Before you accuse me, Take a look at yourself

Eugene McDaniel  – “Before You Accuse Me”

So, against my better judgment, I decided to be nice to a group of fans who I THOUGHT might appreciate some videos I took, that came out really well, of a certain artist, that I, like them, enjoy watching perform.

I went on this artist’s site, created my account and proceeded to wander in to possibly the craziest group of wingnuts I have ever had the displeasure of dealing with.

I was, within seconds, accused of first, being a troll, then, being another person who they all think is a troll, and finally, an Adam Lambert fan (which is apparently worse than being a troll or a troll imitating another troll) who came in there for the sole purpose of bashing them.

Realize that not only did I direct them to my YouTube channel (which has zero Adam Lambert, FYI. Really? Couldn’t they at least accuse me of being a Daughtry fan like they used to? I mean I don’t particularly like his music, but, hell, at least I hear he’s a good guy – and not a diva).  I also directed them to this blog… oh and I went on using my REAL name.. not my nick name “Meerkah.”

I found myself angered at the accusations. Not because I felt in any way that they might directly reflect who I was as a person, but because the whole ordeal immediately reinforced every bad thing that has ever been said about this artist’s fan base. These folks love to say that everyone ‘bashes’ them, but how can anyone NOT bash them when the reception received, by someone who for all they know could be a potential new lifer, is so heinous??

Seriously, they love to complain that this artist needs to widen his fan base, and that people just don’t ‘understand’ good music. But really, what if I had been a new fan? What if I had just come on there to chat it up with other fans? Anyone not already accustomed to the rampant, ridiculous, stupidity that permeates this particular group, and didn’t already know that among the whack jobs there were some legitimately good people, would have run for the hills.

One fan asked me to please not take it out on the artist. Well, of course I wouldn’t. I’ve been a fan of his long enough to know better. But it’s no surprise to me, that when I go see him play, it’s always the same group of people running for the merch table at the end of the show to catch a glimpse. It’s no surprise to me that any new fan is looked upon suspiciously. And it’s really no surprise to me when my friends, who’d never seen him play, but who very well might enjoy his sound, refuse to go see him play, because, well, they don’t want to deal with a fan base that has a reputation for being insane, or even worse, when, my friends who have been fans as long as I have been won’t go to a show because they’d dealt with the crazy before, and really don’t want to have to pay to be subjected to it again.

Really? I am aware there are far more ‘normal’ people, than ‘crazy’ ones, but the ‘crazy’ ones seem to be the loudest, most obnoxious of the bunch. I am appalled at the reception I received in that room, and if I actually DID know the guy (as I was informed that the other “Troll Persona” they attributed to me had claimed) I’d tell him what an insane group of jackasses are doing to HIS reputation. Because make no mistake, when a new fan comes on to that board, these old timers are representative of the artist.

The folks who ‘live’ on that site need to realize, that they very well might be the ones inhibiting the growth of the artist. That no matter how amazing he is live, or how great his songs are, they are, much as crabs in a basket, keeping him down by perpetuating the ‘crazy’ fan base reputation that they themselves created.

For me, as a fan, it is infuriating to watch. This is a very talented musician who doesn’t deserve his reputation sullied by a bunch of crackpots who somehow think it’s their God given right to police HIS site. He has moderators for that folks. You all are there to just enjoy, chat it up, make friends, and not alienate any other potential newbies.

I don’t know the guy. I never said I did. But guess what, neither do you. Stop ruining his career because of some fantasy you may have that he will thank you for chasing away folks that YOU may not like or may be jealous of for whatever insane reason your deranged minds come up with.

You like this guy? Do him a favor and learn some fucking manners.