Angry Old Man Complains That Americans Are Too Angry And Complain Too Much
HOT TAKE ALERT! Tom Araya, bassist and vocalist for acclaimed meathead thrash-metal band, Slayer, has some piping hot takes that he thinks are worth listening to. They really aren’t, but I’m writing about them anyway because it’s 2017 and there’s no better time to get angry on the internet. A picture is worth a thousand words and an advertisement for Pepsi is worth countless overly-intellectual think pieces, so a few quotes from an aging rock star are certainly worth a blog post on our favorite toilet-themed place on the web. Don’t like it? Too bad.
Per a report from Metal Injection, Tom Araya did an interview with a Chilean radio station, Futuro, and called America a “nation of crybabies,” in reference to the outcry surrounding his posting of a photo of the band with some functionally illiterate politician. He only elaborated enough to say that Americans “can’t have fun” nor “laugh at themselves,” and saying that he only posted the photo because he thought “it was funny. And also to piss some people off.” That’s about all of the juicy parts, so let’s get down to business. The Slayer/Drumpf/Instagram fiasco has been covered basically everywhere, including here. It’s been reported on and covered from every angle, some of them smart and others mind-numbingly stupid. Why bring it up again? Because fuck you, Tom, that’s why.
Listen, I love Slayer and I would bet that a fair share of our community does too. However, Slayer is quintessential dipshit-metal in the exact same way that Donald Trump is a quintessential dipshit. Sorry, the truth hurts. This isn’t making Slayer unnecessarily political or polarizing. Everything is political and, to be fair, Tom started it. This isn’t about whether or not he’s a Republican or if he voted for Trump; it’s about ending the notion that those who take offense to anything, be it a photo celebrating an angrily-tweeting grandpa or a song, are “crybabies.” I hope the irony isn’t lost on anyone that a common conservative complaint is about how much liberals whine and complain. Aside from, gee I don’t know, apple pie and not eating dinner with anyone other than their wives, bitching about stuff has got to be a favorite pastime of old conservative men. Don’t let their “hurr durr I pull my got dang boots up by their straps and I ain’t offended by nuthin” routine fool you; they bitch as much as anyone else.
The whole liberal-snowflake-crybaby rhetoric is a load of ignorant horse shit. I’m not here to change anyone’s mind on the numerous deeply polarizing issues that we (hopefully) read about in the newspaper everyday. What I want to do instead is to encourage everyone to call people on their bullshit, especially when it sounds something like “stop complaining” or “that’s just the way it is.” Before you take a stance that sounds something like old ignorant Tom here, it’s a good idea to listen to what people have to say and ask them questions about why they feel that way. Everyone has gotten offended or felt unsafe or unjustly treated at some point. Everyone. If someone communicates that to you, all you have to do is ask them questions and try to understand their viewpoint.
This is especially true if you think you’re inclined to disagree. In fact, you might (drumroll please), learn something. There is a whole world of valid complaints out there and I would be shocked if you did not have any yourself. “I feel unsafe in a certain space because of my gender and/or skin color,” and “I feel unsafe in my home without a gun” can actually both be true. Do not set out to change someone’s mind or call them a crybaby for complaining. I implore you to do your best to shut the fuck up and listen, even if it is just occasionally. Living in a democracy means listening to the views of others, no matter how stupid you think they are. Please try not to be a curmudgeon like Tom.
That said, feel free to tell me why I’m a whiney liberal snowflake and that metal is supposed to be dangerous and piss everyone off. Also, enjoy one of Slayer’s best and definitely offensive song. YEP!!
