Ignorance is Dissonance
I read the most ridiculous things on the internet, and I just can't construct any reasonable scenario when or why someone would say something like that...until I realize that most people writing on the internet are young. And dumb. Well, probably more just ignorant and inexperienced. I'm sure they're smart people (they ARE typing, after all). They just say dumb things.
Like this.
"I never saw the Ramones live, but this had to be like one of their shows."
That's referring to "The Marked Men." Now, I just don't see how one can believe that seeing a band ripping off a band from 2 generations ago is like that original thing. It just flies in the face of logic. Yes, thirty years after The Ramones began, some group of unknowns plays fast punk rock that has been filtered through decades of misunderstanding and lousy records (yes, Billie Joe ruined everything), and yet it's just like the original!
I tried to wrap my head around this logic and got really pissed off at the stupidity of it. Then I realized that this was written on an indie blog. In other words, the person can't be older than 27 or 28; most likely around 23. And then it all snapped into place. This probably DOES sound like what this young, ignorant* person THINKS The Ramones are all about, because they have digested The Ramones through all the years of hyperbole and marketing. In other words, they don't know what they're saying because they haven't lived long enough.
Let's assume this person is 23. They probably listened to popular Top 40 stuff through grade school. Some time in High School they probably started branching off into what they thought was obscure stuff (Hey, I did it. When I was 17 I thought early Cult was obscure). Then when this person hit college age they probably got into the indie scene. So all told, they probably have a solid 5 years of listening to music that...well, let's be honest, while not particularly good or original, is at least considered by Soccer Moms to be "different."
Five years ain't crap. I've been doing everything I could to dig up everything I could for the last 20, and I know I still don't know shit.
So, to wrap it up, mystery solved. Most of the people writing stupid shit on the internets are just too young to know how dumb they are. One would think this means they should shut up, but we all know that won't happen, so I won't waste my breath. Although, let me just propose a mandatory age disclosure on anything sent through the tubes. Would that be too much to ask?
*By ignorant, I'm not trying to be dismissive or insulting. I mean the actual definition of the term: "lacking in knowledge or training; unlearned".
Like this.
"I never saw the Ramones live, but this had to be like one of their shows."
That's referring to "The Marked Men." Now, I just don't see how one can believe that seeing a band ripping off a band from 2 generations ago is like that original thing. It just flies in the face of logic. Yes, thirty years after The Ramones began, some group of unknowns plays fast punk rock that has been filtered through decades of misunderstanding and lousy records (yes, Billie Joe ruined everything), and yet it's just like the original!
I tried to wrap my head around this logic and got really pissed off at the stupidity of it. Then I realized that this was written on an indie blog. In other words, the person can't be older than 27 or 28; most likely around 23. And then it all snapped into place. This probably DOES sound like what this young, ignorant* person THINKS The Ramones are all about, because they have digested The Ramones through all the years of hyperbole and marketing. In other words, they don't know what they're saying because they haven't lived long enough.
Let's assume this person is 23. They probably listened to popular Top 40 stuff through grade school. Some time in High School they probably started branching off into what they thought was obscure stuff (Hey, I did it. When I was 17 I thought early Cult was obscure). Then when this person hit college age they probably got into the indie scene. So all told, they probably have a solid 5 years of listening to music that...well, let's be honest, while not particularly good or original, is at least considered by Soccer Moms to be "different."
Five years ain't crap. I've been doing everything I could to dig up everything I could for the last 20, and I know I still don't know shit.
So, to wrap it up, mystery solved. Most of the people writing stupid shit on the internets are just too young to know how dumb they are. One would think this means they should shut up, but we all know that won't happen, so I won't waste my breath. Although, let me just propose a mandatory age disclosure on anything sent through the tubes. Would that be too much to ask?
*By ignorant, I'm not trying to be dismissive or insulting. I mean the actual definition of the term: "lacking in knowledge or training; unlearned".
posted by Billy K at 6:32 PM
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