My dad has always said that everyone is entitled to their own stupid opinion. It's true. I'm entitled to my own stupid opinion, you're entitled to your own stupid opinion, and the people across the street are entitled to their own stupid opinion. I wholeheartedly believe this, but apparently there is a segment of the population that disagrees with me.

From time to time I come across someone questioning the musical taste of someone else, or outright attacking someone or some band because of the music they play/listen to. This seems to happen alot in the Metal community. I can't even begin to quantify the number of times I've heard or read someone lambasting someone else for the music they listen to. The funny thing is Metalheads tend to be staunch supporters of individual freedom. But for a group of people who vehemently support individual freedom - freedom to listen to what they want or do what they want - there are an awful lot of Metalheads who hypocritically like to try to curb or control that freedom in others.

What usually happens is either someone questions why anyone would like a certain band; then that individual, and all like-minded souls, proceed to censure that band and anyone who likes it; or some website posts a news story about a band, with the same result.

One recent incident, that illustrates this quite well, comes from the site Anus.com. This type of garbage is exactly what I'm talking about. But, instead of just voicing their own (stupid) opinion on their website, this site goes one step further: they encourage their readers to go to the band website and actually attack the band there!

Normally I choose not to get involved in this kind of discussion, for the simple reason that it’s completely pointless.  Someone usually gets their nose out of joint and tries to argue that I'm being hypocritical because they think I'm doing what I'm telling them to stop doing: specifically, being judgmental. But after the last couple of incidents I've had enough.

In case the obvious was missed, we are all individuals and, as such, we will all have different interests and, therefore, different opinions on what is good and what is not; and that's okay! But if someone wants to tell me that I shouldn't like what I like or listen to what I listen to, then they have crossed the line. Nobody has the right to try to force their opinions on others or make them feel badly because of what they like. Seriously, I will listen to whatever the hell I want to listen to, be it Black Metal, Death Metal, Swedish Pop or Disco and I don't give a rodents rectum what other people think of what I listen to. And that's how it should be! Anyone who listens to a certain genre of music because "it's cool" or because that's what their parents hate is an imbecile and not being true to themselves, let alone the "movement" they are professing to idolize. No-one should ever listen to a type of music because they are rebelling or because they are toeing the line. To do so can only result in misery. So, let's stop attacking people because they are different!

If your reaction to this was to get upset and want to argue with me...is it maybe because you do this? Do you attack people because you don't like what they play/listen to? Well, before you try to tell me that I'm being a hypocrite by saying you're not entitled to your opinion, why don't you try re-reading the post. My point here is that you are entitled to your stupid opinion but so is everyone else. Quit worrying about what other people are listening to because, no, it doesn't adversely affect you. Attacking someone for their musical tastes just makes you look stupid, and if you don't want to be attacked for your tastes then don't do it to someone else.