My Chemical Romance fans: Put your minds to it, knuckle down, buckle down, do it, do it, do it!
Blogcritics' groovy Retro Music Chick wrote a pointed little satire a week ago called "Teen Suicide - What's Stopping You?" It focused specifically on the music and personae of Gerard Way and My Chemical Romance and their grand crusade to provide the voice and courage to the afflicted and misunderstood teenagers who go around cutting themselves. Message boards and Gerard Way will tell you their music has help snatch back countless teens from the edge of suicide. Retro Music Chick ain't buying it.…
Article comments
76 - Emily G.
How the Fuck can you Judge you dont know us!you dont know the band.Fuck you! this was band was started to prevent teen suicide!for the most part
you need to uder stand the band befor you can talk shit!
listen to "my way home is threw you" lyric "were not about to sing about...adolesent suicide"
im sorry for the cursing. but you cant say stuff like this when you dont know any thing about the fans/or band...so you read somethings on imnotokay.net did you talk to them?
my chemical romance isnt a cult or anything of that sort
contact me at myspace i know lame just whatever click
kiki wrote:
You quite obviously have absolutely no idea what you are talking about here. Have you even listened to "Headfirst For Halos"? Gerard Way said : "It's about suicide..... don't do it" The song has an upbeat rhythm and at the end of it, it repeats "think happy thoughts"!!
So you can go and fuck yourself!!
77 - 16 year old MCR fan "screaming for attention?"
Wow. I can honestly say that I am outraged. MCR has never claimed to be "Emo", if anything, exactly the opposite! And all this talk about teenagers using the music as an excuse to exploit adults in a very negative way simply for personal gain. Whatever.. This is incredibly insulting to every MCR fan on the face of the planet. Some people are simply devoted to their music, and it actually makes them feel BETTER about themselves when they listen to it.
78 - Nicole_MCRFanatic1031
My Chemical Romance and Gerard have nothign to do with teens commiting suicide... if n e thing they have stopped countless of teens from doing so. my self included. You who wrote the article are the wankers. MCR & Gee are good people and do nothign but give kids hope and help them out when they need it. U guys would understand more if u watched " Life On The Murder Scene" about the true My Chemical Romance. You dont know the band or Gerard so you have no write to judge them! MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE DOES NOT CAUSE ANY TEEN OR WILL EVER CAUSE ANY TEEN TO COMMIT SUICIDE!!!! Those of you who hate MCR, specially RETRO MUSIC CHICK, GO SCREW YOURSELF!
79 - Doesn't matter.
Cindy Maguire, you are my hero. I completely agree with everything she said.
I don't get why some people have to write things like this. Don't you have anything better to do?
I personally love My Chemical Romance. You can say what you want about them, but I believe they have a positive message. I believe Gerard Way himself has said "If you are having bad thoughts, you need to fucking talk to someone, because pissing your life away on suicide is fucking bullshit!"
I don't know... I know I am just a stupid illiterate teenager, but that sounded to me like he was telling people NOT to kill themselves, as opposed to handing out razorblades to all the disgruntled workers at Cinnabon.
I resent the fact that you lump us all together as one category of suicidal dumb-asses who only do or listen to who is selling the most records.
And goth; what the hell is that? First of all, "goth" is a stereotype, and second of all, most people that listen to My Chem don't fit the "goth" stereotype anyway. I'm sure some do, but the vast majority are normal people who want some hope in their life.
So, some MCR fans killed themselves. Is it because they listened to My Chem? NO. It's because that is what they were going to do anyway. Some fans of Band A smoke weed. Does EVERY SINGLE fan of the band do it? NO you stupid fucks.
People who love MCR are some of the strongest people I know. We are a united group, and nothing you say is going to shock us, or make us change our mind.
I hope you could read this; I'm sure I made hundreds of grammatical errors.
I'm done, so you can go back to touching yourself to Roger Miller now.
