In this world, you have two types of metalheads. Your druggies that dont care about anything, and the metalheads that have their shit together.

It makes me mad seeing non-metal people look at us as the fucked up evil spirited no good freaks. I honestly see more metalheads that are smarter, more productive, and have more planned out than the average person.

How do you guys view all this stuff? Feel free to add to discussion!

sigh, here we go again, metalheads on average AREN'T smarter, more productive, and have more planned out than your average person. It is the same within metal as it is in real life, I would even dare to go as far as to say that on averge metaalhead are even bigger braindead morons than your average every day person.

Meh, people are usually dum anyway, no matter if they listen to metal or not.

I would agree with you there. I've been listening to metal for over 25 years and I can tell you that society sees most of us as a bunch of fuck ups. Many people are surprised when they find out about my hobby. I'm a "normal" looking guy, although have a few tattoos that all stop at my elbows so not readily apparent. I have a fairly high level position at a nationally known company, wife, live in a nice neighborhood, etc. I had my shit together while growing up and found metal to be more stimulating mentally than any other type of music.
I actually think there was some study done in England where they found that most people who listened to metal had above avg IQ's and were good students in school etc. I generally don't give much of a shit what people think of me, but it does bother me sometimes that metal has this stigma of being a bunch of fuck ups who don't have their shit together.

Hahaha this old debate. Metalheads are like everyone in the society. Not smarter or anything else. Just average. Listening to metal doesn't make you see things more clearly, it doesn't make you more cultured or more intelligent.

And the average person a lot of metalheads are usually making fun of doesn't give the slightest shit about looking like someonehe/she is not, unlike a lot of metalheads who want to be as special or as metal-looking as possible

@Marcel I guess theres a big difference betweenmetalheads from the Netherlands and a radius where I live.

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 20.09.2007 at 20:46
It is the same within metal as it is in real life

I dont understand what you mean. Theres a difference between living life and listening to metal.

What don't you understand about it? what I meant is that there are as many smart people when loking at metalheads as there are when looking at everyone outside of metal

Stereotypes - people who see us think that an average metalhead is a hairy, stupid beer-addict and leather wearing man (a bit generalized view I know). And a lot of metalheads see themselves and other metalheads as something smarter than example a person who listens to hip-hop or trance. But there are a lot of morons in metal scene and outside it - I wouldn't say one group of people are smarter just because they listen some certain music style.

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 20.09.2007 at 20:46
metalheads on average AREN'T smarter, more productive, and have more planned out than your average person.

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 20.09.2007 at 21:13

what I meant is that there are as many smart people when loking at metalheads as there are when looking at everyone outside of metal

Which is it then?




@UnholyMenace - Yea, not trying to say we are better because we listen to metal. But its just the fact that people see us as a common peice of shit. Take Nergal or Rafael Bittencourt for example, look at what they have accomplished outside of the metal scene.

Written by Lord TJ on 20.09.2007 at 21:09

@Marcel I guess theres a big difference betweenmetalheads from the Netherlands and a radius where I live.

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 20.09.2007 at 20:46
It is the same within metal as it is in real life

I dont understand what you mean. Theres a difference between living life and listening to metal.

being a metalhead just gives you a different perspective on life. it doesn't make you smarter, more organized, more anything.

metalheads, like 99% of other subcultures/cliques/subsets of society in comprised of a wide variety of all types of people. some who are smart and have 'their shit together', others who are cementheaded morons and everything in the middle.

the notion that just being a metalhead somehow means you are smarter/faster/more elite is a joke.

I wasnt trying to intend to say that being a metalhead or listening to metal would enchance your intellegence or anything. Im just saying it seems like most metalheads are picked out to be the losers in life by non-metalheads when theres more to us than they think. But your also right, it doesnt mean we are all smart or dumb.

Well, what do you expect? Hip-hopers for example isn't exactly seen as the most intelligent people either with the bling-bling and the gang mentality, or punk who is seen as alcoholists. Not to mention rave people who is potraited as some crazy drug addicts. The media is found of steriotypes, get used to it. By trying to act as "metal" as possible, you only add fuel to the fire.

