Where did all the haters come from?

Why are there vast numbers of vitriolic people online, venting spleen at baffling targets like Coldplay?

 

by Edward Collier

 

 

I can't remember where I was when I first came across the word "hater", but I know what I was doing – I was looking at the comments on a YouTube page. At first I couldn't grasp its utility and, what's more, in terms of English usage, it narked me in the same way as the peculiarly prepositioned question, "Are you digging on me?" in Joss Stone's song, Super Duper Love.

 

Nowadays, I can't imagine how I ever managed without "hater" in my idiolect, since the internet seems to have such a large population of haters. I cannot exclude myself either – I have, in the past, written things about people which I would baulk at saying to their faces. Julie Burchill, for example, has the ability to wind me up quite out of proportion to the importance of what she writes. But Burchill exists to wind people up: it is her modus operandi.

 

What interests me is the capacity of some musicians and bands to inspire a reaction of pure loathing. It mystifies me. Take Coldplay, for example. I wouldn't call myself a fan, but I find I can sit through Fix You until the end without hitting the shuffle button. Violet Hill is far from objectionable. For the most part, Coldplay are pretty harmless – the tunes are well enough crafted and the songs nicely played, though the lyrics seem wilfully obtuse. To me Coldplay are … OK.

 

But not to some people. Milo Yiannopoulos, writing in the Daily Telegraph earlier this month, referred to Coldplay as "the most boring band in the world" and Chris Martin as "its simpering windbag frontman". Johnny Rotten, Liam Gallagher and Alex James are all card-carrying members of the "Coldplay is Boring" club. Google "Coldplay+boring" and you get more than 300,000 hits.

 

I don't suppose Martin loses much sleep over this since, despite what appears at times to be universal disapprobation, Coldplay have sold more than 30m records worldwide. Sting, another artist who endures any amount of ill-natured, ad hominem criticism, has sold well over 50m records. Like Coldplay, he's not immune to sniping from other artists: the highly respected songwriter and guitarist Richard Thompson has included a thinly disguised attack on Sting called Here Comes Geordie on his new album Dream Attic.

 

What is it about these artists (not forgetting James Blunt, U2 and Bono in particular) that so polarises hate? When I came to write this article I did consider doing a musicological study of Coldplay – was it their choice of obscure keys, difficult modalities, complex and unusual rhythms that alienated people? In the end I didn't, because I'm far from convinced that the explanation lies in the music itself.

 

One of the most common accusations levelled against Coldplay is that they're "middle-class". By inference, then, the ideal is presumably working-class. But how can a band's music be class-based? Assuming the lyrics aren't about driving a Range Rover and cooking with an Aga (which, as far as I can work out, Coldplay's are not), then I think we're on dangerously prescriptivist ground, reminiscent of Soviet art, if we're judging music in terms of the class of its makers.

 

Certainly, the accusation of "middle class" can be levelled against others in the same hate boat – Keane and James Blunt. But Sting's background is anything but middle-class, being the son of a hairdresser and a milkman, while Mick Jagger and Peter Gabriel, who have never really been the target of the haters, come straight out of the bourgeoisie. Maybe Sting is hated because he's considered a class traitor.

 

In any case, why would someone expend enough energy on hating Sting to write a song about him? I can understand people hating Tony Blair or Margaret Thatcher because politicians have a direct effect on our lives, but how does Martin affect anyone? If his music comes on the radio, turn it off. If he's interviewed in the paper, turn the page. It's not hard to ignore Coldplay; and yet to judge by the haters they are permanently camped out in all our living rooms, hijacking our sound systems and forcing us to name our children after fruit.

 

The invective against Coldplay that comes from the critocracy is, in part, railing against what it perceives as the questionable taste of the lumpenproletariat. Why, the thinking seems to go, can't the tin-eared masses ditch their love of Simon Cowell's "product" and buy the xx instead?

 

What's odd is that there's often a corresponding desire on the part of die-hard fans to protect their favourite (obscure) artists from the predations of the market. They conspire in an elitism which they deplore in the hated. Not for them the headlining tours and universal acclaim, because then they'd be forced to share their heroes with a larger fanbase. And then the band would become middle-class, and the fans would be forced to hate them.

