[Calyx]

Why is it that Bon Jovi are such an embarrasment for a lot of people? On one hand they are this huge band with 100 000 000 albums sold and loads of devoted fans and then there is pretty much everyone else who either can't stand them, regards them as being a really crap band or hides the fact that they like them...

I've lost count of the amount of times I've seen comments next to Bon Jovi's name in brackets when people mention their favourite bands (if Jovi even show up at all which isn't common on a lot of boards)... It's like they have to explain why they like them or justify them being on their list for some reason .. It's usually like

Blink 182
Greenday
Oasis
Bon Jovi (Please don't hate me) or (I want to hate them but I like a few songs)
Def Leppard
ACDC
U2

and then theres the inevitable reply with "Bon Jovi "... meaning "I have no problem with the other bands on your list but if you like Bon Jovi you must have really bad taste!"

the reason for this post is that I was at a Guns n Roses message board (where I figured Jovi would be respected) earlier that I sometimes go to and I found a thread where Jovi got completely slammed.. People were saying "they really suck"..."they are wimps" etc.. "Slash is way better than Sambora.."

I was thinking maybe people are just trying to sound tough and cool. There isn't a great deal of attitude with Jovi and they are nice (to some extent) guys playing non heavy rock and roll...

A lot of people (particuarly those into metal) seem to be a little immature when it comes to their musical tastes.. If it's not angry or agressive it's gotta be gay or pussy rock and they judge their peers on what they listen to as if it makes them more "cool" to listen to heavy music..

Do some of these people even know the meaning of diversity or writing good compositions that don't sound like every other metal band... Jovi may not be heaviest but they are more unique and IMO musically better than a lot of these metal bands that sound pretty much the same as each other with most of the songs they bring out.. It seems as if there is no riff or/and it ain't heavy, it's poor music and the band sucks. I love a lot of heavy metal bands myself but it annoys me when some fans of these bands can't seem to see past that kind of music and at least show some respect to a band that chooses to write the odd ballad.

I watch the music channels at home all the time and every time a Jovi song comes on, I still watch it (despite having heard it lots) and go "wow, what a great song"... then the next song will sometimes sound bland or even boring by comparison. Are these people really able to sit in a room with Livin on a Prayer or Blood on Blood blasting and think "wow these guys suck"..

Anyway, my point is that I really don't understand why Bon Jovi is so hated.. even if they were only a cover band they'd still be a good band based on the technical ability of the band members IMO... Other people don't influence my opinion on this band one bit and I realise they arn't the only band that gets hated..Of all the big bands though, they seem to the one that gets picked on the most... It's like people think they don't deserve it and it kind of annoys me...sorry bout the long post but I feel better now I've said this....

[Rashbaum]

I don’t know where it stems from, though it’s very difficult for bands who have played through the cockrock and spandex era to reinvent themselves, and remain “cool” in the eyes of the general public. If you weren’t a Jovi fan I guess the only enduring images you would have of them are from the Prayer video or Jon puffing about with his hair in “Always”.

That’s a really blanket statement you are making about metal fans though… I’d consider myself an (old style) metal fan and have never really thought of Jovi as a particularly weak sounding band… although Richie’s playing has definitely had the rougher edges knocked off since the first album (in a style sense as opposed to technical ability). As for the G&R group I have found the exact opposite, I expected Jovi to be ripped on the board with the whole Sambora/slash rivalry going on but I’ve generally come across mostly positive comments about them and a number of their tracks.

At the end of the day stand tall, wear your Bounce tour t-shirt and tell everyone who has a problem with you that they can stick their “cool” techno-grunge-goth-goat abusing-numetal-funk sideways up their arse.

[Becky]

Originally Posted by Calyx

A lot of people (particuarly those into metal) seem to be a little immature when it comes to their musical tastes.. If it's not angry or agressive it's gotta be gay or pussy rock and they judge their peers on what they listen to as if it makes them more "cool" to listen to heavy music..

It seems to me you pretty much nailed it right there. A lot of people think that what they like is right somehow and everyone else with different tastes is wrong.

