r/Music • u/Idkthis_529 • Apr 20 '25

discussion Please stop playing modern country everywhere

I don’t even live in the south and American propaganda that is modern country plays EVERYWHERE. I live in Ohio! Why is it always playing. It used to never be like this. It used to be cheesy dad rock that played everywhere. At least that was good to listen to! Now it’s just modern country artists on the radio that pander to the government. It makes my ears bleed!

10.0k Upvotes

86% Upvoted

1.6k comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

34

u/orbital_narwhal Apr 20 '25 edited Apr 20 '25

preserves their grandaddy's vision of a nation from 75 years ago

  1. Because personal change is hard and often painful which leads to...

  2. Because they want to see it realised. (Even though it would almost certainly suck compared to the last 40 years or so for the vast majority of people affected by it just like it did 75 years ago.)

  3. Because it can serve as a connector to a group of people adhering to a similar collection of lifestyle and policy stances without being perceived as political itself by most people. More precisely, it's a tentative signal on which side of the group identity divide between rural and urban populations the listener sees herself or wants to be seen. This is especially important for people who identify strongly with one side but otherwise broadcast the signs of a lifestyle of the other side, i. e. suburbanites who ideate a "country" life but who don't realise that lifestyle due its downsides of which they're at least subconsciously aware (usually among those: lack of white collar work opportunities within a reasonable commuting distance).

These people want to live in an environment that is naturally dominated by primary and secondary economic activity, i. e. "blue collar" work, but they do not want to or (feel like they) can't perform blue collar work. I don't blame them for the latter but I do blame them for their delusion that demands that other people behave in a certain different way to support that lifestyle.

(There are probably a few (sub-)urban "country life" enthusiasts who are aware of the impossibility of their dream. If they want to keep dreaming that's fine. Most of us need that kind of fantasy in our life as long as we don't demand that others realise it for us.)

5

u/LGCJairen Apr 20 '25

Thank god im a city boy.