Someone on Tumblr had to say it. And I was right: literally no one “liked” or commented on that post on Facebook.
I know how uncomfortable it can be to realize how shitty one of your favorite bands is in one way or another. I feel that way about AFI sometimes when I think about how much privilege Davey Havok has probably always had despite all his lyrical whining. I’ve always been the same way, though; I just try to keep my privilege in mind and acknowledge that others have it a lot worse.
Sometimes, though, as much as those realizations suck, they can be really important. There’s this idea that punk is perfect, that there’s no sexism, racism, homophobia, transphobia, or any of that other shit, but when we look at things like the lyrics to “Hope,” (which, sadly, is one of my favorite Descendents songs as far as the melody goes), it’s like a reminder that this shit is out there. There’s still a lot of room for improvement in terms of creating a community that’s all-inclusive and fun for everyone.
Yeah, it sucks when someone you like doesn’t wanna fuck you. However, as much as I adore pop-punk (and I really, really do, especially the ’90s stuff), I’m sick of this “friend-zone” misogynistic bullshit. I’m all for songs about unrequited love as long as they don’t make anyone out to be a whore or a tease just for wanting something different.
Now let’s all go listen to J Church and think about inclusivity in punk spaces.
