Old Assholes

[DiamondDave]

Hmmm....Interesting. I'd also venture that calling someone else an asshole in an interview, might make you look like an asshole just the same.


From The Desk Of Drive-By Truckers: Old Assholes


After fighting writer’s block for four years, Drive-By Truckers singer/guitarist Mike Cooley is now back to work. English Oceans (ATO) is Cooley’s return to full-on songwriting—splitting the tracklist right down the middle after letting bandmate Patterson Hood steer the ship for the two albums prior—and is a return to form for the group as a whole. While DBT has never been a band to slack on the road or in the studio, English Oceans has the vigor and exuberance that made it one of America’s best rock groups. Cooley, Hood, bassist Matt Patton and multi-instrumentalist Jay Gonzalez will be guest editing magnetmagazine.com all week. Read our brand new Drive-By Truckers feature.
http://www.magnetmagazine.com/2014/03/17/drive-by-truckers-blessings-and-curses


Cooley: When I meet other people my age and tell them what I do for a living (only after unsuccessfully avoiding it), after the usual what kind of music, name of the band questions, etc., things turn to my thoughts on the merits or lack of in today’s pop music. Sometimes I think they want me to reassure them that they are not just turning into old assholes. Saying the same things old assholes said about them and their music. In order to determine if you’re turning into an old asshole, you have to accept the fact that the rate at which a society progresses can be measured by the rate at which it’s old assholes die or accept their irrelevance. Since we can’t change your life expectancy let’s focus on relevance.

Why was your music all that anyway? If you’re thinking “because they played their own instruments” you may be becoming an old asshole.

Why?

Ted Nugent plays an instrument. What is he? You guessed it. I was even young enough once to think he had something meaningful to offer the world.

Basically every generation deserves a chance to get it wrong! And if you think the one coming up is going to get it any more wrong than yours did; congratulations!

You’re an old asshole.

Don’t be an old asshole.

[The Fool in Me]

I love this. And it isn't an interview, it's an op-ed. More like a blog post, really. The band is contributing different pieces to the magazine throughout the week.

It's great to see Cooley opening up upon this album's release. I'd read a book he wrote on nearly any subject, and would love him to one day let us in on the stories and thought processes behind his songs. Write on, Mike.

[Zip City]

Old Assholes, you say?

[Kudzu Guillotine]

The reaction to this on the DBT's FB page sort of reminds me of the reaction to that piece Cooley wrote about guns a year or so ago where he never said anything political whatsoever yet it was interpreted that way.

[DiamondDave]

I don't see this comment or the one from last year in a political light at all. I just think it's bad form.
Maybe as I get older, I'm more inclined to prefer the high road. I just see no point in getting into this territory, whether it's a blog, interview, whatever.

Maybe it's just karma, as Ted has always spoke his mind about others (i.e. Jerry Garcia), which usually gets those fans riled up as well.
I'm curious the reaction had it been Ted or someone else that had called Cooley an asshole....hypocrisy is such a fascinating personality trait.

[dime in the gutter]

[LastLawson]

Best possible response. Have to wonder if this is Cooley trying to weed out certain audience members... in a recent interview (can't remember if it was Hood or Cooley) they mentioned trying to get rid of the confederate-flag waving crowd early on.

[The Fool in Me]

I don't see this comment or the one from last year in a political light at all. I just think it's bad form.
Maybe as I get older, I'm more inclined to prefer the high road. I just see no point in getting into this territory, whether it's a blog, interview, whatever.

Maybe it's just karma, as Ted has always spoke his mind about others (i.e. Jerry Garcia), which usually gets those fans riled up as well.
I'm curious the reaction had it been Ted or someone else that had called Cooley an asshole....hypocrisy is such a fascinating personality trait.

Yes, the people who whine about the PC police and who defend a guy whose schtick is being outwardly un-PC and proud of it being sensitive about Cooley using the a-word are indeed hypocrites. I agree.

[bovine knievel]

Them kids ain’t never listened, ain’t no use in trying now
All were doings’ getting older and our
welcome and our warnings wearing out

[Zip City]

I made the mistake of reading some of that DBT FB thread. Christ, so much stupid....

[Kudzu Guillotine]

Best possible response. Have to wonder if this is Cooley trying to weed out certain audience members... in a recent interview (can't remember if it was Hood or Cooley) they mentioned trying to get rid of the confederate-flag waving crowd early on.