80 - Megan
FUck u all.. MCR is not responsible for teens killing themselves ok... Their music talks about their lives and what they went thourgh not to long ago MCR saved lives they still do.. so just because teens want to kill themselves u blame that On MCR what bull.. MCR cares more about their fans than themselves...
81 - mcr_lover
you people obviouslly know NOTHING about mcr.
mcr is NOT about suicide.
and it's nice to see how you can make some retarded judgement about someone and not know them.
82 - Shaelyn
whoever wrote this article is clearly clueless
the word that keeps coming to my mind is "ingnorance"
but i don't think it is harsh enough to repay the anger and distress that this article has caused me.
for starters, my chemical romance SAVES lives.
I am living proof of this, they also dicourage drug use, alchoholism, and cutting.
secondly we "GOTH" teenagers just as litterate as you could ever be, I am 14 years old, and probobly have a wider vocabulary than most of the worried mothers reading this.
as for the macabre, sound and feel of mcr, it's not Gerard Way(GOD) syaing "go cut yourself. lifes not worth it, death is a blessing"
he is simply reflecting on past experience, and saying (and I quote) "I'ts okay to be messed up, cuz there are 5 guys that are just as you"
but I digress
I hope i have shed some light on this subject.
mcr forever! ^_^
~Shaelyn Rosenberg
Roseville CA
83 - Emily
This article is actually rediculous, at the end of the day do you not have anything better to do than make a pathetic attempt to insult and annoy fans of the band?
Lets face it, MCR are never going to read this article and even if they did I'm sure they couldnt give a damn about what you had to say. They do what they do because they enjoy doing it, getting paid for doing it does not make them sellouts.
I am a MCR fan and they have helped me through tough times, with their music and through the friends I have made through them. I dont care what you want to say about them, go ahead take your best shot. But I find this article is trying to piss off, insult and hurt as many people as possible, with your put downs and stereotypes rather than actually being something worth reading.
It's a shame really that apparantly not all MCR fans can write something that isnt teenage drivel *cough*#60*cough* im sure maye one day in the future saying "fuck you" and "zomg im going to be gerard ways next wife" is really going to be an intellegent comeback to something that offends you.
So maybe I've written a little too much now, so I'll end by saying that I respect your opinion but I won't lose any sleep over being an afflicted and misunderstood teenager who goes around cutting herself, because apparantly as a fan thats what I am.
84 - cassie
I don't think MyCheicalRomance ir promoting anything they're trying to help those that are going over the edge. If you watch their new video "Teenagers" at the end they have a little message it says don't promote violence and such. I love them they are truly my favorite band and all they want is for people to listen and try to get help not to go crazy. They're not cheap either!!!! If you really listen to the music like I have ALOT then you would understand
85 - Wellwellwell
Hello there, Al Barger. Out for another go-round, I see? What happened, your chickenshit girlfriend asked you to write yet one more essay in her defense?
You know what? You don't like My Chemical Romance, fine. Nobody is asking you to. However, I am forced to question just why it is that you feel compelled to devote so much of your time and energy to them.
I don't like 50Cent, yet I manage to spend 0% of my day lamenting the state of affairs due to his existence in the world. I don't seek out his message boards and critique the posters in there.
So what's really going on, Mr. Barger? Are you just feeling left out? Did Gerard Way fail to notice you someplace and it burned you? This must be the case, because you are just as obsessed with MCR as their fans are.
BTW the "goth" scene, as you yourself attempted to point out, is nothing new. I could point you to the Cure and Smiths fans of the 80's, I could do you one better and redirect you to the original punk scene in the U.K. circa 1977. Or I could keep going, all the way back to the 1920's, with the "flapper" era. They were subculture, they favored dark hair and makeup. Or should we keep going yet again, all the way back to the lamentations of Plato, about today's youth appearing disenchanted with everything?
