1. What Does It Say About Us To Endorse Them?
Iceage holds the rare distinction of having made Pitchfork's best new music list. Twice. That means every album they've released. Such a track record is astounding for such a young band, and worthy of applause. But should we be applauding them for their behavior? If anything, the critical support they've received is telling them that their behavior is working. Really, whether their actions are motivated by a need to seem 'tough' or a need for attention, it's upon us to respond to it, and our responses (including, maybe exemplified by this article) have been mixed at best. It could be a culture of ambivalence to extremism in any form, but it could also mean that we are willing to overlook the worst in something in order to enjoy it. Whether that is good or bad is up to every individual to decide, but the Iceage problem really does put this attitude under a microscope. All that being said, perhaps with enough knowledge, one can enjoy something while keeping in mind the caveats of said enjoyment. perhaps we can take a balanced -instead of mixed- view of this band. So maybe you enjoy them. Here are some reasons not to feel guilty about that...