The 1975 is a musical group that was and continues to be central and formative in my own life. Songs like "Menswear," "M.O.N.E.Y." and the well-known single, "Chocolate," have been in my top 10 since they were released in 2013. The four-person, mega-talented group has global success, continuously touring and putting out new music for adoring, dedicated fans that line up for hours or even days before general admission shows just to try to be front row (trust me, I've done it).
While the music is fantastic: both well thought out and put together, the band's front man, Matty Healy, has caused some problems with his firm beliefs and seemingly unfiltered mouth -- appreciated by some, but not all.
In an interview before a show in Toronto, the female interviewers asked some hard hitting questions. Instead of answering them head on, Matty took the questions and decided to tell the girls that the intelligent questions they were asking didn't match the clothes they were wearing.
Matty. Please. The clothes you choose to wear in no way reflect how intelligent you are. Smart girls can show some skin. Smart girls can wear turtlenecks every day of their lives. It doesn't matter. The fact that he looked down upon these individuals and made assumptions that they wouldn't have done their research or ask thought-provoking questions is just plain wrong. It especially bothers me because his fan base is almost entirely made up of teenage girls who are trying to figure their own lives out. As a woman, I would be extremely offended if someone made a comment about my clothing choices somehow representing my intelligence and fans of his band should too.
In another interview, Matty messes up again. Talking about One Direction, he questions their credibility as artists because of the way they were formed.
All musicians start somewhere. He started with three of his friends in Manchester, England and got lucky. The members of One Direction sang in front of Simon Cowell and got lucky. Both groups were recognized for their talent and are doing well because of it. There's no need to demean another group - everyone reaches a different audience. As long as you're doing what you love nothing else should matter -- especially something as trivial as the way another band was created. Like, why?
In a string of tweets about how Islam was a violent religion (that's another issue to deal with at a later date), someone responded to his ignorant tweets from their Harry Styles fan account. Ignoring the argument the girl made, (an extremely well put, intelligent one, I might add) Matty immediately focused on something that he felt destroyed her credibility.
Again, what? In what world does liking Harry Styles make you less equipped to defend something that you believe in?
In today's society, building others up and allowing them to express themselves is crucial to growth and an extremely formative aspect of one's identity. When someone like Matty has a platform that can reach hundreds of thousands of people, there is a certain responsibility that comes with that power. That's not to say that he shouldn't express himself and his ideas, but he should recognize that some people are religious and respect that instead of talking down about the possibility of a god. He shouldn't bash another artist's credibility. He shouldn't be so quick to judge people based on their clothing choices or the music they like. And if he does think this way about these issues that are so central to an individual's identity he should probably just keep it to himself.