I think it really just depends on the person and not what kind of music they listen to. I mean a lot of people that know me don't even know I'm a metalhead. I don't look like one and I guess I don' t "act" like one. I don't think that takes away from me being who I am though. I think I'm a metalhead and that's all I really care about. Most of the metalheads I know are smart but most of the people I know in general are smart. I've seen a lot of stupid metalheads too. I've seen a lot of stupid people too. Anyways I did have a teacher once who said all of his greatest student were metalheads..so who knows maybe we are better than the rest of the world

The same stereotype that all black metal is about satanism and that people who listen to stoner metal are stoned 24/7.

Written by Lord TJ on 20.09.2007 at 21:28

I wasnt trying to intend to say that being a metalhead or listening to metal would enchance your intellegence or anything. Im just saying it seems like most metalheads are picked out to be the losers in life by non-metalheads when theres more to us than they think. But your also right, it doesnt mean we are all smart or dumb.

"There is more to us than they think."

you're 17, an American, and probably still in high school.

i'm going to make some assumptions regarding archetypical high school cliques still existing like they did in my HS time to counter this on you.

there is more to the 'preppies' than you see at face value.

there is more to the 'jocks' than most the teenage metalstormers think.

there is more to ANY group than most think at face value.

as was mentioned, stereotyping influences how we view other people.

a good chunk of the metalheads in this site are just as horribly guilty of pre-judging entire groups of people based on nothing more than the music they listen to or the social cliques they are in.

in short, there is no "average" metalhead. there is no "average" rapper. there is no "average" preppy. all are unique, all have their own qualities, and all are likely to go with the groupthink flow of their mates at some point - making their unique qualities inscrutable to a casual observer.

food for thought.

(exits this thread a la Bender at the end of "The Breakfast Club", with the Simple Minds playing 'Don't you (forget about me)' in the background... )

"There is more to us than they think" is to mean that the vast majority of metalheads are not fools. I actually get along with most cliches. I get along with the preps, the jocks, one of my good friends is one of the biggest rappers in my town.

Im not going to lie, we all have some stereotyping in all of us.
Most rappers attempt to be gangster.
Most preppies are a bit ditzy.
Most jocks tend to be arrogant at times.
Most metalheads are obsessed with music.

I think it safe to say that this is average, am I right? You cant say most rappers arent in with the gangster attitude, you cant tell me most metalheads dont have an obsession with music, but dont get me wrong im not saying this is with 100% of everyone.

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 20.09.2007 at 20:46

sigh, here we go again, metalheads on average AREN'T smarter, more productive, and have more planned out than your average person. It is the same within metal as it is in real life, I would even dare to go as far as to say that on averge metaalhead are even bigger braindead morons than your average every day person.

There is some truth in your post, although I think there is more to this... I think it depends on surrounding, and few more social matters, so to say...
Here 90% of people, especially young people, who listen to "turbo folk" music are total idiots, you cannot exchange 2 normal sentences with such people....
Simple music for simple minds.... something like that.... I hope I made a point...

One thing irritates me....if a person who's metal just because it makes him "special" and sets him on "higher" position compared to others....I know such people....not only metal...fantasy, strong warriors, elf bitches, wizards, dark forests....and then the "I'm awesome! Oh my God...you're like SO weak and retarded, go fuck yourself....I'm a cool person...I read Tolkien and listen to metal...I'm more intelligent that the whole world!"
Or then again..."Oh MY GOD!! It's like SOO GAY and POP!!! I listen to ONLY underground bands....ew...I used to love this band but now I saw that some rap fans also listen to it and I quit listening to this sellout piece of crap in a second!"

I also dislike people who base their lives upon the opinion of someone they think is "cool".....

All in all....listening to metal doesn't make a person neither a retard nor a laureate of the Pulitzer prize.....everything depends on the person himself....

Metalheads have their own share of idiots, just like any other group of people in this world.

I am like who said ppl don't know that I do lsn metal, coz of my appearance, so normal & decent I can describe....


I haven't thought this would be really that problem to talk about in west, actually, here the problem is brached out, well, I myself haven't faced serious problems coz am originaly so normal, but all in all gigs are meant to be canceled and things, just like when Anathema wanted to come here (exactly b4 a year), also b4 4 years for Opeth! ...


I myslef I don't like metalheads with strange appearance!


Anywayz, a person is himself as being productive & intelligant, but still, metal adds, I admit that by being a metalhead I gained effecient experience that is usefull to me in my life... that is alone an advantage... a good one also...

