"The end result is that the listener's mind is filled with thoughts of hate, violence, anger, killing, suicide, Satan Worship... and every unholy thought imaginable" (Stewart). For those looking into the world of metal, it is easy to judge the t-shirts, the hair and makeup because it is what people have been doing since the early days of metal; but what most people forget is that not only is it a genre of music, but heavy metal has also become a culture; a culture for people wanting to escape the issues that they face and enjoy music that helps them express themselves in a different way.
The stereotype, however, does not view it as an escape for calming peace; the stereotype makes metal fans seem satanic and rebellious, something they wouldn't be if heavy metal music was censored, or better yet, completely gone. These stereotypes have been around since Black Sabbath's early days and even though the heavy metal fan base grew substantially throughout the 70's and 80's, it still did not become more acceptable in the eyes of parents and to this day, heavy metal music continues to be tormented and discriminated against. Parents and many Christian groups believe that heavy metal music makes the youth and all of its fans attracted to devil and anything satanic therefore influencing them to be rebellious and act out of character. The young girl in the picture is an example of a stereotypical metalhead. Even though she is a woman, the piercings, dark clothing, heavy makeup is all part of the stereotype that attracts others to judge. The stereotype of heavy metal is simple, people that come together to listen to loud, heavy music that talks about death and worships the devil. Photo Credit: Google |