r/Conservative • u/Stockjock1 Conservative • 7h ago
Flaired Users Only Metallica tells fans they have zero interest in lecturing fans on politics...
I just attended a concert featuring The Descendents and Social Distortion. I was irritated at the constant political comments, and I booed them. Not sure what those around me thought, and didn't care. I was there to be entertained, not lectured with their leftist social opinions.
Fortunately, this is apparently not how Metallica rolls. Good for them.
https://x.com/RyanAFournier/status/2109748613341753780
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u/thisismyusername9908 2A 7h ago
Inb4 the "silence is violence" and "not taking a stand is taking a stand" garbage comments.
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u/atomic1fire Reagan Conservative 2h ago
People who push for "Using your platform" are probably off the rails.
It's fine to have moral convictions, but when your moral convictions involve constantly demanding other people speak up for your views and berating the ones who don't, it's exhausting.
Constantly chasing "the right" opinion is a kafka trap because the right opinion changes with the times and it's impossible to please everyone and be morally consistant.
Everyone is allowed to have an opinion, remain undecided, or even be honest about not being informed enough to give an opinion.
The participatory activism stuff that demands your constant participation over threat of public scorn is just absurd.
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u/earthworm_fan Big Balls 6h ago
Already happening in the music sub
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u/ureallygonnaskthat Conservative 4h ago edited 4h ago
Quote some Dolly Parton to them and watch em lose their minds:
"I learned a long time ago, keep your damn mouth shut if you want to stay in show business. … I’m not in politics, I’m an entertainer."
"Of course I have my opinion, but I’m not an opinionated person as a rule. You’re allowed your own beliefs and your own faith, but you don’t have to use it like a weapon when it could be a tool."
"I’m not smart enough to be in politics, or maybe I’m too smart. Either way, I’m not qualified for that type of a job. But I’m pretty qualified to do what I do, which is to point people in the right direction, to write about it in songs or speak about things."
“I don't like to get involved in politics, because first of all, I have as many Republican fans as I do Democrats. I don't want to offend anybody, I have a right to myself. Like God gave us free will, America gave us free speech, but you've got to be responsible for anything you say and do."
Nobody slanders Dolly.
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u/Mother____Clucker Fiscal Responsibility 6h ago
To the left, if you're not with them, you're against them. Full stop.
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u/Short-Hotel7648 NJ Conservative 5h ago
That’s why they lost in 2024 and will continue to lose big in the general. They can’t help but alienate normal people.
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u/Black_XistenZ post-MAGA conservative 4h ago edited 3h ago
This whole "silence is violence"-bullshit is totalitarian thinking. It seeks to politicize every aspect of life and society.
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u/Zestycheesegrade Conservative 6h ago
Gene Simmons
"Do your art and shut up! Nobody's interested in your opinions. That includes me! Who I vote for, who I like. [...] It's time for everybody in the entertainment industry to shut their piehole and just do your art. Nobody cares what you think. I don't."
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u/lets_shake_hands Conservative 4h ago
Same dude who told us to shut up and take the vaccine or be banned from society....
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u/Short-Hotel7648 NJ Conservative 6h ago
James Hetfield is a real one. You can pick up on some context clues to discern which way he leans.. leaving the Bay Area due to “elitist attitudes”, his wardrobe of Molon Labe t-Shirts, and disdain for Al Gore and Rage Against the Machine.
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u/fuzmufin Don't Tread On Me 4h ago
Another reason why he left the Bay Area was because he was getting weird looks from the "inclusive" crowd for hauling deer he hunted. James Hetfield is an avid hunter
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u/Dazzlethetrizzle Not a democrat 6h ago
He will never say anything publicly though, not while on stage, never has, never will
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u/jessej421 Common Sense Conservative 3h ago
From Wikipedia: In 2008, responding to the use of Metallica's music to torture Iraqi prisoners, Hetfield was unoffended and replied, "If the Iraqis aren't used to freedom, then I'm glad to be part of their exposure."
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u/ConfusionFlat691 Fiscal Conservative 6h ago
Michael Jordan (supposedly) said, when asked about his apolitical interactions with the public, “Republicans buy sneakers too.”
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u/TheMorningDove 2A Attorney 4h ago
I work in the music industry and holy shit gang, It’s like living deep behind enemy lines. A grand total of about 3 people in the entire industry know I am a staunch Conservative. In the non-country music industry there are almost no popular artists or bands who are publicly Conservative.
