Before we get into this one, let’s be clear- we think gatekeeping in metal (and any sub-culture, really) is silly. So, this one is purely tongue-in-cheek because it makes us laugh.
A big celebrity wearing a metal band’s shirt is essentially a free walking billboard to help get younger kids into metal or aggressive music. And if just one 12-year-old gets turned on to ‘Hammer Smashed Face’ from a dumb social “influencer’s” Instagram story, isn’t that actually a great thing?
Didn’t that one post just accidentally, potentially alter the entire trajectory of that kid’s life forever and for the better? Metal is the greatest music and art form on the earth, so we say loudly and proudly: share the wealth.
All of that said, though, this one made us chuckle because it’s the rare case where a celebrity just says ‘fuck it’ and admits to not even knowing who the band is, which is kind of just refreshing. Kourtney Kardashian recently made a video on social media where she was reading comments. One, in particular, caught her attention, which asked:
A Kardashian [Kourtney] wearing an Agnostic Front shirt, really? Does she even know who they are?” To which she replies:
“Absolutely not. And we’re not playing that game today.”
Another fan then asks: “Name 3 Agnostic Front songs, lol?” Kardashian retorted:
“It is a shirt from my husband’s [Travis Barker’s] closet, and I will wear his shirts for life.”
Funny enough, Travis Barker has defended his wife’s honor before when she got shit for wearing a Cannibal Corpse long sleeve:
[Travis Barker]: “To speak on that, that’s the lamest shit ever. Obviously, my fiancée doesn’t listen to Cannibal Corpse, but I do. I grew up loving them. For [someone] to mention that in a negative light — fucking lame, you know? She’s wearing it because she’s cold. She’s not claiming she knows every song. But I do! I bought every album, and I learned how to play every album.
“I grew up a punk-rock kid, [but] everything with punk rock — ‘I’m more punk than you’ — just fuck all that. Be stoked that people are into music. Music is beautiful! It changes people’s lives. It creates the best memories. Just celebrate it, you know?”
So look, it’s all in good fun. And remember, maybe some dumb celebrity wearing a band shirt can’t name three songs, but some young kid just got turned on to a new incredible band and style of music that’s going to have them hailing Satan for the rest of their days.
Watch: Kourtney Kardashian explains how she has no idea who Agnostic Front are after wearing their shirt:
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