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Hatred in drum corps


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I can't speak to what happens at other venues, by for years I've gone to the many of the same shows, and each year that crowd response to all the Corps is very appreciative and very respectful. Each Corps that troops the stands gets a standing O from a significant portion of the audience. You can generally tell also the difference in applause between courtesy applause and genuine " loved the show " applause. It's not rocket science for the casual fan to look around them and notice the difference in these 2 types of applause at the shows I go to either. I don't witness or hear much " hate " among Drum Corps audiences at all. I'll hear things said here and there on occasion from audiences, but it's mostly in a whisper fashion mode at these shows. I've also heard some demeaning things on occasion said by Corps staff regarding audiences too, so it goes both ways. But here again these are also the exception rather than the rule. Even on DCP, the level of " hate " filled posts is very very minimal, imo. By contrast, I can go onto any sports team's fan message board ( college or pro ) and the profane, hostile, hateful things said about players, coaches, teams, fans, etc can make a Navy sailor blush. This board... and Drum Corps fans in general at shows.... are, comparatively speaking, very tame in their criticisms of things in the Drum Corps activity, imo.

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This notion that there is no hatred in drum corps is wishful thinking at best, selfish rationalization at worst. Anyone who was there for quarters in 2007 knows better. And that wasn’t the only venue.

Not every fan. Not all the time. But enough to make things stink now and then. Some corps get a pass. Some get a scarlet letter. Always, it’s not so much about the corps as it is about us. What WE want. What WE didn’t get. We say we respect the kids. Yet we reserve the right to boo when we think sufficient value isn’t returned to justify the price of a ticket. We choose hurtful words when the leaders of this activity try new things outside our comfort zone. We act as if every choice should be ours to decide from where and when to tour, to uniforms, repertoire and more. We speak of those who actually make those choices as if they weren’t human beings – people who have eyes and ears and families and even feelings.

Not everyone is a hater. Not all the hate is hatred. But there’s plenty. How else do you explain the people who brag that they didn’t clap even once for certain performances? I’ll grant that not every show rates an enthusiastic ovation. But not one clap? Not one? I won’t even discuss the references to Satan or Hitler; they speak for themselves.

There’s plenty of hatred here. If only there weren’t.

HH

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A bunch of kids playing music, perfecting every move and emotion. What's there to hate?

Not a thing. And anybody that directs any " hate" toward marchers in Corps must have an undetected crack in their cerebellum.

Edited by BRASSO
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This notion that there is no hatred in drum corps is wishful thinking at best, selfish rationalization at worst. .

HH

Anybody that states that they've read on here that " there is no hatred in Drum Corps ", either has a reading comprehension issue at the worst, or did not read the thread comments before posting at the minimum. This is because not a single poster on this thread has stated their belief that " there is no hatred in Drum Corps ".

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Some corps get a pass. Some get a scarlet letter.

HH

True... and some Corps get a proposal from a couple of Corps Directors calling for their death. 'Doesn't get more " hateful " that that, when you're calling for other Corps... DEATH.

So yes... there is some " hate " in Drum Corps and it's found in all sorts of quarters. Fortunately, there are many more sensible people in this competitive activity than found in most others, and by and large the " haters " are in the very smallest of the minority, imo.

Edited by BRASSO
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I only hate 8 administrations that tried to kill off the rest of DCI. I don't hate their kids (that said, if they get responses based on the actions of their administration, i am not surprised and do not feel sorry for them). I also hate that some individuals in a corps, over multiple years, stole things from another corps. I don't think this is a corps-wide problem, but the same issue over multiple years is cause for concern. I hope these issues have since been resolved, because they reflect very poorly on the organization.

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Anybody that states that they've read on here that " there is no hatred in Drum Corps ", either has a reading comprehension issue at the worst, or did not read the thread comments before posting at the minimum. This is because not a single poster on this thread has stated their belief that " there is no hatred in Drum Corps ".

I'm sorry for being dense, but I'm not sure what you mean. I didn't say anyone claimed there was no hatred in drum corps. I certainly didn't mean to imply that. My posting was in general and not in reference specifically to anything before it in this thread, which I did read in its entirety.

HH

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This. The performers have 0 control over what they perform. The view expressed earlier that corps should "earn" their applause is flawed because in that case, you're applauding the adult designers. If the kids perform the heck out of what they are given, the KIDS deserve the applause. Unfortunately, that may be conflated with designers who think the audience is buying into their product.

If you aren't applauding - at the very, very least - the efforts of the marchers out there, you aren't doing it right.

Another POV, The KIDS performing choose where they march. The kids in these higher placing corps aren't actually kids; they're 18+ and young adults.

That being said, I will always applaud the performer, regardless of their kid or adult status. I will applaud them if if the product performance level isn't the best.

I will not always applaud the design.

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not really sure if it is "hatred" or rather just "immaturity" and "pettiness".

In my years when retreats were the norm at every show, I can remember people from the hornline taking about "fighting" for the right to "stand on the yard line" during retreat, and just listening to the negativity between corps. While at the same time as a pit member we would be socializing with other pits and hanging out at the local fastfood place across the street from the show site.

IMO the worst example I have seen is with the Cadets 2007 quarter finals night. Whether people claim to have been booing Hopkins or what not. He had every right to make sure the field was in good condition...if other corps dealt with a poorly maintained field that is their fault. Hats off to Hopkins for having the guts to make sure of that the field was in a condition it was supposed to be in.....and what people seem to forget, is that BD benefited from Hopkins call too. Im my opinion that may have been the worst I personally have ever witnessed a DCI crowd. And at the same time I have a feeling that if Cadets weren't using so much narration in that show and were doing WestSide Story instead.....much of the hash mark thing would have been over looked.

I have said it many times on here and I will say it again. We as drum corps members, alum, or just fast....are a very small mimority. We can be the biggest supporters but we are often our worst enemy.

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