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A Sociological Examination of Heavy Metal Fanship and Suicide

by Kent Axlander

Heavy Metal music does address the issues of depression, loneliness, and even suicide in many cases, but there is no proof whatsoever that proves that Heavy Metal music creates these emotions and initiates actions in people. People are attracted to music for different reasons (because they enjoy it, because they associate with it, etc), thus music which addresses issues of depression, loneliness, and suicide is more likely to have more fans than that of bubble gum pop music that promotes one to “get down, get down, and move it all around”, if they are affected by said emotions and thoughts. This music may draw in those already with issues relevant to suicide, but there is no proof that the music instils its values on people, it merely associates people together who think similarly. The true root of the suicide acceptability and actual suicide in America is the state of the country and it’s lacking of morale through the commercial and cultural curiosity of sensationalism in the light of tragedies.

Emile Durkheim, although having a conservative view of suicide, believed that “imitation played no significant role in the rate of suicide” (Maris: 1981, 107) and the possibility that “suggestion only precipitates suicides that would happen later anyway” (Curran, 1987, 109). It is understood that those with deep social obligations (such as being in a marriage) or actively involved in their Church, have lower suicide rates than those without these social obligations. The relationship that is held between lower suicide rates and religious activity is based upon fear and hope. In many religions (mainly Christianity), there is the belief that if one takes their own life, that they will not be permitted to heaven, and since that’s what one’s reward for their leading a fruitful and virtuous life is, then the faithful servants of God will be less likely to kill themselves. It is also the social obligation of physically going to Church every Sunday and being part of a tight knit community with those who share your beliefs that reduces suicide and it’s acceptability rates. One observation that can be made is that several distinct correlations between Heavy Metal concerts and a Christian Sunday services exist that create similar social obligations. Both are full of people with similar beliefs and ideas – bringing together like-minded people, both are dedicated, both often are repeating what the “preacher” in front of them is dictating (i.e. singing along the words to a suicide related song). In 1998, Dr. Steven Stack of Wayne State University produced a study entitled Heavy Metal, Religiosity, and Suicide Acceptability. His work argues that “metal fanship is thought to elevate suicide acceptability through such means as exposure to a culture of personal and societal chaos marked by hopelessness, and through it’s associations with such demographic risk factors as: gender, socio-economic status, and education” (Stack: 1998, 388). He takes a conservative view of suicide and it’s relation to Heavy Metal music, claiming that with this form of art, comes a stronger likelihood of higher acceptability rates of suicide and in turn higher rates of attempted and successful suicides – except when the listener is actively religious (Stack, 1998, 388).

Although Dr. Stack concludes that Heavy Metal fans have a higher suicide acceptability rate, he doesn’t recognize the sense of community that the genre of music brings forth. It brings together similar people, with similar ideals, interests, and beliefs (usually already in place without the help of the music they choose to listen to), which creates a socially binding obligation, somewhat like Church. Those with more social obligations (deep religious beliefs on top of their Heavy Metal fanship), are even less likely to have a higher suicide acceptability rate. This argument does agree with Stack’s research, just not completely with his conclusions. At the forefront of the crusade against Heavy Metal music and it’s supposed harmful influence over it’s fans, the media has crowned it’s main target as popular shock rocker Marilyn Manson (Gottlieb). He has been banned, protested, and condemned to hell by thousands of people, namely the Christian Right (who have vigil’s outside most of his concerts- to pray for the souls of the attendants), and politicians after national tragedies (searching for a reason to why something terrible might happen and shift blame) into what has been referred to as “a witch-hunt revised and updated for an age when superstition is sociological instead of religious” (Radical) . In late April of 1999, reports started to emerge that two kids of Columbine high school who killed 12 students and teachers, and then committed suicide were fans of Marilyn Manson, and that he held a degree of responsibility for the nation’s catastrophe.

A study at Haverford University was completed this year, in response to the negative criticism handed out to Manson, which compared Manson fans to “general music fans”. The surveys came out with somewhat surprising results. An interesting yet expected result was that Manson fans are more extraverted from society as a whole, and that contrary to popular belief that Manson fans have a higher level of “agreeableness”, which the author of the study correlates to the accepting nature of others into the Goth sub-culture, because of a common traits and the majority’s rejection of them (Nakamur). This finding strengthens the argument that Heavy Metal creates a social grouping and obligation similar to the accepting church, an institution that is regarded by sociologists that reduces the rate of suicide and it’s acceptability among it’s members. Data which certainly goes against the grain of what most of society’s judgement of Heavy Metal fans, is that the study concludes that certain fans of general music are far more neurotic than those of Manson (Nakamur). This would unquestionably heed the idea that Heavy Metal fans are more likely to commit suicide, acts of violence, simply because of the music they listen to.

