Dave Mustaine’s bizarre attempt at relevance: Pseudo-endorsing Santorum

Last week the news hit that Dave Mustaine, front man for metal group Megadeth, may have endorsed Rick Santorum. I didn’t even tweet about it–I was still befuddled that anyone still listens to Dave Mustaine or his music, let alone give a crap about who the maestro that created a “Symphony of Destruction” is endorsing in the presidential run.

I knew my share of headbangers in high school and I remember some of them claiming Mustaine was mega-smart. From what I understood about metal, despite what one might assume was it’s primarily white listenership, metal was about expressing anger against oppressive social constructs–critical of religious institutions, sexual repression and limits on self expression (how else can you justify growing your hair long and howling like a wolf. Also, back when Mustaine was considered hot I doubt he was monogamous or practicing abstinence).

I used to listen to some metal and found there is a long and diverse lineage of who listens to metal very much associated with class and geography. My friend Laina Dawes has written and spoken about being a black, female metal fan. I have long defended metal heads as they were more the freaks, geeks and weirdos, than the rest of the jock assholes who I imagined would grow up to endorse the Romney’s and the Bush’s or the world.

But despite this, Dave Mustaine has been an asshole for a long time. While a diversity of people might listen to metal and some metal might have challenged the very social constructs that the GOP endorses, the instances of artists that cater to these views are harder to find than I had hoped. Many metal artists have consistently shown warped views on women or displayed blatant homophobia (most typified by Axel Rose). And upon closer inspection–it is surprisingly difficult to tell apart Santorum quotes and Megadeth lyrics. See if you can on this quiz at Mother Jones. (Hint: I did very poorly).

Mustaine’s weird attempt at relevance does not escape me. I too wonder what it would have been like for me if most of my fans were left in the 90s, I failed to cut my hair when entering a new century and had to forever know that the only new many of the people that listen to my music are suburban white kids that stay off rap mainly because they are still upset that people of color are getting so much airtime.