Gideon wrote:Yoda wrote:Gideon wrote:Yoda wrote:Gideon wrote:I didn't compare myself to Deano at all, I said he opened my eyes to how this place works. It's comments like that that earn you my remarks. If you don't like them, don't invite them.
Maybe you should take your own advice them since you're the one who often likes to throw jabs, and especially in this case, when it was not warranted.
By all means, continue bitching about thread derailment and insults while derailing the thread and tossing insults.
This is pretty simple: you condescended, I responded. If you have a problem with that, maybe you shouldn't condescend?
I didn't condescend. Care to explain how my response was condescending so that I can clarify it for you?
The 30 year old comment.
The "30 year old comment" was made in the context that those of us who were at an old enough age to "live through" a certain decade tend to have a more "first hand" experience of things in that decade before any "closed door information" was available to cloud our judgments. Specifically, with Journey. Most of us old enough to experience Journey's greatest achievements, were able to do so prior to any first/second/tertiary knowledge of the members themselves; i.e. their personalities, how they got along with each other and management, personal lives, etc... We got to experience this band's "classic hits" without thoughts of, "Wow, that Perry is a prick" or "That Schon guy can't keep a wife", etc...most of us fans back then didn't care about that stuff, we gave recognition based on what they brought to the band, professionally. Now certainly, that changed with a lot of folks when the "dark history" of the band started forming, but that's not my point.
Now, I'm not saying younger fans or newer fans who were not privy to the first hand experiences don't also appreciate members, past and present, for their professional contributions to the band. However, you guys, especially growing up during the internet "instant information" era, already had access to a lot of the "closed door" information leaked to the internet, and opinions formed prior to you even becoming a fan. So, it's fair to say that often times, once that history has been written, the stories have been told and re-hashed time and time again from this person or that person, the new guy (or new girl) that comes along is getting this information at the same time they are discovering the band. So, opinions are going to be formed, through second hand and tertiary stories from others, about the members on a personal level at the same time you discover their professional work. And as often times as human nature does, if one has formed a negative opinion about a person, he or she will find themselves looking for reasons to discount their professional qualities as well. I've done it. You've done it. Everybody at some point in their lives, has done it.
None of that was ever meant to be condescending at all, but just common sense as to human nature and human experience. For me, I tend to try my best to focus on the band, and its alumni members' professional contributions and forget about all the stupid crap people are going to dwell on that is none of our business to begin with. If one truly and honestly said, "I'm going to judge each member's contributions based solely on their professional work", then it would be impossible to belittle Steve Perry as merely a singer. It would be impossible to not recognize that Jonathan Cain has been the heart and soul of much of the music writing. It would be impossible to not recognize what great musicianship Neal Schon has brought to the band. My point is, it would be impossible and maybe even dishonest to not recognize all the importance that Cain, Schon, and Perry brought to this band singularly and as a music writing trio. Those three guys are magic in the studio together, and without one of those guys, it just doesn't add up. <- That's my opinion right there, but I'm sure there are quite a few other Journey fans who would agree with me, even though, like me, still have enjoyed this band post Steve Perry. But, there is nothing, absolutely nothing, wrong with recognizing the fact that when you experience only their music from the beginning - no prior knowledge about those individuals - it's a completely different experience. While I'm guilty of falling for that garbage information as well from time to time, I at least try to form my opinions on what the band does, professionally, based on other professional aspects, and not from a personal aspect.
I just don't get the attitudes, the "snippy" comments, and all that garbage. If one is looking to be offended or looking for a fight, they're going to find it some way some how, and apparently you, Gideon, were looking for a fight with me and found something with my comments and decided to jump on it. If you found the 30 year old comment offensive, you should have just said, "Hey, I'm a bit offended by your 30 year old comment, and the reason is X, Y, Z." I'm a reasonable guy, and clearly capable of saying, "I apologize, let me clarify what I mean so that it doesn't sound like I'm trying to come off condescending" (which was not my intentions.) Unfortunately, you took the low road and attacked me, because you
thought I was attacking you.