol.
I was pretty null and neutral in school – hanging out with bits and pieces of every type group – and from 9th grade on I just stayed as baked as possible and out of the drama but I hated seeing bullying, still do. (actually, come to think of it I was bullied when I first went to Monty in grade 10 … some of the Monty ladies didn’t like the new girl and only lasted a few days … that tribe thing applied there, I found one right away)
Sadly though, I’ve seen more bullying in the blogosphere and social networking than I ever did in Moody Jr. (my grade 8/9 school) or Monty or Centennial combine, I can only IMAGINE how it is for kids these days.
You’ve got a great attitude on bullying and music! Great post.
truth.
Internet and my kid = scary times ahead.
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don’t hate on the placebo, you bully.
actually i don’t really care.
i’m so used to people (irrationally) hating on them that i really only listen to them through the confines of my headphones. and thats okay.
because i still have geniene to go see them live with… and when i took the husband to see them in vegas he thought they were “excellent”, so he digs them too.
and then there’s the entire rest of the planet besides north america too… so i’m in fine company 😉
not too fussed about it.
ahhhh, I just like giving you a hard time. I saw them once, many moons ago (you were there!) at the Rage with Stabbing Westward… that was a good show.
[…] Music bullies? Who would’ve thought it? Go read what it’s all about. […]