Rock & Metal Profs

THE ROCK & METAL PROFS

WITH MATT ALSCHBACH & DR. COURT LEWIS

Associate professors at Owensboro Community College and Pellissippi State Community College, respectively, Alschbach and Lewis host the popular podcast The Rock & Metal Profs: The History & Philosophy of Rock & Metal. Now they're bringing their keen insights to the pages of News 4U with a monthly deep dive into some of the best bands of the rock/metal genre and thoughts on music in general.

TYRANNY OF FANS: MUSICIANS ARE NOT OUR SERVANTS

Afew months ago, I was chatting with a fellow metal fan in a record shop, and I mentioned that I liked the band Machine Head. In response this chap said, “I can’t listen to them anymore, they’ve become way too political.” This surprised me, because for two decades Machine Head has taken on various social and political themes in their music. However, recently they began to speak out against racism, corruption, and the deception that permeates our newsfeed. It occurred to me that what this gentleman was uncomfortable with was the shift in tone. In other words, Machine Head was fine when they were singing about political themes that lined up with HIS ideology. But when that changed, they had to go. Boycott! Cancel Machine Head!

Musicians express ideas, concepts, and viewpoints. It’s a form a speech, and though it can often be mundane, it is just as often profane. Thanks to the freedom of speech, most artists enjoy the freedom to express themselves in all sorts of varied ways; and we as consumers are free to enjoy the fruits of their labors. Yet, there is a vocal part of the culture that schizophrenically abhors artists’ freedom of speech. They’re often quoted as saying: “Stay out of politics, keep your mouth shut, and just play music.”

They are “schizophrenic” because many of the same people who want artists to be silent are the same who praise the importance of the freedom of speech. They support their freedom, but when others choose to actively use their freedom, they are offended, dismayed, and even enraged.

We all have opinions, but why do some disdain artists who voice theirs? Celebrities might have a louder voice because of their “followers,” but we shouldn’t envy their voice. Why don’t these same people rail against the entertainers, nutritionists, lawyers, and self-educated dropouts who are famous merely for voicing their opinions? Just like the artists, they have no special training nor education in social-political theory. Surely, it’s not because they have confused artists as their jesters, as servants to do their bidding? (But I’m afraid that’s the truth.)

PICTURED LEFT TO RIGHT: MATT ALSCHBACH AND DR. COURT LEWIS

artists, yet despise their freedom of speech, implies a contradiction in one’s thinking. Do you suffer from this tempting contradiction? Is it that you just don’t like it when people disagree with you, or that you can’t enjoy your favorite entertainer without thinking of her or his political position? No matter the answer, remember, artists are not your servants. They are free people, just like us, and if we enjoy the art that flourishes in an environment of freedom of speech, then we should celebrate celebrities’ use of it, even if we don’t like what they say.

The Rock & Metal Profs podcast is available on iTunes, Google and Spotify.

For music to flourish, we must protect the cherished value of freedom of speech. To love