I'm tired of labels like "metalhead", "gangsta", "nazi", "anarchist punk" etc, etc. I'm tired of people labelling each other, and I'm also prety tired of myself being labelled as a metalhead, as I do not consider myself a metalhead. Sure, most of the music I listen to is metal, most of the songs I try to play on guitar are metal etc. but I don't like being thought of as a metalhead, because people have really stupid associations with the term. Also I'm tired of the stupidity that is so often found in (especially younger) metalheads (in Estonia at least), and all this disrespectful attitude towards music styles like trance, techno, rap, whatever, stupid slogans like "be metal", "keep it heavy" and most of all when people are discussing something on account of how metal it is, like it isn't "metal" to wear trainers, or nice shoes, instead you should wear really huge black leather boots and camo pants and all that shit.

I see your point, but everything is going to have a label no matter what. Its just life. When you mostly play and listen to metal, thats going to make people label you. Theres always labels, no matter what.

Somewhere on youtube theres a vid of an interview with Chuck Schuldiner, and he is shown wearing an animal shirt. Saying something like, "Just because im in a death metal band doesnt mean that im an evil mean person."

As i'm sure the older people on this message board can verify, the cliques created in school really don't go away throughout life. People who think alike and have the same interests still find each others company throughout life. If you're into motorcycles, you'll gravitate to those who like motorcycles etc.

Stereotypes will always be a bad thing, yet they are here to stay. I only consider myself a music lover - now, what my definition of music is may be different than others. I don't really consider myself a "metalhead" since I do listen to jazz and some classical as well. What i do consider myself, is someone who is able to think on my own and not follow what is considered to be "normal" by society.

Interesting discussion. Very hard for me to chime in on this fully, since I am not an "average" Metalhead. I mean, from my looks, yeah I am a Metalhead, but from my life, it seems to be the complete opposite.

But I would say that 80% of the Metalheads I know are dumb. The other 20% seem to be brilliant people. Funny how that works.

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 20.09.2007 at 20:46

sigh, here we go again, metalheads on average AREN'T smarter, more productive, and have more planned out than your average person. It is the same within metal as it is in real life, I would even dare to go as far as to say that on averge metaalhead are even bigger braindead morons than your average every day person.

No Marcel, I think you missed the point of this thread, its so we can bitch about how we're "misunderstood", and about how down trodden our poor kind is. You know, seeing as metalheads are a different species than humans.

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 20.09.2007 at 21:13

What don't you understand about it? what I meant is that there are as many smart people when loking at metalheads as there are when looking at everyone outside of metal

Once again, this is generalising. It would be more than likely that people would not be the same, as music tastes between every person in the world's population would differ greatly and thus would not belong to one label. I'd say there's a high chance that 'smarter' people tend to gravitate towards certain genres of music (not Metal, in particular), for different reasons. Keep in mind, I'm not trying to argue that 'metalheads' are smarter, but to genernalise and say the different levels of intelligence occur equally amongst all populaces would be outright wrong.

I wouldn't say that metalheads are smarter than any other stereotype. I've met some very intelligent metal fans yet on the other hand, I've met moronic, braindead, elite metal fans. It's pretty much the same in every stereotype. I've met some very intelligent rap fans and pop fans, but then of course, I've met blatantly idiotic ones too.

The smartest metal fans that I have met are usually the ones that don't pledge any loyalty to metal. Those of whom still listen to other genres of music. Also, I've noticed that a lot of average metalheads usually just know a lot about one particular field, and it's usually something that has a connection with metal, for example, mythology, literature, history, philosophy. However, when it comes to a general overview, metal fans aren't smarter than any other average person. Not referring to anyone in particular, and not intending to offend anyone, but I've usually found that the most arrogant and braindead people are the ones that pledge great loyalty to a certain sub-group/sub-culture/stereotype whether it be metal, punk, rap, pop etc.

oh well the power of words... They do make you think about things don't they. Words like "average" and "metalhead". I like to look at people as human beings more than anything else, I admit I don't always acomplish that. Everybody thinks in stereotypes, I'm trying to fight that impulse myself. On that note, I think we have millions of people, millions of different people, each one with their interests, cultural background, etc. Different people make different choices. Some people are intelligent some people are not. Some people try harder to improve their knowledge, some dont. People that listen to metal arent different in that sense, they just listen to something else other than what the majority of the population listens to.

Maybe I'm problematizing too much lol

Yeah right, and Manowar fans have twice bigger cocks than average human, while Symphony X fans are just to progressive for this earth....

well check this out, and see what u think

http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/this_britain/article2377708.ece

hmmm?