Being a Hanson Fan is HARD!!!

(Written 4.32am 10/9/04)

If I had a list of "50 Things to Do Before I Die" , which I don't, buthypothethically speaking if I had one:P, one of the things that will befinitely on the list is "To Watch Hanson perform Live".

ANd I did it :).

I watched Hanson live in Hard Rock Cafe late last night.

The show leaves me with so many different feelings I dont even even know where to start.

BUt I think, I think I have to start with saying how hard it is to be a HAnson fan.

I get so much flak & ridicule for being a Hanson fan and being proud enough to say it.So so so much...It is so tiring to defend my musical choice and taste in music, and I get hurt and disappointed by it..well a lotof times.
In fact, it happened just hours before I watched the show.

I was having dinner with my fren and her girlfriends who went along to watch the show, and a bunch of guys came along to join us(because they wanted to say goodbye to one of the girls in the group who was leaving the next day after spending a few days in KL).

We were supposed to have dinner together, and when the guys arrived (they were late), the 1st thing out of the guy's mouth was :"Hanson meh?"

And well...it went on and went on the whole night..the guys teasing each other "so are you gonna join the girls watch Hanson" (*snicker snicker*),then one of them pretending to choke on his food at the mere mention of HAnson's name (maybe he really did choke, ugh he should have choked himself then!)I just kept quiet, I mean what can I do? I hardly know these people...

And that hurt.

And I thought it was absolutely mean and insensitive of them.I mean i don't even know them so who are they to joke about my musical tastes?And I didnt even ask them to watch the show..just because they wanted to spend timewith a certain girl in the group does not mean they are invited...gosh for all I care theycan just go and do their own thing, because I came to KL thinking only me & my said fren (meaning just 2 of us)will go wand watch the show...I did not expect a whole entourage of ppl,much less one that includes people as shallow-minded as them...

At one point, maybe one of the guy sensed my, uhm, frustration? at all the attacks...I guess, I don't know, and he said "Well, I will rather watch Hanson, at least they play music..Imagine if I went to watch 'NSync??!!! (sings) Bye Bye Bye..." (big guffaws)

At that point I felt like reminding the guy that saying NSync has since come out with the album "Pop"and that NSYnc has newer materials aside from Bye Bye Bye.

Not that i am a huge NSync fan, but my feeling is, who are these ppl to judge what kind of music is, I dunno, classy,good or bad? i mean before that one of the guys were raving :"Hey we HAVE to go watch Paul Van DYk in Zouk tomorrow,its once in a lifetime you know!", and in my heart I was practically screaming:" So why cant I say the same that watchingHanson is a once in a lifetime opportunity for me?"

*(Note: Paul Van Dyk is a famous DJ)

What makes YOUR choice more worthy and therefore, it is entirely understandable to spend a night listening to Paul Van Dyk & not Hanson??? I can accept that your a Paul Van Dyk fan & i hv no probs with your going to his show, and you don't see me teasing or egging other ppl for going to that show do you, so why do I as a HAnson fan get treated that way???

Why? Because Hanson is not the 'In" thing anymore and Paul Van Dyk is?Because everyone thinks they are so yesterday??? Well since when was Music, especially good music has been about being the "In" thing?

If you like someone or a certain type of music, just because its the "In" thing, then what's the point in that?I think its even an insult to the artiste and musician, cuz these ppl are working so hard on their craft so that theycan create music that will last the test of time, and yet ppl are comparing & judging & liking & not liking them, basedon what's in and what's not, and whether the artiste is in or not.

And wats with the Hanson=MMMbop=Fluff perception?

Does anyone knows what MMMBop the song was actually about?It wasnt some stupid song with no meaning, its a song bout "hold on to the ones who really care, cuz in the end they'llbe the only ones there"
..its actually a sweet song about cherishing relationships that you have, and always be willingto open your heart and minds to someone, anyone, not judging them because you never know what kindof wonderful friendship/relationship you will find with the least likeliets person ("Its a secret no one knows...")

Is that really fluff??

If it is, at least it's not the usual fluff of "I cant live without you" or "My fella's in the house andwe gonna get us some of them booty" typical song rite??? ANd its got a positive message too...

And YES, lyrically it might not be the most challenging or enlightening of songs, with clever play of words and such,but for crying our loud!!! The guys only had a COMBINATION age of 34 years when they wrote that song, what do youexpect??!! (Isaac was 14, Taylor was 11, Zac was 9...or were they younger?:P) That they were able to craft that song all by ther own (yes 100% self-penned) is amazing in itself...

ANd the thing is, no matter what our judgement is, people grow, and we need to give credit where its due, and stopgiving ridicule where its not needed.

Let's take NSync for example: ok, so maybe BYe Bye Bye was like a really commercialsong aimed at the teens market, and I didnt think much of NSync THEN, but later in the 'Pop"album they sang "Gone", which is harmonies-wise brilliant and the melody, well its sure different from other ballads rite,with the violin/ scratched record intro and subtle guitar playing?

The song did not convert me into an NSync fan. but I am not afraid to give them credit and say that they made a really good song there & I like that song, even thought i never thought much of them initially.

Its the same with Hanson. They have so so so many other songs beside MMMBop. "Penny & Me" and "Lost without each other", the 2 new singles from the new album "Underneath" are really infectious with great lyrics, so why cant people see past MMMBop and acknowledge that?Heck I bet there are tons of people who have heard "Penny & Me" and have bopped their heads to it, thought its a nice song butnever thought its a HAnson song (happened to a friend of mine)! Just because they have these prejudgements of them...

And the worst thing is, those people who make fun of Hanson, they never ever dare say Hanson is NOT talented, they only alwayslaugh at MMMBop and say what fluff it is...but they cant deny the fact that Hanson write, plays & sings their own songs (even produce now),so what? Is that the reason they keep making fun of them? SImply because they know Hanson IS talented but they would just ratherdie than admit it???

I'd like to think of myself as quite the music listener, I listen to whatever's popular on radio, so it's easy forme to notice changes and growth (or not) in artist's songs, simply because I just keep up with the newest music...so maybe it is easier for me to look beyond what the artist has done in the past and just make my opinions of them based on their present music...maybe its hard for other ppl to do these cuz they dont listen to as much music?
Maybe? BUt pls, all I am asking for is a certain amount of respect, and the freedom to chooseHanson as my favourite band without being laughed at, or thought less of...

It's all I am asking for...

It's all every Hanson fan asks for...