07-26-2004, 06:18 PM
The Horrible Esthete Wrote:highwaygirl28 Wrote:Noone says you have to read it...simple as that.
Of course "noone" says I have to read it, but how am I to muse on the stark irony of a thread until I actually do read it? I’ve yet to perfect my powers of omniscience.....
And what does the discovery of said irony have to do with whether or not I choose to read something?
When Washington Post Staff Writer David Segal says that his career as a pop-music critic has allowed him to see all manifestations of the “Concert Fool”, it’s quite obvious that he never attended a Tragically Hip gig in a small US club like The Newport (Columbus) or The Odeon (Cleveland). If he had, then his piece would surely have included the following classification:
The Frenetic Patriot -- To the casual observer, he (TFP’s are rarely female) looks and acts as if he arrived at the venue expecting to see an NHL contest in which the Leafs, Canadiens, Canucks, Oilers, Senators, or Flames are scheduled to participate. A hockey sweater and cap is the preferred garb of TFP, but his wardrobe is known to include Moosehead, Molson, and LaBatt’s t-shirts, and every ensemble is accessorized by a full-size Canadian flag. While most concert-goers tend to embrace the temporal unification of fellow enthusiasts and the performing artist, The Frenetic Patriot mysteriously seeks to distinguish himself by flaunting his nationalistic ideology. His annoyance extends beyond the distraction created by his ostentatiousness; it is known to pervade the fragile mood and atmosphere skillfully crafted by the band, thereby exhibiting a complete disrespect for the performing artist and as well as the hosting venue.
The Frenetic Patriot’s obnoxious exploits are not limited to reckless convulsions of full-body gyration that bump, bruise, and shower alcoholic beverages upon unwitting bystanders. No, TFP seems hell-bent on stripping as much enjoyment as possible from even those in the audience who are beyond splatter-and-nudge proximity. His primal bellowing of song lyrics, which are often improperly-quoted and off-key (see “The Singer”), are enough to influence notions of violent retaliation in even the most pacified of patrons, to which the least-retrained inevitably acquiesce. But beware - a reaction is all he wants, so don’t ever attempt to “teach him a lesson”; you see, TFP thinks he has been anointed as a fan of higher status, and any attack on his “Canuckship” merely martyrs his cause. Though TFP cannot be altogether avoided, his impact can be minimized by relegating yourself to the venue’s balcony or peripheral seating.
Agreed. Except that this behaviour has everything to do with being a drunken jerk and nothing to do with nationality. I sing along to every song, I wore my Team Canada jersey to Sommerville in '02, and I can promise you that those two traits are not exlusivley linked to beer spilling, silence-shattering-screaming or disrespect for the artist or the venue.
As I'm sure you'll agree, generalisations don't help anybody.
Oh, and P.S: I never improperly quote a lyric. Never.
