I don't understand the big deal here. James basically said, "we go to concerts and play music to escape the frustrations of the world. Our shows are for everyone. We put aside everything so we can be here together and have an evening of heavy metal."
The fuck is the problem with that? Their "political" music has always been surface level, war/corruption is bad. That as a general statement, regardless of your stance on specific political issues, doesn't seem like a controversial statement to me.
Metallica as band is generally apolitical. They don't pick sides. They don't express their stances. They just write and play music. If you want something deeper than that, go see Rage Against the Machine, Rise Against, and the many other bands that make their stance clear as day. That's fine if that's what you want. But I go to a show to not be lectured about world events. I go to a show to enjoy music and watch a performance. I'd much rather hear, "this is for everyone. And while we're here, we don't care about anything outside these four walls" than a stance on a political view, EVEN if I agree with it.
This!! I said something once online about be a centrist, and everyone acted like I was the worse human being on the planet, and everything politically wrong was my fault for not being able to "pick" a side. I never brought it up again lol
It’s because if you are still a centrist as the Overton window shifts it means you believe in nothing.
A centrist in 1990 would lose their shit about corruption in government.
A centrist today, says, well both sides are corrupt, so it’s a wash.
To give an extreme example, not saying centrists believe this, but as a way to illustrate the point.
1930 Germany. Centrists probably think that fascists and communists are an equal threat.
1940s Germany. Centrists probably believe that separating the Jews into camps is fine, but the torture and inhumane extermination is going a bit too far.
My point being that if you’re always in the center, and the right or left becomes more extreme, you’re then compromising with extreme positions, making your own positions more extreme.
You can do it with a number line.
0-10
Left is 4 right is 6. Centrist is 5.
Left moves to 3 right moves to 9. Centrist is now 6.
If all you do is pick the middle position of current political discourse you can find yourself taking positions contrary to what you initially believed simply because one group became extreme.
The fact you think I stand for nothing and that just because I'm centrist wouldn't stand up to be beliefs or corruption, shows you have a very narrow view on what a centrist is. I've probably showed up to more protest, advocated for more people, and stand my beliefs more than half of the 2 party followers. You have one o f the poorest understanding of a centrist I have ever encountered.
I suspect if that’s the case then most people would say whatever definition you’re about to give is on the left and you’re just describing yourself as a centrist, but when measured against the Overton window as it exists todaY, you’re on the left.
See. There is your problem... speaking for them and making them have to pick a side. Deciding they are on a side before they even speak about it...
They dont believe in some major part of what the major parties believe. Hence the center.
It could be as simple as they are trans but they lean right on most things.
It could be as complex as they just moved from a far leaning country and they are hyper sensitive to certain political perspectives as the downfall of where they lived but they do tend to agree with that side for many topics, they will just never vote for specific things if they ever show up, they end up always voting for a minor candidate because of a primary issue for their life experience.
That explanation just points towards center being a cop out answer masking the true positions underneath.
Say you’re watching a husband beat his wife to a pulp. One side might help the husband. The other side might try to stop him, call the authorities,film it for evidence, etc.
The centrist wouldn’t take a side. They are above the fray. They can see both sides. Or maybe they know the beating is wrong, but just don’t want to get involved. So they look away and do nothing.
From the perspective of both the husband and the wife, a side has been picked, and it isn’t the center.
My wellbeing. Im not fit to break up a fight. Getting involed risks my family wellbeing as a main provider. I have no idea if they have a weapon or if I will become a target by trying to document the occurrence.
Personal trauma. Some people have PTSD from these situations and need to leave. Their inability to process during this prevents them from taking an unbiased side. They may mix up what actually happened with previous experiences and blame it on the wrong person.
We only see the circumstance from when we notice. Maybe there was a weapon involved and the man isnt sure if there is another one, so he is fighting for his life and the crowd is ready to stand with the woman in error. All because they assume they know whats going on.
Being a centrist also doesnt mean you dont get involved. You have a belief there. You do stand up and stop it. Thats one thing you align with them on, but as soon as you bring up how you think that should be punished criminally they have the opposite opinion. They dont majorly align with either side on the top 6 political stances. 3 of one 3 of the other. They stand heavily for and against the 3 of each. Centrist.
Politics is fucked. There are idiots on all sides. Humanity isn’t a two party system. And you shouldn’t be taking political advice from celebrities. You should be making your own decisions and forming your own ideas. If it were up to me, I’d burn it all down and start over. Political views have nothing but hatred at their core. Hate should not be the driving force behind arguments over differing opinions. But we have legit come to that point in time where people hate other people, simply because of how they voted (or didn’t).
Be better, care for others, treat others with respect, be nice, share your toys… It’s really not that deep
I kind of think you and the commenter above you missed the point, but my guess is your politics may be further to the right than Ms. Rachel’s, in which case it might be an offense to consider a children’s show host is more courageous than Metallica in the modern setting. I could be wrong about your political stance, I’m not wrong about you missing the broader point made.
