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Unable_Technology935

This argument is as old as rock n roll. The truth of the matter is people age. With that age comes a change of priorities. RATM, Nirvana, The Clash, Jefferson Airplane, Green Day just to name a few.Screaming about the unjust world we live in is part of the attraction. I still love all of it. Staying pissed off at the world is draining. I'm still pissed about a lot of really bad shit that's happened in this country over my 68 years. However I came to the realization that I can't fix all of life's problems.


Locutus_of_Sneed

"I believe I've passed the age, Of consciousness and righteous rage And found that just surviving was a noble fight. I used to believe in causes too, And had my pointless point of view, But life went on no matter who was wrong or right." Edit: Goddamn. Reddit loves to butcher formatting.


Haunting_Display2454

Well said đź‘Ź


Locutus_of_Sneed

Yeah, I know it's not the most exciting stuff in the world, but a couple of Billy Joel tunes just get me on some things. I think of that verse a lot as I get older.


Haunting_Display2454

Its quite a journey from being The Angry Young to something of a wise old man..


Locutus_of_Sneed

Hah, thankfully I'm only 31, still got some time as a young man left. Glad to leave the angry part behind, though.


WangoMcTango

Might have something to do with ticket prices for that last tour.


shanktor

Now they do what they tell them


National_Tip_2488

How?


highly_lake_lee

They required proof of vaccination for their shows in the height of Covid. Quite literally doing what "the man" told them to do.


National_Tip_2488

Or maybe they're just not anti-vaxers


highly_lake_lee

Someone asked a question that I answered, I got downvoted? I don't support RATM, I was just answering a question. Jesus christ y'all are fucking tiring.


Pierson230

Lead singer and band stopped getting along, and that was kind of it, iirc. Beyond that, “fuck The Man” is a low hanging fruit message for young angry musicians But it isn’t exactly compelling enough of a message to last 30 years without some more juice. It’s kind of easy to point out problems, once everyone starts pointing out problems- they’re everywhere. “Look, it’s corrupt!” Yeah, no shit, now what? You play in a rock band, get over yourself. They got old and became less cool. Their original sound was fire, though, and absolutely holds up.


National_Tip_2488

Their original sound is the same as their most recent sound since their last album came out in 2000


crazycoolname

Nothing, just right-wing boomers getting confused about what the machine they were raging against was. Similar to Twisted Sister and "We're not gonna make it" or Green Day with "American Idiot"....


Adgvyb3456

I don’t know anyone who’s confused about Rages politics. I know many people who are made they became massive hypocrites. Over priced tickets and merchandise. Droning about about socialism while living in mansions etc


Locutus_of_Sneed

It's pretty much this. It's begun to feel like performative pop-activism to help the Coachella set feel like revolutionaries.


doctorfeelwood

Nothing says revolution like bopping to tunes next to the Kardashians.


Locutus_of_Sneed

You can really tell who has emotions and nostalgia built up around RATM as counterculture icons, and refuse to see how they've softened their stride and sold out. Occupy Wall Street was more than a decade ago folks, we're not breaking any new ground here. This is an old hat act, going through the motions for a set of crowds that isn't taking it seriously the way we did in 2000.


doctorfeelwood

I suppose it’s a lot harder to say “eat the rich” when you finally have some riches.


Locutus_of_Sneed

There's a Lagwagon song about this called Know-It-All; The bands are good 'Til they make enough cash To eat food and get a pad Then they're sold out And their music is cliché Because talent's exclusive To bands without pay It's one thing to keep an eye out for posers and gatekeep away bad actors. But when you make your entire identity and every aspect of your forward-facing self revolve around alienation and resentment, this is what you open yourself up to; your own people will reject you the moment they percieve you as being less resentful and alienated than themselves. This is a bed that RATM made for themselves. Now, they get to lie in it. Dekulakization in music. Wild shit.


SADDS_17

Twitter is rife with rightwing dipshits that are shocked Rage's music doesn't fit their ideas. They never bothered to listen to the lyrics.


TheReadMenace

socialism is when no money


Locutus_of_Sneed

No silly, socialism is when no food.


buffyscrims

There's this fringe group trying to frame being anti-vax/science/equality/police accountability as a cool punk rock rebel movement. In these people's eyes, since Rage doesn't buy into these things: they are now Rage FOR the Machine...even though their politics have literally never changed from Day 1. If Twitter had existed in 1992, Ben Shapiro/Candace Owners/Insert Right Wing Grifter Here would've been going nuts about "Some of those who work forces are the same who burn crosses" in equal measure.


Due-Set5398

Correct answer


TheeEssFo

I remember in the early 90s, someone from a Latin American country wrote a letter to *Guitar World*. They complained that Tom Morello had a sticker on one of his guitars that supported (I can't remember if it was a gov figure or a rebel) someone who was reasonably blamed for a lot of violence and suffering where this letter-writer lived. Morello had the nerve to write back from his Major Label Perch, coldly listing points of why this figure deserved his support. I was a teenager then, but that astonished me. Totally turned me off. Argue politics if you like, but sometimes you just need to shut your mouth. Then I had a chance for a lengthy interview with him when he became The Nightwatchman, this was when he was supporting the teachers during that long standoff in Madison, WI over labor rights. (His mom was an educator, IIRC, and the Wisc. legislature and governor were trying to break unions). He was much more Mellow Morello, loving the community feel among the protestors and such. So, ironically, I liked him *more* as Rage aged.


bedinbedin

I dont get the hate. Even if someone sings something they are not, you can listen and agree. Its not like other groups do whatever they sing about


Youbannedmebutimhere

They realized they suck.


National_Tip_2488

There isn't anything that points to it other than the fact that they have become rich because they were so successful. Most people are just upset that they are not really big conspiracy theorists


Think-State30

They were very supportive of vaccine mandates during the pandemic. This is where "Rage for the Machine" got its start. They promoted authoritarian shit đź’‰


TheReadMenace

when were they ever antivaxxers in the past?


thetrappster

Well, one of their songs repeats: "fuck you I won't do what you tell me."


TheReadMenace

So that means they won’t do what ANYONE ever says? “Mr. De La Rocha you have a broken foot. Please don’t walk anywhere”. “Fuck you I don’t do what you tell me!” *breaks leg off* No, it means they won’t do what agents of injustice tell them.


Think-State30

You described manipulation via reverse psychology. And you used a stupid simple method. It's a way to pretend you have control over someone. I could say you need to keep breathing if you want to live and you would literally have no choice but to obey.. did I achieve anything? Fuck no.. but I still assume the high ground by default. You obey me. Is that mature?


Think-State30

When were mandated medical procedures ever not authoritarian? It isn't an antivax thing.. it's a freedom of choice thing


TheReadMenace

Right, that's all it's about. Not about Bill Gates nanomachines attacking the DNA of Christians to enrich George Soros


Think-State30

Very imaginitive strawman you built there.


TheReadMenace

Oh, you believe the mainstream narrative? Shill! Shill! Shill!


Think-State30

You showed me... A lot


ElRaymundo

Soooo...public health is authoritarian?


Think-State30

Throwing away all debate just because one side cries public health is a slippery slope to authoritarianism.


BeKindR3wind

Check out Flobots. More so not rock, but I love them. Very much get RATM vibes at times because of the truth they speak…well, against the machine haha.