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It makes me laugh reading through alot of threads I see people killing on frat boys, complaining about a bands fratty fanbase (ex. DMB), or complaining about their fratty neighbors they had to deal with at camp. Frat boy I ain't, but I don't really have anything against them, and in the past 3 years I've never really had any bad encounters with them.
I'm assuming their all based on the stereo type that frat boys are loud, obnoxious, beer guzzling, inconsiderate, quick to fight, young gentlemen living off of dadies trust fund. But I'm curious and I'm on a quest to better understand the ever elusive fratasticus d-bagus
In your opinion why are frat boys bad? how does one act like a frat boy or avoid acting like a frat boy? What are some stories you have involving frat boys at Bonnaroo?
Post by itrainmonkeys on Apr 13, 2009 10:00:51 GMT -5
I don't hate on specific groups of people. Usually if there's a rowdy or annoying group of guys or girls.....it's because they are in a group. If you actually take one person aside and have rational conversations and get to know each other you'll realize that you're not that different.
I've seen the frat boy hate. I've seen the "custie" hate. I've seen the closed-minded hippy hates. I've seen the out of control, metalhead hate.
I don't hate on these groups. I just can't stand it when someone is ruining a show for me. Whether it's because they are talking/yelling too much or if they start moshing and bumping into people with complete disregard for others.
Frat boys aren't bad.........annoying people in groups are bad. It could be a frat boy, or an old man, or a "hippy" with dreads. If you are doing something that causes people to have a bad time at a show.....i don't want to be around you.
The worst thing that happened to me was last year at MMJ. My girlfriend and I were really close. A few rows back from the front of the stage. We had been there for hours waiting and this was our big show. Most of the show went fine without problems.....but towards the end a rowdy group of guys next to us started banging into each other and pushing and stuff. Sure they were having a good time, but they kept hitting my girlfriend who isn't a big girl. So me and her switch spots and now I'm getting rammed into - pretty hard. Took me out of the show. We ended up having to move further out away from the stage and ultimately leaving with 3 songs left. That pissed me off.
Have a good time.......but don't ruin others' good time.
I don't think the frat boys are any different then anyone else - Anyone who is being drunk and obnoxious makes me cringe. And I am quite sure there are more then a few hippies - going from show to show that are living off of trust funds - they just don't show it
i hate "big backpack person" in front of me at a show.
somehow, they never realize they have an extra 2 feet of stuff they do not need sticking straight out of their back. and every time they move it slams right into your chest.
I was really annoyed by the three women discussing ovulation -- loudly -- at Neko Case's show last week. But a woman next to me finally turned around and said "NO ONE REALLY WANTS TO HEAR ABOUT YOUR CYCLES. BY THE WAY, THERE'S A BAND ON STAGE. AND THEY'RE PLAYING." LOL.
Post by esprituptohere on Apr 13, 2009 11:25:27 GMT -5
Hilarious, Sassbox!
My worst experience at last year's roo wasn't with frat daddies but high school age kids from Manchester. They were doing their best to ruin everyone's experience at Pearl Jam. Jumping around, wrestling, making animal noises and talking loudly, laughing and yelling at painted breasts, etc. Groups make it worse, as someone already posted. I don't ever mind a single frat guy. It's the obnoxious behavior common to groups that I can't stand. On occasion though, I've had trouble with a single raver. They can be pretty disrespectful sometimes too.
No matter who you are, the people around you paid a lot of money to be at roo. Try not to let your actions ruin an experience that they really want to make the most of.
haha, I dont know if frat boys are necesarillay the devil and I prob sound like some musical elitist here but a lot of them and I have friends who are/were in frats who I love but some of them just don't know how to act at concerts.
Post by sweetmelissa on Apr 13, 2009 11:52:59 GMT -5
I went to see Kings Of Leon in St. Louis back in October. There was one extremely drunk guy who decided the top of my head (I'm 5'5'') would be his arm rest, then dude grabbed the left butt cheek and refused to let go, finally he decided that he wanted to mosh on me dude was going crazy (I didn't know it was possible to most at a KOL show). The whole time he was screaming "this show is the Munns and I wanna mosh." Yah, a person like that can ruin a show.
I don't know if this asshat was in a Frat or not. I know a lot of nice people who are/have been in Frats. It all depends on the person.