That was Cooley and I'm not sure that he said he was trying to get rid of them as much as he said he'd call them out at the shows. He also noted that, for whatever reason, the Truckers have never really attracted that crowd. Which makes me remember something I read once about their tour with Skynyrd when SRO was new. During "The Southern Thing", when it got to the "Robert E. Lee" line, there were a bunch of pumping fists that quickly got withdrawn when Patterson followed it up with, "Martin Luther King!"

As for his piece as a guest editor in Magnet, isn't he also referring to himself as an "old asshole" in a self-depreciating way? Then again, I may have misread it.

[brett27295]

I made the mistake of reading some of that DBT FB thread. Christ, so much stupid....

That describes a solid 80% of all Facebook comments in my opinion...and I just made the mistake of reading some of the comments on the DBT FB thread as well, wish I hadn't lol

[Zip City]

I made the mistake of reading some of that DBT FB thread. Christ, so much stupid....

That describes a solid 80% of all Facebook comments in my opinion...and I just made the mistake of reading some of the comments on the DBT FB thread as well, wish I hadn't lol

I honestly don't understand why people will "like" pages on Facebook for people/bands/whatever that they don't like. A typical post on Obama's FB page has about 90% Republicans bashing him. I would never once think "hey, I really hate this person....how about I go like their page so I can troll the comments!"

[Mike127]

As for his piece as a guest editor in Magnet, isn't he also referring to himself as an "old asshole" in a self-depreciating way? Then again, I may have misread it.

In the Grantland interview, he referred to himself as an asshole, so I don't think this comment was much to get worked up over. The difference is Cooley has the smarts to be self aware.

[Kudzu Guillotine]

I made the mistake of reading some of that DBT FB thread. Christ, so much stupid....

That describes a solid 80% of all Facebook comments in my opinion...and I just made the mistake of reading some of the comments on the DBT FB thread as well, wish I hadn't lol

I honestly don't understand why people will "like" pages on Facebook for people/bands/whatever that they don't like. A typical post on Obama's FB page has about 90% Republicans bashing him. I would never once think "hey, I really hate this person....how about I go like their page so I can troll the comments!"

As most are aware, this sort of thing seems to be par for the course. Go to R.E.M.'s official FB page and it doesn't take too long to figure out that the majority people commenting are casual fans at best that know little to nothing of them beyond their hits.

[Gaetzi]

I'm sure it's just human nature but with the advent of social media (Facebook, band discussion boards, etc) it's become glaringly apparent that a lot of people prefer to bitch about the things they don't like verses focusing time and energy on the things they do dig.

[Kudzu Guillotine]

I'm sure it's just human nature but with the advent of social media (Facebook, band discussion boards, etc) it's become glaringly apparent that a lot of people prefer to bitch about the things they don't like verses focusing time and energy on the things they do dig.

I agree to an extent but I don't think discussion boards like 3DD are anything new. In fact, they pre-date the term "Social Media" and have largely become ghost towns due to people migrating in large numbers to FB, Twitter, etc. When FB was new, it was assumed that some of the anonymity would be removed because most folks would sign up under their own names and would be less prone to hiding behind that anonymity. It may have been that way at first but as you can see from the reaction to this article, it's not anymore. Most of the folks responding to it also don't seem to have actually read it as it's not of a political nature at all.

[Cole Younger]

Ted Nugent might be an a hole for all I know. There are things about him that I like and some things that I don't.

I agree that calling him an asshole isn't the greatest move Cooley has ever made. Seems uncalled for.

As for the folks on the Trucker facebook page, I didn't read any of it but I doubt I would feel superior to them either.

[DiamondDave]

I found the quote interesting, and while I don't agree with it (more for the approach, rather than the content), I found the innerwebs, particularly the DBT FB fans responses the most interesting. Perhaps, not surprisingly, some of that carried over to some of the responses I feel I got here.

Big DBT fan, and a big Cooley fan. That hasn't changed. Love Ted for his stance on the 2nd Amendment and sportsman's rights. Like some of his music, but his blowhard act gets old.
I ultimately, hate public feuds and the nonsense that starts them. I don't see the point. With that said, I'll refer back to my point about the high road. It's always best if someone takes it....the journey is usually shorter. All the best .

[Kudzu Guillotine]

I see a lot of folks on both sides of the discussion screaming into the abyss on that page that obviously haven't even read what Cooley wrote. This is largely the state of things in this, "the information age". Perhaps, "the misinformation age" is a more accurate description especially given the frequent hoaxes and rumors that spread like wildfire such as the one about Wayne Knight ("Newman" on Seinfeld) that was going around a few days ago.