 

 

source - http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/sep/18/haters-internet-coldplay-target

Here's the article from Milo Yannawhateverhisnameis.

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/apple/7976996/Coldplay-and-its-simpering-frontman-do-nothing-for-Apples-brand.html

That was actually very interesting to read, and the author brought up some good points. :thinking:

BRILLIANT! It's about time someone challenge those who are encouraging people not to read and think critically by reducing everything to its lowest common denominator. And reading this piece, I even learned a few new words today. Thank you!

In any case, why would someone expend enough energy on hating Sting to write a song about him? I can understand people hating Tony Blair or Margaret Thatcher because politicians have a direct effect on our lives, but how does Martin affect anyone? If his music comes on the radio, turn it off. If he's interviewed in the paper, turn the page. It's not hard to ignore Coldplay; and yet to judge by the haters they are permanently camped out in all our living rooms, hijacking our sound systems and forcing us to name our children after fruit.

my favorite part of the article,

if you hate something dont listen to them:rolleyes:

meh, we're all guilty of being haters of some band or artist. I mean I've seen it here with other bands etc.

meh, we're all guilty of being haters of some band or artist. I mean I've seen it here with other bands etc.

 

That's true, but it seems that with Coldplay some people just devote their lives to writing nasty articles on them.

i don't like radiohead that much but that doesn't mean i bad mouth them. One doesn't just become obsessed with hating a band or a music artist:rolleyes:

If you don't like Coldplay don't listen to them.

Yes, it also applies on us as fans of one band and haters of some other

That's true, but it seems that with Coldplay some people just devote their lives to writing nasty articles on them.

 

Yeah it's true Coldplay has very unwarranted hate, but I can't take users seriously for saying how it's unfair when I just saw some of them hating on Lady Gaga in another thread.

People have the right to criticise. And a lot of the times the criticism is justified. Just recently I read two newspaper articles absolutely slating Lady Gaga because I too find her very attention seeking and very pseudo avant garde.

However on Coldplay's part the criticism is entirely unfounded. They are often personal insults directed towards Chris Martin who people seem to mix up with Bono strangely. Every criticism that is thrown at Bono is the exact same criticism thrown at Martin. It's very strange. That Milo Yannapwhatsit article was totally unjustified - and besides he was a technology reporter not a music journalist. A lot of people just hate Coldplay because they hate Chris Martin.

 

But I guess that's what comes in the deal of being the world's biggest bands.

But I guess that's what comes in the deal of being the world's biggest bands.

 

+1

People have the right to criticise. And a lot of the times the criticism is justified. Just recently I read two newspaper articles absolutely slating Lady Gaga because I too find her very attention seeking and very pseudo avant garde.

However on Coldplay's part the criticism is entirely unfounded. They are often personal insults directed towards Chris Martin who people seem to mix up with Bono strangely. Every criticism that is thrown at Bono is the exact same criticism thrown at Martin. It's very strange. That Milo Yannapwhatsit article was totally unjustified - and besides he was a technology reporter not a music journalist. A lot of people just hate Coldplay because they hate Chris Martin.

 

But I guess that's what comes in the deal of being the world's biggest bands.

 

I think you may be blinded for you great love of the band.

and that last sentence....

 

I used to love Coldplay still like them, but that's just too funny.

People can dislike Coldplay, but atleast have a logical explanation to back it up. I don't want to hear that they're middle-class. I don't want to hear that Chris Martin doesn't smoke, drink or eat meat. I don't want to hear that they're polite and charitable. Because those are the dumbest fucking reasons ever to hate on someone. If you're not a fan of their music.. fine. It's your prerogative. But attacking them because they're not "rock n' roll" enough is retarded.

People hate chris martin because he used to be a geek and now hes a A-list millionaire rockstar with a hollywood actress for a wife. One word : JEALOUSY.

That Milo Yankhiswilly wrote an extremely poor article and I left my comments.... ;)

Its simple people,

 

THEY ARE HUGE,Coldplay is massive.

 

THe more massive you are,the more haters you get !!