Yes, Mr. Barger, My Chemical Romance does have intelligent, well-written fans. You are trying once again to alarm your audience with the assurance that the "scene" consists of nothing but stereotypical "emo" kids with razor blades hanging off of their arms, but the truth of the matter is, Mr. Barger, that nothing could be farther from the truth.
The teenagers that do post at INO are some of the most intelligent, empathetic and knowledgeable kids I have ever had the pleasure of corresponding with. And yes, Mr. Barger, they do have real problems and if you were any sort of role model, you'd be offering a sympathetic ear rather than taking the predictable cheap shots of a bitter old person who was clearly born this age.
Your feeble attempt at "giving MCR a listen" was pathetic at best. If you were a journalist of true integrity, you would have thoroughly investigated the history of this band and its fans, read up on the articles published about them, scoured their cd covers, listened to every song with the lyrics in front of you and an open mind, interviewed some actual fans as well as naysayers, and then, only then, would you have been entitled to make an intelligent argument pro or anti.
However, you are not a journalist of such integrity, as clearly demonstrated by your lack of comprehension of the basis of the very lyrics you quoted. So do yourself a favor, Al, go run with some buffalos, take your own advice. Unless you are the relative of one of these "scene" kids that actually is harming themselves or others, you and Miss. Retro will be a lot happier just ignoring it all. Live and let live, and you'll both live a lot longer.
86 - Al Barger
Howdy neighbors. Just a few general responses to this latest small onslaught.
The main thing that jumps out at me is how almost all of these last dozen responses are attacking straw men, criticizing things that I have not said and indeed have said the opposite. When you carry on about how I'm supposedly saying that MCR are encouraging suicide or that they've caused people to off themselves, you're making that up in your own mind.
I don't know how much of that is dishonesty vs just pure lack of reading comprehension, but I don't think that my writing is that incomprehensible. But in case my words were less than clear, I'll re-iterate about the MCR suicide thing. I'm NOT saying that MCR causes suicides or that MCR fans are suicidal. I'm saying something contradictory to that, that some MCR fans (wear this shoe if it fits) are not really all that depressed and sad but are in fact POSERS playing for sympathy. That's very different.
I note also several protestations and/or defensive comments about my criticism of the frequently illiterate scrawlings of MCR fans here. Sorry kids, but that's the real world. If you've got something important to say and wish to be taken seriously, you need to communicate it in such a manner as to indicate that YOU take it seriously enough yourself to at least try to use good grammar and sentences and such. Stupid internet emoticons and shorthand nonsense says that you're an illiterate idiot spouting, not a serious person whose words should be regarded as such.
Also though, consider that sloppy expression indicates encourages and/or leads to sloppy thinking. The very act of carefully articulating your thoughts will also clarify your thinking. You have to think things through in order to express them. That's one of the big benefits of writing - clarifying your own thinking.
On the other hand, y'all who are protesting against my complaints of illiteracy here in the last 24 hours seem to be responding positively to that criticism. That is, you're making much better efforts to express yourselves well than a lot of the nonsense that I was criticizing.
Shaelyn for one says that my essay has caused her great "distress." That's a subjective personal reaction, but perhaps unavoidable to the growth process. As the saying goes, no pain - no gain.
But those kind of remarks scattered throughout discussions of MCR and related topics strike me as whiny bullshit and cheap emotional manipulation. Oh, you big mean bastard! Don't you see how you're hurting my feelings? So you think that you deciding to feel hurt (or claiming to feel hurt) over something that's not even about you personally means that it shouldn't be said? No one should ever say anything that you don't want to hear because you might decide that your itty bitty feelings have been hurt?
In short, claims of hurt feelings are not evidence that what I said was wrong. Indeed, it's only more evidence that I was right.
87 - Hoey
U dumb fuck old people dont no shit. U NO what goth is u old fuck heads. I am a goth teen and smart. Lisen u all to MKC. they rock. tried susyside once butt that now passsed. NOW me want too go two that harved law schoool butt meybe my grad aint good. So fuck u domb fucks u old fags.