Outside of Country, Metal is by far the most right wing genre these days. There have been outspoken conservatives in the metal scene for decades.
I do have some insane political music stories, most of them though are just democrats throwing a lot of money around to influence popular culture and the younger demographic. Make no mistake, they play dirty and almost no one calls them out on it.
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u/randomrandom1922 Trump Conservative 4h ago
Maybe they learned something from being so vocal about the Napster scandal.
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u/Key-Monk6159 Conservative 7h ago
These artists and actors are just insufferable with their nonstop preaching. And it’s stupid too because those who already agree will applaud and everyone else will be turned off.
And that goes for whatever issue they are lecturing us about. Just shut up and do your job. Once done you can do whatever you want on your own time.
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u/EngineSlug420 Conservative 6h ago
It is one of the reasons they are one of the greatest bands of all time. That thier music rocks is the other
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u/Dazzlethetrizzle Not a democrat 6h ago
Metallica does not care who or what you vote for, that's been their message from day one
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u/Pro-IDGAF Conservative 2h ago
don't go to a ministry concert....ho-lee-fuk those boys are brain washed libs and fuck all hollywood btw
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u/Jumpy-Program9957 Conservative 1h ago
Dude, social distortion wasn't even like political. The descendants may be a little bit but like it was more like culture political. If you know what I mean like talking about like cultural relationships and s***.
Good for you
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u/Stockjock1 Conservative 32m ago
I doubt you were at the show that I was. Unless you are me, which is possible. Both bands were very political, but maybe more so at some shows than others.
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u/Polerize2 Conservative 1h ago
Anyone who listens to an entertainer for their opinions is listening to a paid pretender. What you see on stage or screen isn’t real.
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u/MeLlamoKilo Hispanic Conservative 6h ago
Still mad at them for getting Napster shut down. Fuck Metallica.
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u/S-Video Conservative 6h ago
The knock on Metallica was that "they have enough money, why do they care about Napster?"
Metallica's position was "this is killing smaller bands, we're big enough to survive pissing off the fans by taking a stand against Napster to help small bands too scared to speak up."
What Metallica did was actually noble. They stood up to the mob, to their own detriment, to protect those less fortunate than them.
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u/Short-Hotel7648 NJ Conservative 6h ago
They were correct about Napster, and it was such a revealing moment about society. Everyone I knew justified IP theft with the same rationale, “they have enough money!”, truly a stunning mentality.
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u/codifier Libertarian 3h ago
Gabe Newell was right.
"piracy is almost always a service problem and not a pricing problem."
Napster was huge yes because it was free, but also back then you were locked into buying entire albums and paid for streaming services were unheard of. I am willing to pay a reasonable fee to Amazon or whoever to stream music and not have to pirate it to hear what I want or pay for an entire album of filler to get a few songs I am after.
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u/pwrmaster7 Pro-Life 5h ago
Yep. Was i mad at the time as a teenager? Yes. Did i think it was something to make me stop listening? Helll no. And now it looks even better
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u/randomrandom1922 Trump Conservative 4h ago
But that opened the door for Spotify that these same artists constantly complain about.
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u/pwrmaster7 Pro-Life 5h ago
Went to pennywise precovid and same thing about him control blah blah and there were a decent amount of boos. I was surprised at being more than i thought, but honestly all punk bands do this shit anymore
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u/Modsmoddy-74 Conservative 4h ago
“ metallica lectures fans that they have no interest in lecturing fans”
Lol
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u/MetallicaRules5 Conservative 6h ago
Alright, I’ll take this moment as a Metallica fan.
I have no idea why this is making the rounds? One, there’s nothing remotely controversial about what James said. Two, he‘s been saying this stuff for YEARS. I remember seeing them sometime around 2016/17, and he talked about how they don’t care who you vote for, what color your skin is, what religion you worship, etc. All that matters is being here and enjoying the show and having fun. That’s almost exactly the same point he made, but the internet is trying to make it seem like he’s going after people directly. This statement is entirely apolitical, but it has the whole “Silence is violence” and “being non-political is political” whiners out.
If you have a problem with this statement, you’re the issue, not James. James has always been very private with his life and views, and there’s a reason why his nickname is Papa Het. His stage presence, especially in the 21st century, has always been about the Metallica family, not being or feeling alone, and coming together through music. So sorry he chooses to focus on what unites us, than divides us.