Atmosphere for Young Smiths Fans

[tired_hedonist]

I'm really curious to know if teenagers get ostracized (to any degree at all) for being Smiths fans, or if nowadays it's like liking any other band. I remember after getting into The Smiths that if anyone asked me what kind of music I liked I had to take a deep breath and prepare myself for sh*t before answering. Curiously it never occurred to me to lie--I guess I was proud of my taste. I remember things like being at a party once when I was in my 20s and a fellow Smiths fan, in fact a Morrissey look-alike, suggested that we should convince our friend the hostess to play some Smiths, and she moaned and groaned about what a moaner and groaner Morrissey is until we had to shut it off and listen to more "tasteful" crap like Billie Holliday (nothing on earth against Billie Holliday, but she's been co-opted by college students as a safe and generic choice). Part 2 of question: do you find a lot of your heroes are like this? (I'll even stick up for Enimen--though I wouldn't call him a hero of mine--because he's capable of writing amazing lyrics.) And Part 3: Why do you think Smiths fans get this kind of crap?

Answer all or any of above and I will read with fascination!

[elko]

Personally my Smiths obessesion is something I try to share with anyone who will listen, and I usually scare them off with the force of my argument, because music is one thing that provokes passion in me. I introduced one friend to The Smiths, but he thought they were a joke to be honest, albeit a good one. Generally being a Smiths fan is okay because most people my age don't have a clue who they are (although thanks to Moz's re-found fame, that is changing). My dad is the most spiteful of all about my love for The Smiths. When I mentioned it to him, he slurred: "Ooh, heaven knows I'm miserable nooow". This somes up the attitude that a lot of people have about The Smiths, that they make miserablist depressive music. My dad had not heard of any of the other Smiths. I'd always thought that I wouldn't fall into the trap of liking music just cause it annoyed my parents, but now it has happened accidently.

[Fabienne]

I'd consider myself happy, if anybody round here had ever heard something of The Smiths of Morrissey before I told them about.
This wasn't the case.
I never met people (except on the internet of course, which isn't really the same), who ever heard something of the Smiths / Morrissey.
So, i cannot tell you anything about reactions towards my love for the Smiths, except "What? The Smiths? Who's that?".
My mother likes the pictures of the young Morrissey, which cover my walls, and she likes his voice. She even recognizes his music, when she's in my room. <!--emo&B)--><!--endemo-->
But now with the new album, it happened to me that a friend of mine came up to me and said "You'll never guess who I've seen on MTV yesterday! MORRISSEY!!" <!--emo&:D--><!--endemo-->

<!--QuoteBegin--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->do you find a lot of your heroes are like this?<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->

it's always the same. most of my "heroes" are not known by the folks around me.
Sometimes they get to know and to like them, when I show them some of the good songs.. This happened e.g. with Belle and Sebastian or Muse.
Oh well, but someone who listened to a few Placebo songs told me that I'm "so strange, because I listen to such depressing music.." Well... <!--emo&:rolleyes:--><!--endemo--> <!--emo&:D--><!--endemo-->

[Mal_Adjusted]

monday - humiliation
tuesday- suffocation
wednesday- condescention
thursday - IS pathetic
by friday - life has killed me
"

yes i took three days off work recently when someone attacked morrissey (me)

in my old job they wouldnt let me play them in the workshop and i had to put up with theirs

but then again someone who bullied me for other reasons at work liked them so at least that was something

other than that its just people at work who have annoyed me in relation to liking them which has been frustrating and anger-laden in the past because its one of the few things i have

[elko]

<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->
yes i took three days off work recently when someone attacked morrissey (me)<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

I don't quite understand this. You mean someone actually attacked you, or someone criticised/attacked Morrissey?

[Mal_Adjusted]

yes they attacked me verbally and intentionally

[elko]

Sorry to hear that.

[Pashernate_Lover]

Noone I know really liked the Smiths or Morrissey before I showed it to them, there is really no one i can talk to, the only person I know who had ever heard of them was repulsed that I love the Smiths, Smiths fans get a bad rap because they are the more emotional, intellectual types, and generally the people that life has kicked around unfairly for much too long. Not many people know or understand my heroes, so I generally don't get any reactions besides "who??"