88 - Christina & Nicole & Maria
Our opinion is that---
We all listen to my chemical romance and we are all perfectly fine. All the other kids that listen to them and decide to cut themselves of commit suicide, it's thier choice to do that, the band doesnt think that it a positive influence. If anything MCR SAVED everyone's lives, they have saved ours. Even at thier concerts they tell thier fans violence is NOT the answer, so why blame MCR for all this, its not thier fault.
Why focus just on my chemical romance, so many other bands actually DO say to cut yourself in thier lyrics.
89 - lulz
So what if it commercial? Whatever it is MCR is doing, it's contributing to our society with a more positive impact than your blog.
90 - lulz
And might I add, your attacks on MCR are futile. You keep suggesting that you've proven a point.
I think the only valid point that's been proven is that you are a bitter, unaccepting person with nothing better to do with your time than say, piss a few people off with your bullshit blogs.
Sure, you're indeed entitled to your opinion, but it's because of close-minded people like you, that goths/emo's have to seek refuge in their subcultures in music like MCR.
There's nothing wrong with the music. It doesn't endorse suicide. So what's your fuc*ing problem?
All this stuff about it being commercial may be true. But so what? It's helping people. It's helping multiple charities.
What exactly are you doing?
91 - Al Barger
Lulz, thanks for taking the time to respond to my article. But perhaps you should have took just a little more time to figure out criticisms of me based on things I actually said. Frankly, I'm beginning to get the idea that a big portion of MCR fans are seriously illiterate, way past the point even of typical teenage pop fans.
For starters, I'm not particularly "attacking" MCR. They're not the focus of criticism. Again, I'll give the band credit for at least a couple of pretty good songs. I am specifically not criticizing them for being "commercial." I'm 100% pro-capitalist. I've spent way too much time listening to the Monkees for that.
Nor did I accuse the band of "endorsing" or encouraging suicide. They wouldn't be buying very many more MCR records after they did that, would they?
It seems that a good portion of MCR fans simply cannot accept hearing any form of criticism at all. Having little or no legitimate answer, rather than consider whether there might be some reasonable point to my argument - which would be the rational thing to do - they just make up something to say that I said, and pretend that they've got me.
Kids, consider this a learning opportunity. When you make up arguments for your opponent that you can easily knock down but don't represent what the other fellow said, that's the logical fallacy called setting up a "straw man."
You don't actually accomplish anything like that though, other than a masturbatory sense of self-satisfaction. You won't sway people to your way of thinking like that, and you won't learn and grow.
Lastly, let me briefly address this: "it's because of close-minded people like you, that goths/emo's have to seek refuge in their subcultures." Now, besides the fact that you don't begin to know me to say such things, your basis of saying it is 100% off. In fact, I'm a hell of a nice guy. If I had any friends you could ask them.
But in any case, disagreement and criticism do not automatically constitute being close-minded. Moreover, being uncritically "open" minded is not helpful or honest, but counterproductive and cowardly. You're not helping someone when you see them on the wrong path, but just nod your head like you agree and go along to avoid hurting their itty bitty feelings. Be a pal, and point your brother in the right direction.
92 - ScreamInurNitemares
God, get ur fucking heads out from up your own arses, i may not like mcr, but doesn't mean to say that they start suicidal cults full of self-hating teenagers!! there's nothing wrong with their music or their style or their 'stereotype' because its their own thing...and i think what pisses you off is that they're different...and you don't like it! They're not hurting anyone, and what they like or don't like is none of your fucking business!!! So cry a river, build a bridge.....and GET FUCKIN OVER IT!!!!!
93 - Frankoween
WHAT SHE SED!!!!
P.S i think your a FUCKING chav who ain't getting no nookie!!!!! :)
94 - Al Barger
ScreamInurNitemares and Frankoween- I thought that I had made a carefully considered judgment about MCR and their fan base. But your comments cause me to have to reconsider my position.
