Ditto!

You have to remember that he didn't give himself that title. At least I've never heard him describe himself that way. I think Constantine said they were the two rockers, but what does he know.

The first time I saw him sing a full song on the show, I said, "He's not a rocker, he's a hippie". And I still think that term applies better than rocker.

The show put that moniker on him because he has long hair. So they're idiots. It's not Bo's fault.

You're right, he's definately a hippie. I can see him singing blind mellon or something.

i'm sorry, but what's your definition of "hippie"?! "guy with long hair"?!?

No, what I said was, the show (and people in general) are labelling him a rocker because he has long hair.

As for defining a hippie, it's like defining pornography - I can't tell you what it is, but I know it when I see it.

I'm not even a Bo fan, I just don't think he deserves to be flammed for the "rocker" label.

Just like I'm not really an Avril Lavigne fan, but I didn't think she deserved flack for the "punk" title that was put on her.

The bottom line is, the music industry loves to label it's artists, and I just don't think it's always their fault when it happens.

I voted for him again. And will probably continue to.
GO BO!

For those of us old enough to remember, The Beatles were considered 'rockers' when they started. They are about as different from Metallica as you can get. It was mentioned elsewhere, but 'rock' encompasses a wide variety of styles and, personally, to consider the term to mean 'heavy metal' only is very limiting. I personally am not a fan of headbangers. I like songs with a melody and words I can understand, thank you very much. I think Bo's musical interests indicate his appreciation for a wider spectrum of music. I think that will serve him better in the long run than, say, only liking one genre.

Which is not to say you cannot, eventually, decide to concentrate on one particular genre, but experimentation in other styles will only make you better in your chosen field.

Bo's a rocker. So perhaps he's an "old school" rocker, meaning he seems to be more into rock bands from the '60s (judging on the types of songs he likes to sing and his presentation) and perhaps that's why his friends would be surprised that he owns a Metallica record. I do find it funny that he's always flashing the requisite "rocker" hand sign, tho. So he must be the real deal. lol

LAST EDITED ON 03-17-05 AT 08:33 PM (EST)

Everything that is said and done on the American Idol show is said and done within the context of American Idol.

Within the context of American Idol, Bo is a rocker. Of course, he's not a metalhead (what possible place would a metalhead have on the show? There are no metal songs that can sensibly be delivered in a pop arrangement, or vice versa, for the show's mass-market audience. This isn't the Osbornes.) and he's probably not even a hard rocker in the modern sense of the word. However, as a performer, he is clearly influenced by a combination of legendary rock singers like Steve Winwood, Ronnie Van Zant, and Gregg Allman -- and you just can't say that the classic bands fronted by those esteemed voices aren't all rock bands in the most traditional and archetypal sense of the word.

But most importantly, like I said, in the context of American Idol, Bo is very clearly a "rocker". Having a special label like this will do him good in the contest for a long time, because audiences do love to be able to identify strongly with their chosen favourite and when someone has been identified as belonging to a certain demographic, you can bet that demographic will support him fervently for as long as possible.

Having a label, especially when you share it with another performer (like the "Three Divas" from last time) will hurt him in the final four or five if Constantine is still in the competition (which he will not be, if the voting public gets it right). At that point, the "rocker" demographic will begin to split and that's when one or other of them has to get the boot. Let's just hope that the one to go first is the waste-of-time phoney Constantine, rather than the genuinely talented and expressive Bo, who is easily as polished as all three past winners FAR earlier in the competition.

ok, ok, blue peeps, i know this is OT. but the question of the "pop"iness of Metallica made me think of the group Beatlicca, a parody group who sing Beatles songs in a Metallica fashion.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4533853

i think Metallica is, in fact, quite "pop" if "pop" is short for "popular." they are (now) nowhere near as cutting edge or alternative as they once were.

i think loquatrix is right about "context" here. really, how "authentic" are any of these characters?