[elko]

I think The Smiths are probably as popular now as at any time I personally can remember. A lot of Smiths influenced bands are giving credit where it's more than due, and magazines mention The Smiths much more.

[girl_afraid]

Yeah, I agree, when I first started listening to The Smiths, hardly anyone knew who they were, and I'd just get blank looks whenever I mentioned them. That still happens the majority of the time, but at least now some people know who they are, and we get Moz on the radio more often!

A few of my friends like The Smiths, two of them enough to come to Morrissey concerts with me, but none of them really care about them as much as I do, or feel so connected, I think. Even the friend who introduced me to The Smiths gets annoyed if I talk about them - I get the usual eye roll and the 'not them again' look.

I definitely don't feel ashamed about my love for them, although I do get incredibly defensive if anyone says anything against Moz/The Smiths, because it's usually due to ignorance and them just not putting enough effort in to find out more. I can sympathise with you, Elko, my dad is the worst for criticising them, he's like "God, you're not listening to Morrison again are you? All the songs sound the same!" Chyeah... OK... Try comparing I Know It's Over, Late Night, Maudlin Street, Natuional Front Disco and I Won't Share You. The same, my ass...!

I think Smiths fans get picked on sometimes (especially guys) because The Smiths aren't the typical "cool" music that's basically shouting, with lyrics about gay-bashing and getting high, so we make for easy targets. But, again, since most people don't seem to know who the hell The Smiths are, I don't find that I get picked on so much, except by people who I hate anyway and couldn't care less what they think. Anyway, anyone who doesn't 'get' Morrissey's lyrics is an idiot and we should pity them. <!--emo&:P--><!--endemo-->

[elko]

It's incredible how The Smiths remain critically adored, but publicly ignored. Two or three people in my year at school has heard of them, mainly because I told them about them.

[Still Ill]

I agree with everything you've said. I only have a couple of friends I can really talk about music with, and of course, I have to defend the Smiths and Morrissey ALL the time. Even when I first became a fan, no one I knew knew who they were. Huge in Britain, but just gaining cult status when they suddenly split. Unless people have a connection with English music (Britpop et al), they don't realize the impact the Smiths had, or have. They seem relevant again at the moment, thanks to Morrissey. But I do kind of pride myself to having to explain who the Smiths are, as if to unveil music's hidden secret! Almost elitist <!--emo&:D--><!--endemo--> , but not in the the way some rabid Morrissey fans seem to be, where they seem to forget that with Morrissey it started with the Smiths.

Elko, you sneaked your post in, but you have summed it up best, critically adored, but publicy ignored. I'll have to quote you. Believe me, it'll come up.

[girl_afraid]

<!--QuoteBegin-Still Ill+Aug 29 2004, 02:47 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Still Ill @ Aug 29 2004, 02:47 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> But I do kind of pride myself to having to explain who the Smiths are, as if to unveil music's hidden secret! Almost elitist <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
Yeah, I know exactly what you mean! Like we've discovered some kind of underground treasure that the rest of the world has yet to uncover.

It's quite strange, I want my friends to like The Smiths, but not the extent that I do... I think almost all Smiths fans feel that Morrissey is theirs and they don't want to share him with anyone (cue impromtu performance of 'I Won't Share You'), and I guess I think that if any of my friends became as obsessed with them as I am, he wouldn't be "mine" as much anymore.

[elko]

Cheers Still Ill <!--emo&:D--><!--endemo-->

I don't think any friends of mine could become as knowledgable about the Smiths as me, I'd love them to though. The idea of the forum was to be able to chat about Smiths stuff because basically they are not the type of band that large groups of people like. If that makes sense.

[Pashernate_Lover]

OH MY LORD! My room mate is a Smiths fan! I just talked to her for the first time and she said that she loved the Smiths, and even got a Smiths haircut! I am sooooooooo lucky! Happy, and lucky, and grinning like an idiot.