Instead of blaming music and other forms of entertainment for the problems which our society is being faced with, like suicide, one should look at the root of the problem. We live in a society, which dwells upon fear and consumption, where we are constantly berated commercialism and the “pop-violence” on the nightly news (Moore). The aggression has always been around, it’s just become more widely advertised. It is this, which can be attributed to the lower morale of people, namely teenagers in the United States, and thus higher acceptability of suicide and suicide acceptability rates. A month after the Columbine shootings, Manson, who had been avoiding the public eye because of his distaste of the sensationalism and commercialism that had formed around the tragedy, finally released an article published in Rolling Stone which commented on the state of the country, and what the focus of blame for Columbine should be attributed to (Manson):

“Responsible journalists have reported with less publicity that Harris and Klebold were not Marilyn Manson fans -- that they even disliked my music. Even if they were fans, that gives them no excuse, nor does it mean that music is to blame. What did Timothy McVeigh like to watch? What inspires Bill Clinton to blow people up in Kosovo? Was it something that Monica Lewinsky said to him? Isn't killing just killing, regardless if it's in Vietnam or Jonesboro, Arkansas? Why do we justify one, just because it seems to be for the right reasons? Should there ever be a right reason? Right now, everyone is thinking of how they can prevent things like Littleton. How do you prevent AIDS, world war, depression, car crashes? We live in a free country, but with that freedom there is a burden of personal responsibility. Rather than teaching a child what is moral and immoral, right and wrong, we first and foremost can establish what the laws that govern us are. You can always escape hell by not believing in it, but you cannot escape death and you cannot escape prison. It is no wonder that kids are growing up more cynical; they have a lot of information in front of them. They can see that they are living in a world that's made of bullshit. In the past, there was always the idea that you could turn and run and start something better. But now America has become one big mall, and because of the Internet and all of the technology we have, there's nowhere to run. People are the same everywhere. Sometimes music, movies and books are the only things that let us feel like someone else feels like we do. I've always tried to let people know it's OK, or better, if you don't fit into the program. Use your imagination -- if some geek from Ohio can become something, why can't anyone else with the willpower and creativity?” (Manson) Heavy Metal music, although bringing together those with similar views and often higher than normal suicide acceptability rates, does not create them. The idea that “rock ‘n roll”(Moore) songs can be the sole determinant behind troubled youth is ridiculous. The Heavy Metal genre simply works as a forum to bring together some of those affected by the lack of morale and values our culture instils upon us through the ideas of fear and consumerism, and to change the trend of higher than ever before suicide acceptability rate, social change is necessary – not just pointing a finger at music.

Bibliography:

David K. Curran, Adolescent Suicidal Behavior (US: Hemisphere Publishing Company: 1987).

Gottlieb, J . The Politics of Shock-or-Marilyn Manson, the band that you fear. Online. Angelfire. Retrieved October 25th, 2003 http://www.angelfire.com/pa2/dogma/report.html

Manson, M. Columbine: Whose Fault is it?. Online. Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 25th, 2003 www.rollingstone.com/news/printer_friendly.asp?nid=8050 Ronald W. Maris, Pathways to Suicide (US: The Johns Hopkins University Press: 1981)

Moore, M. (Director). (2002). Bowling For Columbine [Film]. Paramount. Nakamur, M. The Impact of Music on the Lives of Youth. Online. Haverford University. Retrieved October 25th, 2003 http://students.haverford.edu/nnakamur/finaladolescenceproject.htm

Omi, T. Marilyn Manson Facts and Interviews. Online. Bostream. Retrieved October 25th, 2003 http://www.bostream.nu/tomi/English/mm_facts.html

Radical, N. Columbine: All the wrong lessons. Online. Angelfire. Retrieved October 25th, 2003 http://www.angelfire.com/indie/essay/

Stack, Steven, American Association of Suicidology (1998). Heavy Metal, Religiosity, and Suicide Acceptability. Suicide and Life Threatening Behavior, Vol. 28 (4), 388-394.

 
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