The cancel culture mob is hilarious. Which group threw a fit over a beer company’s marketing campaign? And conservatives also cancelled target, Starbucks, and a million other things. They have have a catch phrase for it, go woke go broke. But apparently when you do it, it’s not cancel culture.
Right, based of the current view of the left, there are more Nazis in America then there ever was in 1940's Germany. What an insane timeline we are living in
God forbid a band makes sarcastic gestures 40 years ago. Do you really think the danish guy and the California Metallica front man are professing their allegiance to Hitler? You know? James? The same guy who’s really good friend Lloyd grant was James’s lead guitar player before Metallica? These two guys whose current bass player is Mexican? The lead guitar player Kirk Hammett is Philippino?
lol times are a lot different than they were 30-40 years ago. I know it’s hard to believe but having particular stickers didn’t mean a whole lot to someone’s actual worldviews
To those who only think in political rants. Others are smart enough to realize that politics isn’t everything to everyone. If he wants to sell out concerts, don’t talk politics. “Republicans buy sneakers,too” -Michael Jordan
Yet, James is talking about it, by talking about not talking about it. A smart person would see that's the same, only with a different stance. Still professing his stance instead of playing music, just like someone else professing their stance.
Grandstanding of not being divisive. So one side has a problem with someone who isn’t divisive. That certainly tells me where the problem lies. Maybe some people need to grow up and touch grass rather than worrying about someone else’s politics. Especially when they don’t share that message of “choosing sides” at a concert.
It is divisive, as you see. They chose the side of telling others to shut up. James should take his own advice, instead of patting himself on the back for being a hypocrite. Maybe you should touch some grass & get off his sac.
But the moment you say "were not here to entertain bs from everyone like other artists" that's bringing up politics which makes people think about politics so it's inherently political. What's hard to understand about that?
Even if you "don't care" about politics, politics cares about you. Especially right now. Not speaking up about oppression is supporting the oppressors. If you think it won't affect you, you are part of the problem
The world has been turning and burning for millions of years. Should every tv show and movie pause the action and have the actors turn to the screen and profess their distain for Israel or isis with a phone number to donate to the specific actor’s cause? Should the show “friends” stopped mid episode to tell you how bad world hunger sucks back in the 90’s?
James has made the same exact speech twice at concerts I went to. Once in the 90s and once in the mid-2000s. People losing their mind over this are the most chronically online look at me virtue signaling ready to pounce on anything they perceive as a slight cry babies.
“Unless you live in Vegas, you've come a long way to spend some time with Metallica," Hetfield told the audience during the band's Oct. 10 show. "And I just gotta say: Metallica is not here, like some other entertainers, to influence you with their bullsh–. "We are here to forget about all the outside sh–," he continued. "Metallica's agenda is love, energy and heavy music, baby”.
I don’t agree with calling out other entertainers, but guess what, I am not a little whiny keyboard warrior ready to destroy someone who said something innocuous.
how about don’t announce anything to do with political stances??
jesus, when did walk the walk instead of (announcing you won’t)talk the talk lose its popularity?
saying “we’re not gonna do politics!” makes me think of fucking politics, and wonder wtf an announcement about a negative needs to be said when not saying it at all would keep me from thinking about it?
if they’d yapped for 10 minutes about their ‘stances’ on things, i just would have been equally as annoyed but for 10 minutes instead. which would actually be preferable, cause then i’d know the apparent need to announce something about political stances would LEAD somewhere.
why can’t anyone see this as an alternative? many people who are annoyed with him ‘not taking a stance’ are all just wishing he’d stfu entirely. not that he’d taken a stance.
are any of those songs like disposable heroes, eye of the beholder and and justice for all politically divisive? What side did Metallica alienate with those songs? How are those songs divisive?
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u/Random_String629 10h ago
I don't understand the big deal here. James basically said, "we go to concerts and play music to escape the frustrations of the world. Our shows are for everyone. We put aside everything so we can be here together and have an evening of heavy metal."
The fuck is the problem with that? Their "political" music has always been surface level, war/corruption is bad. That as a general statement, regardless of your stance on specific political issues, doesn't seem like a controversial statement to me.
Metallica as band is generally apolitical. They don't pick sides. They don't express their stances. They just write and play music. If you want something deeper than that, go see Rage Against the Machine, Rise Against, and the many other bands that make their stance clear as day. That's fine if that's what you want. But I go to a show to not be lectured about world events. I go to a show to enjoy music and watch a performance. I'd much rather hear, "this is for everyone. And while we're here, we don't care about anything outside these four walls" than a stance on a political view, EVEN if I agree with it.
Keep the stage for everyone.