A few thoughts on Integrity

I think that part of the reason I evolved into a metalhead at an early age was the recognition that this music spoke the truth to me. Remember the 1980’s and all of the blatant capitalism, the shows like Dynasty, the movie Wall Street? People my age saw their parents divorcing and acting silly, buying junk they couldn’t afford, thinking glamour could be bought at a Mary Kay party and a trip to Penney’s. Metal was the answer to all of that – a reaction to the culture of low values, low morals, corruption and greed. Considering today's culture, I am surprised that Metal hasn't made a huge resurgence - but honestly, we could do without the spandex. Who wants to relive that horror? I thought that good metal had a lot of integrity, but then bands like Poison came along. I saw them perform at the MTV music awards in 1991. I was horrified. How a guy like CC DeVille could stand on the same stage as Eddie Van Halen, well, you’ve got to give the guy credit for chutzpah- but not for being a guitar player.

But I digress. Metal was about questioning authority and living your life without compromise. It was about having a voice in an age where conformity was the norm. Very similar to a punk ethic. Also, I must say something about being a female fan of this music – too bad more women aren’t into metal, because it is very therapeutic. Girls are (were?) raised to be pretty, polite, quiet, obedient. Metal helped me find my humanity, taught me to stick up for myself, and to take myself seriously. The metal community was a safe haven for me – I could let loose without fear of judgment. I never thought the music was misogynistic or anti-woman – in fact, I thought just the opposite. All that these guys sang about was pussy – women were celebrated, revered, feared…and participation on our part was voluntary.

Not that the guys in these bands were living lives of integrity, but who am I to judge? I am more interested in the art, the act of creation, and the impact. I could care less about lifestyle choices. Nikki Sixx was a heroin addict? So what? Rob Halford is gay? Who cares? Axl Rose like girls to pee on him? Whatever. The only test is the music itself. Does it rock? Do you like it? End of debate.

Integrity is hard to come by these days. Our three branches of government seem to have abandoned it. The executive branch is in the grips of madmen and zealots who will lie, cheat, steal, and murder to advance their agenda, and who are convinced that it doesn’t matter because the rapture is imminent. Our legislative branch has been castrated and buggered by the executive branch. And the judicial branch? Our fine Supreme Court? Look into the activities of Antonin Scalia and tell me what you think. Mainstream media has failed the American people and can no longer be trusted. Does this bum you out as much as it does me?

I look for examples of integrity to keep my spirits up. A few that have helped: Pat Tillman. Henry Rollins. TOOL. Russ Feingold. Jimmy Carter. Bill Hicks. Ani DeFranco. Costco. Steve Nash. ASPCA. And to Jill Carroll, Godspeed.




I’m out for now…