So, I am here to reclaim Coldplay. When The 40 Year Old Virgin came out, there was a scene where Seth Rogan says to Paul Rudd, "You know how I know you're gay? You like Coldplay." At the time, there was an audible groan in the theater - all the guys liked Coldplay, but suddenly it was something "gay", less manly. Coldplay is still popular and sells tons of albums and all, but it is different now.
I think this is probably what happened to men and quiche back in the 80s. Suddenly, something was stigmatized as having a quality that was somehow emasculating, so it was to be shunned by men. Coldplay, well, it was the same way after that movie came out. We all kinda liked "Yellow", then we liked "In My Place", loved "Clocks" and then were moved by the video for "The Scientist". But we couldn't really mention it because of the stigma. We listened to Clocks when it was everywhere, but claimed that we liked it somehow ironically, like it was Barry Manilow, or Journey or something. It is hard to explain - Journey rocks and all, but there is something undeniably cheesy about it. I think that has happened to Coldplay, instead of just saying that their music is really good. (OK - I actually would love to make the same argument about Journey! They are awesome, and not in some camp, cheesy, ironic way! Shut up.)
The last album started off great - Speed of Sound is maybe my favorite song by them. It is quality stuff, even if they have started this genre of music where bands use things like cymbals, really high notes on the synthesizer, or strings in order to sound "big". But the rest of the album was lacking somewhat, except for Fix You. But the new album - I have only heard this new song about the revolutions and the kinds and Jerusalem bells ringing, but I love it, and I don't want to be ashamed anymore. (Seriously - the album cover is Delacroix's Liberty Leading the People. I knew that without having to look it up - I have 2 degrees on stuff like that. It is like they are actively trying to get me to like them at this point.) I was really feeling that I could come forward and not call them a guilty pleasure or anything, and just say that I like them with no repercussions.
Then I see this preview for Bones (love that show, btw), and they bring up the whole Coldplay is gay joke again! Seriously - I have gay friends, and Coldplay is not a large part of their culture. I would guess that similar percentages of gay and straight males are fans of the band. I know dude named his daughter Apple or something, but still. Coldplay is not gay. Guys - it is cool. You can listen to Coldplay, and people shouldn't question your sexuality. If you want to call us gay, do it because I call my sister after Friday Night Lights to discuss Tim Riggins, or because my best man has a guy crush on Justin Timberlake, or because one of my other groomsmen liked Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, not because we like Coldplay!
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4 comments:
T-Lake only cemented his status by wearing the U of M Tigers jump suit at the ESPY's.
And I can't believe that you don't like the X&Y album more. That is one of the few cd's I can listen to straight through and not skip a single song. As much as I love the Dave Matthews Band, they always have at least one horrible song per album.
I have to jump in and say that we did not all kinda like "Yellow." That song is unlistenable. I truly hated Coldplay because of that song, but all their other singles since then have been good. That's easy for me to say, though, since I'm a girl and imagining that I'm gay is hot.
Frank liked Sisterhood? The book or the movie?
Yeah, "Yellow" blows.
It made me completely ignore Coldplay, until hearing "Don't Panic" in Garden State made me like them. So now I have all their CDs. And I still don't love them, but I guess they're good enough for me to have their CDs. I gotta agree about Speed of Sound-- awesome song, and Fix You is brilliant.
I like Coldplay too. I'm a dork and love that song, "Green Eyes". Of course, I love Speed of Sound. It is one of my favorite songs to listen to , while I am on the elliptical. Shannon and I are surprised that "Yellow" was a flop for you guys, huh? It's not their best, but I always felt it was pretty solid. Each is his/her own, I suppose.
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