On November 1, 2015, Affinity Magazine published an article I wrote entitled “Counterculture is the New Black.” I wrote this article about a certain superiority complex that seems to surround teenage fans of bands like Nirvana and Fleetwood Mac. It was meant to be a satirical piece, analyzing this pretentious attitude kids who proclaim these bands as “indie” seem to have. It was an issue that personally annoyed me, and when I get annoyed, I write.
People were upset by the article. They were upset by the tone, the writing style, or the content of the article itself. Many people didn’t seem to catch that this was meant to be humorous, and not a real attack on anyone. Some seemed to think I was attacking the bands themselves, or their fans. But here’s the thing: I wasn’t. I love Fleetwood Mac. I don’t have a problem with people who like Fleetwood Mac, or Nirvana. I have a problem with kids who think they’re “above” other kids because they listen to that, instead of modern music.
To make this clear, if this is still in question, many elements of this piece were meant to make people laugh. The “name five songs” bit, the whole ending on “stop smoking, get some color, listen to Rumors,” the “I hate those Nirvana t-shirts” part, it was meant to be funny. The condescending tone that came with the writing may have seemed cynical, and I see that viewpoint, but it was all part of the tone I was trying to convey.
I’ll admit, my writing on “Counterculture” was a bit rocky, and it wasn’t my best work. But I’m still proud of how it turned out, and for people who didn’t seem to catch that this piece was satire: I’m sorry you missed the point. There were claims it had “nothing to do with the magazine.” Alright, that’d be valid, but where was this when I wrote another piece on music? In August, I published a review of Halsey’s debut album “Badlands.” People were unhappy just because they weren’t pleased with my opinion. Which I have no problem with, to each their own.
What I do have a problem with, is when people find it in themselves to attack an entire publication for one article’s standpoint. I think what severely annoyed me about the reactions, is that many people attacked Affinity in general. They didn’t focus on the article itself, they focused on who published it.
Another problem I have, is the fact that so many believe it’s perfectly acceptable to be so rude, critical and bitter towards the magazine, the person who runs it, and myself, because of this opinion, and because of the way it was presented. Out of all the people who had a problem with the piece, I think two or three gave me really helpful advice. No one tried to help me grow as a writer or maybe inform me as to what they’d do to get the point across better, they just had their fun ripping into the magazine.
And this is where the problem lies. On Twitter, teens find it acceptable to be spiteful and angry towards others with differing opinions. Was I spiteful and angry in the article? Sure, I was. But it was for comedic effect. The negative reactions to this article were meant solely to criticize and insult, and, to be frank, drag. Some people acted like I posted a problematic article and promoted bigoted opinions. I didn’t. I made tongue-in-cheek jabs at an annoying subculture in teenage society.
My point is, teens are rude just to be rude. They’re hateful for the sole purpose of being hateful. I won’t lie, I’ve done this before myself, but I’ve tried to cut down on bashing for the sake of it. And whenever I do, it’s typically in a situation that would call for a rude comeback. For example, if I’m defending a friend from transphobia, I’ll be angry, I’ll be hateful. I wouldn’t act in the same manner if I was interacting with someone who I, for all intents and purposes, have no reason to be spiteful towards.
It’s honestly incredibly sour behavior, to relentlessly go in on someone’s viewpoint on something because you didn’t understand the point. We tried, multiple times, to clarify the point of the article, and clarify that it was written with humor in mind. But many continued to harass us and critique us, without giving any real advice on how we could possibly improve.
Do you understand what I mean? Attacking something like “Counterculture” because you didn’t like the writing style, or didn’t get the message, without expressing how it could be clarified or offering advice for a growing writer, is pointless.
Bottom line? Senseless hate doesn’t do any good. Offer up your advice on how it might be done better the second time around if you’re going to point out why you hated it. It’s really just common sense.
This attitude of, “I dislike this, let me go ahead and bash the fuck out of it,” seemed incredibly childish and entitled to me, and annoyed me. And as I said earlier, when I get annoyed, I write.
So, for those asking for an apology, a response, a retraction, this is what you’re getting.
I’m not sorry about what I said. I’m sorry for the way people reacted. Because it’s truly sad to see that I, and the magazine I write for, could be so mercilessly attacked for a trivial opinion.
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