A while back, I posted about an article in a major news outlet that attempted to draw a correlation between listening to metal and being smarter than normal. It generated a sizable debate among individuals who are all smarter than normal, and few of whom enjoy metal.
I liked the article, despite its failings to disclose much about the dataset and investigate methodological flaws, because it offered an opinion on metal listening habits other than “metalheads are social scum.” Today, however, I found another article. I honestly wonder whether any research was performed at all, so closely does it adhere to stereotypes.
She said an Australian study of year 10 students had shown significant associations between heavy metal music and suicidal tendencies, depression, delinquency and drug-taking.
An American study had also shown that young adults who regularly listened to heavy metal had a higher preoccupation with suicide and higher levels of depression than their peers.
Who paid to have this written? It’s quite clearly cherry-picking. And lest you think I’m objecting to this article because my genre of choice is being presented in a less than favorable way, take a look at the aggregate findings.
WHAT STUDIES SAY ABOUT YOUR SOUNDS:
POP: Conformists, overly responsible, role-conscious, struggling with sexuality or peer acceptance.
HEAVY METAL: Higher levels of suicidal ideation, depression, drug use, self-harm, shoplifting, vandalism, unprotected sex.
DANCE: Higher levels of drug use regardless of socio-economic background.
JAZZ/RHYTHM & BLUES: Introverted misfits, loners.
RAP: Higher levels of theft, violence, anger, street gang membership, drug use and misogyny.
What stuns me about this is that the article author (or the researchers performing the study, but right now I’m blaming shoddy journalism) is clearly looking only for negative associations. What the hell is “overly responsible”?
The Dance category is particularly incendiary in that it implies that only poor people do drugs—unless the rich person listens to Dance music, in which case they don’t belong.
I really hope the article is substantially misrepresented by the media coverage. Maybe I’ll put in a request at my library to get access to the paper, and I’ll see for myself which party is at fault. I must admit, though, that part of me hopes that it’s not the journalist, because on some level I’m really looking forward to when l I get tenure and can jack off like this and call it research.
According to this…”research”, I’m a violent, self-destructive, introvert misfit that shoplifts and has a lot of unprotected sex. I do a bit of vandalism during the weekends as a hobby, seeing as I’m a loner and I need to do something else than harming myself and doing drugs to release my pent up aggression that stems from my depression.
Man impo, you’re more fucked up than I am. I mean there may be some evidence that of people who commit suicide and or any of those other things more often are those who listen to metal but who is to say that that’s just now what they perceive to be what they should be listening to as that is what culture expects of them (I am obviously not crediting these people with very much intelligence but that’s just my nature)?
Isn’t this study just showing that people who are stupid are stupid? The way that all these music cultures are displayed in the media today will always focus on the bad aspects and anyone that feels that they are a part of that culture will be drawn to said music, it’s the nature of weak willed people. The article itself even sums itself up stating how much of a wankfest the research is:
I can only credit this article as a waste of time because this research tells absolutely nothing about anything.
What are you complaining about? Of the five music categories, metal had the best personality profile by far. The choice is clear: be a metalhead or else be a violent, angry, introverted, drug using, conformist, loner misogynist struggling with your sexual identity.
I’ll take the shoplifting and unprotected sex any day of the week.
And besides, it said “suicidal ideation,” not suicide. ‘Scuse me, I gotta go buy some spray paint for my vandalism.
I’m compaining about the fact that someone gets paid to write about this and convey absolutley nothing and I haven’t figured out how to slack off that much yet!
I most certainly agree that metal did not get the short end of the stick in this “analysis.” But how insane is it that not a single positive thing was said about any genre of music?
Off the top of my head, I can think of quite compelling positive qualities, founded entirely on bullshit, of listeners of these different categories of music. The author couldn’t have tossed in a few for good measure?
If it had been anti-metal, then I’d be pissed. But it’s just nonsensically anti-everything. There’s no upside. The world is doomed. Apocalypse now. Let’s all kill ourselves.
Man, that sounded pretty heavy.
Not anti-everything. A music snob. Classical music wasn’t a category.
I thought about saying that, then thought better of it: supposing that any data actually was collected, I’m sure the researchers coded the data according to responses, not vice versa. Perhaps they had preliminary categories ready, and had to discard “classical,” because, well, really, it’s freaking high school sophomores.
And Australians, at that! Ha!
Two words: Dan Parrish. Two more words: Ruth Parrish.
Data three standard deviations away (or further) can be disregarded!!
I think this study was just trying to tell you to kill yourself if you like metal. I mean I’d say it’s pretty sweet that they could do a study and basically get paid to make fun of people with different musical tastes.
Conor you should honestly try to contact them for a job.
In terms of wing span to height ratio, I am more than 3 standard deviations from the mean.
Which is why we call you—oh, nevermind.
so apparently nothing good can come from listening to any music