Post by Britney's_Fears on Apr 13, 2009 11:57:34 GMT -5
A wise man once said "to generalize is to be an idiot". (Not calling anyone in this thread an idiot mind you.)In any crowd of people no matter what the demographic there are going to be the good ones and the bad ones. In 2007 I was camped next to a group of Frat boys and they were pretty cool. They played beer pong the whole time and pretty much kept to themselves.
The worst scene I've been at in a long time was at an Avenged Sevenfold concert w/ Buckcherry and Papa Roach. I was only there because my daughter is into Emo music. I was lucky to get out of there without serious bodily injury. My daughter insisted on being in the front row center stage. First we were pushed from the left, then the right, then the mosh pit broke out, and when A7X came out the entire Civic Center surged forward crushing the people in the front (myself included) against the barricades. Then two guys commenced to beating each other's brains out right next to me.
I went to see Kings Of Leon in St. Louis back in October. There was one extremely drunk guy who decided the top of my head (I'm 5'5'') would be his arm rest, then dude grabbed the left butt cheek and refused to let go, finally he decided that he wanted to mosh on me dude was going crazy (I didn't know it was possible to most at a KOL show). The whole time he was screaming "this show is the Munns and I wanna mosh." Yah, a person like that can ruin a show.
I was listening to a live Springsteen show and Bruce said "I'm gonna play a quiet song right now so I need everyone to be as quiet as possible. If there's someone in the crowd who can't keep their mouth closed I want everyone to get together and in your best community spirit tell his @ss to shut the f*ck up."
At shows where everyone is really packed in tight, it freaks me out when the drunk bro in front of me insists on headbanging..
I spend the whole show with my hand over my mouth to keep from getting my teeth knocked in when their head comes raring back at me.
Usually it works if I say "hi, i'm sean and i'm behind you and yeah i want to keep my teeth" other times, doesn't matter what you say.
Next time try sign language or drawing pictures in the dirt with a stick. Just don't show them fire or shiny objects, it confuses them and may make them aggressively violent.
The worst scene I've been at in a long time was at an Avenged Sevenfold concert w/ Buckcherry and Papa Roach. I was only there because my daughter is into Emo music. I was lucky to get out of there without serious bodily injury. My daughter insisted on being in the front row center stage. First we were pushed from the left, then the right, then the mosh pit broke out, and when A7X came out the entire Civic Center surged forward crushing the people in the front (myself included) against the barricades. Then two guys commenced to beating each other's brains out right next to me.
I can't wait to be at Phish.
Are you from Columbus? They came here, but its not my thing.
Annoying people at concerts... that girl next to me at Radiohead. She was just screaming... like she was at an Nsync concert. Also, the tripping guy in front of me at Tool... during 10,000 Days, he takes flash photos (strike one), starts reaching up to the sky trying to grab the lights (strike 2), and was just being spaciously inconsiderate (strike three).
Other than that, most people do a decent job at Roo when it comes to keeping themselves together.
I think it comes from two things: 1) stereotyping and 2) wanting to label people
Jerks are jerks no matter what they're wearing. So yeah, frat boys are not all jerks. And all jerks are not frat boys. Just as not all hippies are good people and not all preppies lack an understanding of music or the compassion gene.
But it IS terribly easy to classify people by the way they look instead of how they act. The latter takes more time.
We're all (almost all?) guilty of judging people by the way they look at some point or another. The key is to then think about what you just said/thought and if it was fair or not. And then use that for going forward.
if you don't judge someone from the way they look, you are setting yourself up for trouble.
maybe it's not pc - but how someone presents themselves says a lot about who they are and what they will likely be like. when you combine clothing with body language, it's fair to say you will almost always be spot on in your judgment...
Here's my "frat boys at Bonnaroo" tale from Bonnaroo 2004. It is my worst Bonnaroo moment ever.
I was heading out of Centeroo after the Dave & Friends set with a couple of my friends, heading back to our campsite to get a few more beers in us before hitting up late-night shows. I was walking and talking with my friends, moving ahead with them to my left side, and had my head turned to ask one of them to repeat something I'd missed.
Some guy, who had been walking backwards unbeknownst to me, bumped into me. He got excessively pissed off and started yelling at me; I noticed he had on a t-shirt with Greek letters on it. I told him I couldn't understand why he was so enraged - neither of us were looking and neither of us intentionally bumped into the other one. The way I see it, no harm no foul. He seemed to disagree. He grabbed me by the shirt, wouldn't let go, and called for his nearby buddies (also clad in matching shirts) and the three of them all got in my face. Again I tried to explain - to all three of them this time - that our bumping into one another was accidental and not to be taken personally. All they did was yell louder, and all of them grabbed onto me. I'm pretty sure that I was within seconds of being punched in the face.
