"they sold out"

no, they didn't sell out.

YOU sold out!

you sold out when you chose a path with more security. you compromised your ideals and settled into a job that you never dreamed of as a youngster cuz youngsters don't dream that little.

what were "they" supposed to do? arenas, limos, big money contracts, and bright lights were calling... no, wait... they weren't calling.... they were screaming! they were knocking down the damn door. did "they" make a decision you disapprove of? were "they" supposed to turn down the opportunity to become household names to appease joe blow from their hometown? sorry success, can't let you in right now... we have a fan base that "respects" us for our underground-ness.

and what's your "respect" worth? before a band or an artist of any sort is on that cusp of making it huge, they're most likely in a semi-dire financial situation. sure, you got a job. you're doing okay. you can count on next week's paycheck and know for sure that if you don't do anything stupid, you'll make rent again like you always do. but "they" decided to take lesser jobs, or sometimes no job at all... just so they could fully pursue whatever it is you're such a big fucking fan of wholeheartedly.

if "they" don't sell out, "they" have no future pursuing what it is they sacrificed so hard for in the first place. sure a lot of people stay true and never sell out... and a lot of those people are selling guitars in their mid-40's at garage sales just to make ends meet. the whole time you played it safe and found some sorta respectability on a corporate ladder of some sort. what're you gonna do for your precious band now that they didn't sell out?

or will you just call it sad? will you tell others how at one point when you were younger, you saw nothing but potential in "them?" and now look... it's almost too hard to watch.

they owe it to "themselves" to sell out if they wanna sell out. if they can cut a paycheck that equals everything you'll ever earn, so be it. there's not a single fan accusing them of selling out that would do anything to help them in the future if they become "never were's."

it's real easy to hold others to unrealistic expectations that you would never hold yourself to. it's "their" art. "they" have the right to do as they like with it. if that means trading you, one bitter fan, for a thousand more who adore them, i think the decision is pretty easy to make.

next time you wanna call someone a "sell out," think about your own place in life. the only people saying it out loud are those who can harness the kinda bitterness where they can't even enjoy the idea of other people succeeding beyond their wildest dreams.

what's worse than a "sell out?" you, screaming it at them at the top of your lungs. you look and sound like a sad, bitter dumbass. if i had my choice between the two roles, i'd choose "sell out" every time.