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!