Music critic tears down the glorification of Kurt Cobain's suicide and drug use

I think the tragic thing about Kurt is that he knew what a piece of shit he was. There are a couple things in here that just miss the point or are undeservedly unsympathetic.
"So what, uhh, everyone was picked on in school" That's awful reasoning and all the more a reason why some of Nirvana's music struck a chord with so many people.
Ripping into Pearl Jam who is completely different than Nirvana and already produced Ten before he says this Nirvana stuff took off. And this guy treats junkies like they don't actually have a problem. That is an extremely important thing to leave out. He said it himself, he had no parents and not enough support to help him get through his addiction and destruction. Furthermore, I don't think Cobain's drug use and suicide is particularly glorified at all. It's popular and infamous, but not glorified. It being a big part of him and who he was does not mean it is glorified. His drug abuse and much of his social life was awful, but that is part of why the story of him is so tragic. He undoubtedly played an enormous role in a cultural shift and spoke to so many people, all why he himself was such a wreck. You can hear him being a ass and see him doing shitty things, but you can also hear and see genuine pain and problems that he has when you see his interviews, music, or performances.
No one should say he was a saint or perfect, but he was instrumental to music and culture in the US in the early 90's and he really did have admirable talent, insight, and agendas. What this guy also neglects to mention is Cobain's unorthodox support for women's rights and gay rights - adding to the cultural shift away from more conservatism that Nirvana contributed to. Positives that he does mention of Cobain is that he really does have a powerful, talented voice (which for some reason he doesn't see in Eddie Vedder, but I digress). Technically speaking, much of what Cobain plays on guitar ins't very tough, but he was great at fusing those fast punk chords with a simpler pop arrangement that became very popular. His simplicity on guitar also enables his on stage persona to flourish with constant movement and thrashing while playing. Nirvana also was great at playing and making music that really complimented itself well like with the varied progressions in Aneurysm or the intro to You Know You're Right. Sure, Nirvana wasn't great in terms of their musical/instrumental prowess, but neither were the Beatles in many cases. Also, Cobain's drug use is by no means commendable, but some empathy should be shown because the fame and personal struggles he faced manifested themselves in abuse, which is an issue that should be seen as an area to help instead of one to just criticize. Junkies as a whole shouldn't just be shunned and looked down on, they should be treated well and receive the help and they need. Even if you don;t think they have any good reason or struggle to have to resort to substance abuse, you can't be in their mind and it doesn't make you any better to scorn them instead of offer aid.

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