I wasn't sure what the best title for this column should be. The Rusty Show, the Old Codger Show, the Terribly Pathetic Show, the I Feel Sorry For Anyone Watching This Show. All kinda work.
Yes, I am referring to the VH1 Classic presentation call That Metal Show. From time to time as I flip through the channels I'll come across this sad show and wonder why is this on the air. It's painful to watch.
It seems to be the complete antithesis of anything Metal related. Each episode features members of a long lost and forgotten "metal or hard rock" band sitting down and chatting with Eddie Trunk, the regular host of the show. In fact, it's a talk show about the glory days of metal.
With the sound off you might mistake the show for a men's erectile disfunction support group meeting, or perhaps a rehab talk show. That might be more interesting. For anyone who is a metal fan, or a hard rock nostalgic, I can't imagine this show is anything more that a complete downer. It would be one thing if each week featured one of those old bands actually putting on a show, at least it might be kinda cool in some way. But is mostly just a 40-50-60 year old's tea party. Poor Eddie, he's so genuinely affectionate for his old Rock days, but it's just so pathetic. Come on man, let it go and move forward.
What's interesting is the complete lack of honesty that comes across when discussing the glorious metal scene. The hard rock world so fondly adored was a drug soaked, death stained,violent, sexist, and homophobic world. It would be more authentic if it celebrated all of that, warts and all, then to gloss it over with PG rated filtering. the metal scene was far more than just the music, in fact the music was the least of it. But I guess so many of the old metallers can't really embrace their pasts without looking like complete adolescent ignorant asses, which is exactly what made them metal stars in the first place. That's a tough spot to get out of. I laughed so hard when Rob Halford came out of the closet. How funny that the one lead singer in metal who didn't wear makeup and dress like a girl was gay. All of a sudden it wasn't too cool to gay bash when your idol was queer. Oops.
Rock music was never meant to be so geriatric. Some music can span a few decades, even generations, but the whole hard rock/metal thing is just so 70/80's adolescent it can't. Good thing for most of those guys, they kinda matured a bit, and aren't who they were 20-30 years ago. But you can't effectively celebrate the crimes without glorifying the criminals so to speak. But by rejecting your culture the music that produced it or celebrated it or was a product of it doesn't wear well.