Thankfully, other people around noticed what was going on (my friends didn't realize what was going on until I had three frat boys in my face) and told them to cool it. Once the frat boy trio realized they were outnumbered by people not happy with their behavior, they backed off and allowed me to go about my business.
DMB headlined the following year; I stayed in my tent and took a nap to rest up for Mars Volta instead.
Here's my "frat boys at Bonnaroo" tale from Bonnaroo 2004. It is my worst Bonnaroo moment ever.
I was heading out of Centeroo after the Dave & Friends set with a couple of my friends, heading back to our campsite to get a few more beers in us before hitting up late-night shows. I was walking and talking with my friends, moving ahead with them to my left side, and had my head turned to ask one of them to repeat something I'd missed.
Some guy, who had been walking backwards unbeknownst to me, bumped into me. He got excessively pissed off and started yelling at me; I noticed he had on a t-shirt with Greek letters on it. I told him I couldn't understand why he was so enraged - neither of us were looking and neither of us intentionally bumped into the other one. The way I see it, no harm no foul. He seemed to disagree. He grabbed me by the shirt, wouldn't let go, and called for his nearby buddies (also clad in matching shirts) and the three of them all got in my face. Again I tried to explain - to all three of them this time - that our bumping into one another was accidental and not to be taken personally. All they did was yell louder, and all of them grabbed onto me. I'm pretty sure that I was within seconds of being punched in the face.
Thankfully, other people around noticed what was going on (my friends didn't realize what was going on until I had three frat boys in my face) and told them to cool it. Once the frat boy trio realized they were outnumbered by people not happy with their behavior, they backed off and allowed me to go about my business.
DMB headlined the following year; I stayed in my tent and took a nap to rest up for Mars Volta instead.
i've never been a big fan of the violent crowds that DMB bring.
sometimes I get seriously preppied out when I go to shows just for the hell of it and cause I have some really nice shirts but my pony tail and or wooktube gives me away.
Here's my "frat boys at Bonnaroo" tale from Bonnaroo 2004. It is my worst Bonnaroo moment ever.
I was heading out of Centeroo after the Dave & Friends set with a couple of my friends, heading back to our campsite to get a few more beers in us before hitting up late-night shows. I was walking and talking with my friends, moving ahead with them to my left side, and had my head turned to ask one of them to repeat something I'd missed.
Some guy, who had been walking backwards unbeknownst to me, bumped into me. He got excessively pissed off and started yelling at me; I noticed he had on a t-shirt with Greek letters on it. I told him I couldn't understand why he was so enraged - neither of us were looking and neither of us intentionally bumped into the other one. The way I see it, no harm no foul. He seemed to disagree. He grabbed me by the shirt, wouldn't let go, and called for his nearby buddies (also clad in matching shirts) and the three of them all got in my face. Again I tried to explain - to all three of them this time - that our bumping into one another was accidental and not to be taken personally. All they did was yell louder, and all of them grabbed onto me. I'm pretty sure that I was within seconds of being punched in the face.
Thankfully, other people around noticed what was going on (my friends didn't realize what was going on until I had three frat boys in my face) and told them to cool it. Once the frat boy trio realized they were outnumbered by people not happy with their behavior, they backed off and allowed me to go about my business.
DMB headlined the following year; I stayed in my tent and took a nap to rest up for Mars Volta instead.
i've never been a big fan of the violent crowds that DMB bring.
I'm not judging all DMB fans by that encounter... but let's not ignore the fact that as the headliner Dave & Friends were the only act onstage at the time. Those three wouldn't have been in Centeroo for a different act, so I think it's fair to associate those three individuals' presence with the show that had just concluded.
It's the only open act of aggression I can recall seeing/experiencing at Bonnaroo.
And that nap during DMB? Totally worth it. I heard the start of their set from my campsite as I drifted off into naptime, and I was well-rested by the time Mars Volta melted my face.
if you don't judge someone from the way they look, you are setting yourself up for trouble.
maybe it's not pc - but how someone presents themselves says a lot about who they are and what they will likely be like. when you combine clothing with body language, it's fair to say you will almost always be spot on in your judgment...
See, comments like this are the reason I stopped wearing clothes. Admittedly, this doesn't solve the body language issue.