[Markalanbishop]

Every time I think my man-crush on Cooley can't get any stronger, he does something like call Ted Nugent an irrelevant old asshole. Swoon.

This might make Christgau's Cooley boner permanent.

[LastLawson]

Every time I think my man-crush on Cooley can't get any stronger, he does something like call Ted Nugent an irrelevant old asshole. Swoon.

This might make Christgau's Cooley boner permanent.

Haha. Asshole is pretty light when referring to someone who has admitted to a penchant for underage girls...

[one belt loop]

I don't see this comment or the one from last year in a political light at all. I just think it's bad form.
Maybe as I get older, I'm more inclined to prefer the high road. I just see no point in getting into this territory, whether it's a blog, interview, whatever.

Maybe it's just karma, as Ted has always spoke his mind about others (i.e. Jerry Garcia), which usually gets those fans riled up as well.
I'm curious the reaction had it been Ted or someone else that had called Cooley an asshole....hypocrisy is such a fascinating personality trait.

But....but....he is an asshole! Why not call 'em like you see 'em?

This is a consequence of being in the public eye. You do what you do and then the public, of which Mike Cooley is one, can comment on it. Because you did it publicly.

[Kudzu Guillotine]

For anyone that's read any of the other entries Patterson and Cooley have made as guest editors of Magnet so far, there are some that are much more overtly political than Cooley's post where he mentions Nugent (where there's absolutely no political context). For instance, Cooley saying, "Fuck Paula Deen" and Patterson's piece on the political goings on in Arizona. I guess it all has to do with the power of mentioning "Nugent" and "asshole" in the same article.

[Zip City]

As for the folks on the Trucker facebook page, I didn't read any of it but I doubt I would feel superior to them either.

The "stupid" in that thread was less about the politics, but more about the fact that people clearly reacted/commented without reading the article. Their comments were based on other comments. There was also a ton of unnecessary name calling, mostly by people who claim that they hate the bad. It's just a giant pile of dumb

[Clams]

Ted Nugent is an asshole, that's a fact. But I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say that Cooley might have bitten of more than he will care to chew.

[Cole Younger]

As for the folks on the Trucker facebook page, I didn't read any of it but I doubt I would feel superior to them either.

The "stupid" in that thread was less about the politics, but more about the fact that people clearly reacted/commented without reading the article. Their comments were based on other comments. There was also a ton of unnecessary name calling, mostly by people who claim that they hate the bad. It's just a giant pile of dumb

I didn't say anything about politics did I? I was talking about something different.

If people are on the DBT facebook page bashing the band that is definitely ridiculous.

[Cole Younger]

I found the quote interesting, and while I don't agree with it (more for the approach, rather than the content), I found the innerwebs, particularly the DBT FB fans responses the most interesting. Perhaps, not surprisingly, some of that carried over to some of the responses I feel I got here.

Big DBT fan, and a big Cooley fan. That hasn't changed. Love Ted for his stance on the 2nd Amendment and sportsman's rights. Like some of his music, but his blowhard act gets old.
I ultimately, hate public feuds and the nonsense that starts them. I don't see the point. With that said, I'll refer back to my point about the high road. It's always best if someone takes it....the journey is usually shorter. All the best .

My thoughts on the entire issue verbatim. Very well said and I agree 100%.

[Cole Younger]

For anyone that's read any of the other entries Patterson and Cooley have made as guest editors of Magnet so far, there are some that are much more overtly political than Cooley's post where he mentions Nugent (where there's absolutely no political context). For instance, Cooley saying, "Fuck Paula Deen" and Patterson's piece on the political goings on in Arizona. I guess it all has to do with the power of mentioning "Nugent" and "asshole" in the same article.

Maybe. But not for me.

If Ted Nugent had publicly criticized the Truckers and their music, political views, favorite flavors of ice cream, whatever, or had singled Cooley out and done that, I could understand this a little better.

But as far as I know he didn't. So in my opinion it's just bad form to insult the man and go so far as to say that he has nothing meaningful to offer the world. That's going a lot farther than what was in my opinion already too far and calling him an asshole.

To say that he doesn't like his music or doesn't like his politics or just doesn't like his personality is perfectly fine. But to go to that length and do so seemingly unprovoked? nah.

I still love the band. Cooley is still my favorite Trucker. But he was wrong here.

[Kudzu Guillotine]

Except Cooley never once addressed Ted's politics in that piece. So, it's up to the reader to interpret (or in this case, misinterpret) what he meant by his statement since Cooley didn't elaborate.