Bono is old and ugleh, and his personality and music are nothing like Coldplay :thinking:

In my opinion, it's just ew to my mind when people tell me they're like U2 :P

Because this is a Coldplay forum and most of you Coldplay section posters are great Coldplay fans, you guys would wonder why people hate Coldplay. But ask yourself this, why do you hate a band you hate? Yeah, you can say 'Oh, Bieber sucks, his music is annoying' or something like that, but to the fans of the music you criticise, they might wonder why you hate it so much.

 

Everyone has their own opinion and are entitled to it. All because you love Coldplay, doesn't mean other people must love them too. And if they want to write articles about hating Coldplay, let them, it's their wish. You might not find it rational, but to them, that's how they perceive it.

thanks for posting! :)

Ok article. Nothing great, but a nice change to have someone in the media somewhat on Coldplay's side.

I kind of think it's because they're a bunch of REALLY nice guys who do not use drugs or get drunk and puke onstage. They mellowly sing about the very core of what is and not banging hoes and shooting up while just "tryin' ta fit the money". People perceive them as "soft" in a modern society where the most popular bands are singing the exact opposite thing.

Because this is a Coldplay forum and most of you Coldplay section posters are great Coldplay fans, you guys would wonder why people hate Coldplay. But ask yourself this, why do you hate a band you hate? Yeah, you can say 'Oh, Bieber sucks, his music is annoying' or something like that, but to the fans of the music you criticise, they might wonder why you hate it so much.

 

Everyone has their own opinion and are entitled to it. All because you love Coldplay, doesn't mean other people must love them too. And if they want to write articles about hating Coldplay, let them, it's their wish. You might not find it rational, but to them, that's how they perceive it.

 

Perfectly put

Because this is a Coldplay forum and most of you Coldplay section posters are great Coldplay fans, you guys would wonder why people hate Coldplay. But ask yourself this, why do you hate a band you hate? Yeah, you can say 'Oh, Bieber sucks, his music is annoying' or something like that, but to the fans of the music you criticise, they might wonder why you hate it so much.

 

Everyone has their own opinion and are entitled to it. All because you love Coldplay, doesn't mean other people must love them too. And if they want to write articles about hating Coldplay, let them, it's their wish. You might not find it rational, but to them, that's how they perceive it.

 

Well said :)

 

I’m very much a lurker on the forum, but I just wanted to say this:

 

As others have stated, I have no problem with those who dislike Coldplay’s music. Everyone has their own taste and no one can change that, nor should we ever try to. God forbid someone else should have a different opinion from my own, I just might have a breakdown. :rolleyes: Then there are those who expend so much time and energy tearing down the band, and they absolutely have every right to do so. I would just rather hear a logical and well-thought reason behind it than simply having it be a personal attack against individual members because of what they believe in or who they’re married to. It’s truly amazing how people can be so spiteful against those whom they know barely anything about (other than sound bites from the media which ineptly portray an entire person) rather than using that energy to speak about topics that actually matter.

 

If you think the music is shit, then that’s fine. It makes much more sense. In that case don’t dwell on it, and simply listen to what you love rather than spending time trying to convince others why it’s terrible. The beauty of music is that it is so subjective and everyone connects on a different emotional level to particular types. If, at the end of the day, Coldplay’s music happens to be what you connect deeply to and it’s what makes you feel joy, then no one has any business trying to convince you that it should make you feel differently. And this applies to ANY artist. After all, the article itself isn't specifically about Coldplay. I may not feel the same way about a particular band as another person, but I will never try to persuade them that what they love to listen to shouldn’t be meaningful to them. All in the name of respect...an old-fashioned concept, I know. :P

 

My apologies for the mini-rant, but I hope it makes sense. :)

I think we are overlooking the writer's larger point, which uses Coldplay as an example, but can be applied to any artist or whatever. Art is subjective so naturally people's opinion will differ on what constitute "good" music/artistry, and it is also true that fans are/can be overprotective, but discussing people "perception" is also a right to express an opinion. What is in question, however, is the intensity of emotions people use to make their arguments, and what that say about who we are and how we process information. People will hate so let them is a fine position, but what's the point is what the article is asking? But sure we can agree to disagree.

you can't same some criticism is legit and other is not. I've seen people here constantly bashing another artists and that's as lame as those people who like to bash coldplay. One thing is criticize the things you don't like but constantly doing it gets kinda old and annoying.