Once you deliver such powerful diatribes of illiterate teenage cursing with little relation to what I actually wrote - well, that has to make a fellow stop and consider that he might be all wrong. After all, I wouldn't want a hostile teenage ma-roon to have a low opinion of me.
95 - Tallulah
Hi. I just wanted to point out that not all teenagers whine and curse all the time. We aren't all illiterate either. Yes, there are some people who can't seem to be able to construct a proper sentence or even type a whole word, but some of us can actually speak and type well enough to articulate our point. Also, one reason for all the cursing is the anger caused by a mixture of teenage hormones and misunderstanding the main point of the article. Personally, I think there are too many teenagers who pretend to be depressed just for sympathy and attention, but to attempt to make everyone happy, there are a lot of real depressed teenagers too.
By the way I'm thirteen years old and happen to appreciate the english language enough to use it properly, unlike a lot of people.
96 - shazia
hi,am a new goth..its been a week since i have become one and am proud..my mum knows but not my dad..wat can i do?
97 - Mme Poe
I am 15 and I agree with this article, as an MCR fan! Read carefully, she's talking about POSEURS. They mock us who REALLY don't fit and REALLY are miserable and feel consoled by music and are intrigued by the ideas of life and death. I knew a girl who cut herself up and paraded around the school cafeteria showing people. She wrote EMO on her arms and hopped to MCR. When in reality, she called me weird, was popular, got all the guys and listenned to any pop. She just wanted to copy me and my friend to get attention for it.
This article is very true, because I am offended by poseurs who PUT DOWN THE TRULLY GLOOOMY KIDS like me, just doing it for the shock value. They are snooty preps in black. I also knew a girl who dressed the part, listenned the part, and called all rock stars Gods, but is the preppiest happiest bitch on the planet and finds real goth kids weird, annoying loosers.
she evn worships Jeffree Star and Paris Hilton because she has no God. Not even Satan, ha!
MCR is being molded by their fans these days. The Black Parade gained them a butt load of popularity from people who once said that they SUCKED. I love the band to death, they were my first favorite, but right now they are overratedand and being used by poseurs as excuses.
Please, people. The writer of this article isn't putting US down. Its putting down the rich kids who play masquerade to shock their parents. They walk around with Marylin Manson T-Shirs and upside down crosses saying, "Lets go to Hot Topic and speak Japanese! We may meet a really hot guy!"
Say what you want, but there will always be poseurs who think youu are a looser. Thats why we have Scene. Kids who just do it for the external value.
Want to argue against this? I'd love to hear what you have to say, because I LISTEN and can admit when I'm wrong.
98 - Al Barger
Mme- Thank you first of all for paying attention to what I actually said rather than reacting in a blind and belligerant manner as some have.
But one point that I want to emphasize again. I understand about real sadness and despair, as differentiated from poseurs. But there I want to emphasize that while recognizing and accepting that you have those bad feelings is necessary and appropriate, it is nonetheless very unhealthy after a certain and small point to marinate in that stuff.
You would do much better to seek to find things about which you can feel joy and gratitude. I suggest meditating frequently to the truly profound strains of "My Favorite Things." Time spent filling in the list with your own favorite things will do your soul more good than MCR or Pink Floyd singing about being one day closer to death.
99 - Mme Poe
Thankyou. I am working on looking at the brighter side of life, while not forgetting what I went through and the darker things I enjoy (When I'm not depressed)
I am a gothic christian, meaning I do like the night, darker gloomier aspects of life, gothic literature, I dress in black 9its who I am) , but I lead a pretty good life. I have my ups and really bad downs, but I still have hope and care for other people. I won't be depressed because its "cool".
I may wallow in misery sometimes, but I remember that I'm not totally alone and have someone who cares for me in times of despair. I think this article was useful, and I thought I was the only one who noticed all the promoting and trend setting of suicide as a way to be noticed.
When you have somethingto meditate on, like the positive, you can still want to live. I found a great reason to live, so I can be dark but my soul is good. ^_^.