Maybe it is a genre thing. I find that on country music boards people don't typically criticize other people's favorites and I find a lot of people who are Bon Jovi fans. I've seen very few negative remarks toward them.

Becky

[Calyx]

[quote="Rashbaum"]

That’s a really blanket statement you are making about metal fans though… I’d consider myself an (old style) metal fan and have never really thought of Jovi as a particularly weak sounding band… although Richie’s playing has definitely had the rougher edges knocked off since the first album (in a style sense as opposed to technical ability). As for the G&R group I have found the exact opposite, I expected Jovi to be ripped on the board with the whole Sambora/slash rivalry going on but I’ve generally come across mostly positive comments about them and a number of their tracks.
quote]

Well I didn't mean that Jovi were a weak sounding band at all.. just that from what I've heard/read, quite a lot (certainly not all) of metallica fans or maiden fans (for example)critisize bands like Jovi for not being part of their genre of rock music (matchbox 20 get knocked a fair bit as well).. It's their opinion though but its pretty closed minded IMO.

there is a fair amount of positivity towards Jovi on the Guns board I go to, but much of it appears in the "guilty bands" forums, hence the title of this thread...One particular thread I went to was comparing Jovi to Def Leppard and a lot of people were saying Def Leppard were better because of High and Dry and Pyromania (the most "metal" of their albums)...

[Supersonic]

Aloha !

Because they've got a singer who thinks he can act, thinks he looks better with his teeth blanked and because Bon Jovi makes shitty pop records nowadays.

Salaam Aleikum,
Sebastiaan

[Calyx]

Originally Posted by Supersonic

Aloha !

Because they've got a singer who thinks he can act, thinks he looks better with his teeth blanked and because Bon Jovi makes shitty pop records nowadays.

Salaam Aleikum,
Sebastiaan

well... fair enough but actually most of the hatred doesn't seem to be because of their recent albums or any particular album in general (though I doubt hearing All Abuot Loving you on the radio would do much to change their view on the band)..

Im betting they are judging the band on their entire career (Jovi will always be 80's hair metal to many) unlike us who look at Bounce and say "why isn't this as good as their earlier albums" or whatever...



I really don't care if people arn't into Jovi's music based on personal taste, I just feel they don't get anywhere near the amount of respect they deserve.. My bro borrowed my car the other day and said his girlfriend thought it was sad and pretty pathetic cause I had a copy of New Jersey in the glovebox (and Jovi wasn't the only cd I had in there either)... I just wonder what she would have said if I'd had a Jlo or a Limp Bizket or a 50 cent CD.. chances are she wouldn't have said anything..

[jade82]

Mabye people don't like them because the critics don't like them and so they don't even give them a chance, or mabye they have heard some stuff and do like it but because of the critics they are embaresed to say so and so they put them down instead, because i know a lot of people who like pop music but don't like bon jovi so it's not just people who listen to metal.

[Mr. Saturday Night]

I think it is genre based. Metal fans are, generally not all, close-minded to other music and think what they like is superior to anything else. And a band telling stories and singing about love won't cut it for them. Pop fans, meanwhile, only like what's hot at the moment so if Bon Jovi has another hit like "It's My Life" they'll become big mainstream again.

Country and hip-hop fans(real hip hop fans not trendy rap fans) generally are most accepting of anything because they know what it's like to have their genre of choice blindly hated.

[Iceman]

So many people are embarrased to be alive that I'm not at all surprised that they play down their fan-ness of any band.

Ice

[Bleeding Purist]

I really don't give a rats ass what anyone thinks if they know I'm a fan. In fact I'll tell them exactly why I am and give them some examples of their best work.

As for going on a G N R board and getting flack. It boils down to different genres, but Bon Jovi is percieved as a "pop metal" or "metal lite" ...a threat or insult to hard rock/metal. People in general and the media just never quite got it through their head that while Bon Jovi adopted a look and stage show that had more in common with the harder acts in conjunction with touring along with the said acts...their music was simply rock and roll. Basically, ridiculous comparisons are made that would not be made otherwise if they went soley by the music. G n R fans might as well try to judge Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers by the same yardstick they use for Bon Jovi.