Wow, That Was Rad

I never write follow ups. Ever. In the spirit of shooting a debate in the face before it ever starts, I let things die the second they go to print, and I have even been loathe to comment on the Clock's website in response to criticisms of the things I write. Let's face it: nothing is more annoying than an internet debate, and that goes double for ones where neither side could possibly prove they are correct (like debates about music).

That being said, I have to issue an apology to you, the wonderful readers of the Clock. I really, really underestimated you. In the past, I have written about a few controversial topics in my column and in reviews, and I've received a lot of hate mail as a result. But that's the gig: I sometimes write about things people have a strong opinion about, and I need to be prepared to reap the consequences (i.e. emails informing me I know nothing about music/am an idiot/should die, etc.). So it was with GREAT care that I sat down to write last week's article about the ever popular and quickly expanding genre of dubstep. I wrote my column as evenhandedly and fairly as possible. I took time to explicate that I was stating opinions rather than facts, and I even shaped the article in a way where I was kind of saying "Yeah, I don't like this stuff, but I'm not trashing it, I'm just trying to understand."

Adam, Veronica, Maegen and myself tossed this puppy around the office quite a while the other night, and we all liked it. We all agreed that I wasn't coming off as just another arrogant, pompous Morrissey fan, but more of a student of music, and Keepin' Time went to print as it does every other week.

Thursday night was tense as I fell asleep thinking about opening my email inbox Friday morning, and sure enough, it was filled to the brim with responses. As I opened each email, wincing at the thought of the tongue lashings I was about to receive, I was pleasantly surprised and amazed that so many of you took the time not to yell at me, but rather to help educate me!

What ensued in my email inbox and on the Clock's website was a calm, informational conversation about the way dubstep is made, its' biggest stars, and its' artistic merits. I spent much of my time this week reading what you guys had to say and becoming thousands of times more educated on the topic than I had been the previous week. I watched the YouTube videos and listened to the artists you told me to. I learned what a midi controller is, and how it's more like a synthesizer than anything else and how it supplements the laptop, instead of a computer being the instrument itself. I know the differences between all the subgenres and who Rusko is. It was a fun, informative week.

Of course, I did get a few "You are an idiot" emails, and one guy even stopped me on campus to call me an asshole. Those people didn't read the actual article; they read what they wanted to read. If you were offended, you weren't paying attention. So yeah, I'm sorry. You guys are (for the most part) awesome.

So would I still rather strangle a kitten with my bare hands than listen to dubstep? Oh man, just give me that chance. I am a vegetarian animal rights activist, but that thing would be dead quicker than you can say Skrillex if it meant I never had to hear that God awful womp-womping again. But now I can speak so much more intelligently and fairly on the topic because so many of you took the time out of your day not to insult me, but to participate in a really, really cool, even-handed conversation about a hot button topic. I will never underestimate you again, readers. You guys are the absolute best. Thank you for making it so much fun for us at The Clock to do what we do. As always, keep reading and PLEASE email me what's on your mind about good tunes and the people who make them at brking@plymouth.edu. Cheers.