Pete Townshend apologizes for swearing at young fan...

[VltGrantham]

http://www.elmoremagazine.com/2013/03/music-news/pete-townshend-apologizes-for-swearing-at-young-fan

I'm of mixed emotions on this.

First of all, I think he did handle it very badly.

Second though, I think this is a major reason why parents receive the stink-eye from the general public so much.  It's a rock concert--not Miley Cyrus or Justin Bieber, but the Who.  Why in the world would you bring a 7 year old to that?  I get the impression Dad used his kid as an attention getter from a rocker he likes, then didn't like the outcome.  Also, if his DD just LOVED Pete Townshend, why didn't the sign say that instead of "smash your guitar"?

So basically, you encourage your child to encourage another to do an immature act and then get annoyed when it wasn't the act you desired?

Our DD (6) loves Billy Idol.  However, I don't think we'll be taking her to any of his concerts.

[afbluebelle]

I'm of the opinion that you shouldn't bring small children to rock concerts. Just seems like it would solve any problems before they start. Had to deal with too many outraged parents who were threatening lawsuits because people weren't watching out for their kids. In a mosh pit.

 Lady, there are dozens of chicks on their boyfriend's shoulders flashing their chests and then getting crowd surfed away. Not exactly a great place to put your kid on your back to get a better look.

[WillyNilly]

Wow.  I'm actually very upset Townsend apologized.  I mean understand why did and all, but it just sets a terrible precedence.  That parent was wrong in so many ways, and the reality is Townsend didn't even actually curse.  He merely mouthed the words.  And words the child shouldn't really understand anyway.

[Tilt Fairy]

http://www.elmoremagazine.com/2013/03/music-news/pete-townshend-apologizes-for-swearing-at-young-fan

I'm of mixed emotions on this.

First of all, I think he did handle it very badly.

Second though, I think this is a major reason why parents receive the stink-eye from the general public so much.  It's a rock concert--not Miley Cyrus or Justin Bieber, but the Who.  Why in the world would you bring a 7 year old to that?  I get the impression Dad used his kid as an attention getter from a rocker he likes, then didn't like the outcome.  Also, if his DD just LOVED Pete Townshend, why didn't the sign say that instead of "smash your guitar"?

So basically, you encourage your child to encourage another to do an immature act and then get annoyed when it wasn't the act you desired?

Our DD (6) loves Billy Idol.  However, I don't think we'll be taking her to any of his concerts.

The sign was in reference to Pete Townshend being a guitar smasher back in his younger partying days when The Who was at their peak. He used to love smashing guitars on stage just like lots of rock gods used to enjoy doing. However he's older now and has his younger days all behind him and has often said how embarrassed and sheepish he now is about the silly things he used to do in his prime like smashing guitars and trashing rooms and equipment. Him, the rest of the band and a generation of our parents who were Who fans and made up the crowd are all older and mature now. Added to that that a Who Concert these days would be more sedate and sensible than back in the day due to the average age of the crowd, the genre and changing times, the sign probably set him off. Not cool to swear but really REALLY not a good idea to bring your kid to any rock concert. A child at something like a Who or Fleetwood Mac or Phil Collins concert is one (stupid) thing but you'd have to have completely lost the plot to bring your child to watch a band like Iron Maiden or Motorhead or Metallica for example.

[Tabby Uprising]

http://www.elmoremagazine.com/2013/03/music-news/pete-townshend-apologizes-for-swearing-at-young-fan

I'm of mixed emotions on this.

First of all, I think he did handle it very badly.

Second though, I think this is a major reason why parents receive the stink-eye from the general public so much.  It's a rock concert--not Miley Cyrus or Justin Bieber, but the Who.  Why in the world would you bring a 7 year old to that?  I get the impression Dad used his kid as an attention getter from a rocker he likes, then didn't like the outcome.  Also, if his DD just LOVED Pete Townshend, why didn't the sign say that instead of "smash your guitar"?

So basically, you encourage your child to encourage another to do an immature act and then get annoyed when it wasn't the act you desired?

Our DD (6) loves Billy Idol.  However, I don't think we'll be taking her to any of his concerts.

The sign was in reference to Pete Townshend being a guitar smasher back in his younger partying days when The Who was at their peak. He used to love smashing guitars on stage just like lots of rock gods used to enjoy doing. However he's older now and has his younger days all behind him and has often said how embarrassed and sheepish he now is about the silly things he used to do in his prime like smashing guitars and trashing rooms and equipment. Him, the rest of the band and a generation of our parents who were Who fans and made up the crowd are all older and mature now. Added to that that a Who Concert these days would be more sedate and sensible than back in the day due to the average age of the crowd, the genre and changing times, the sign probably set him off. Not cool to swear but really REALLY not a good idea to bring your kid to any rock concert. A child at something like a Who or Fleetwood Mac or Phil Collins concert is one (stupid) thing but you'd have to have completely lost the plot to bring your child to watch a band like Iron Maiden or Motorhead or Metallica for example.

Why is it stupid?

[Tilt Fairy]

http://www.elmoremagazine.com/2013/03/music-news/pete-townshend-apologizes-for-swearing-at-young-fan

I'm of mixed emotions on this.

First of all, I think he did handle it very badly.

Second though, I think this is a major reason why parents receive the stink-eye from the general public so much.  It's a rock concert--not Miley Cyrus or Justin Bieber, but the Who.  Why in the world would you bring a 7 year old to that?  I get the impression Dad used his kid as an attention getter from a rocker he likes, then didn't like the outcome.  Also, if his DD just LOVED Pete Townshend, why didn't the sign say that instead of "smash your guitar"?

So basically, you encourage your child to encourage another to do an immature act and then get annoyed when it wasn't the act you desired?

Our DD (6) loves Billy Idol.  However, I don't think we'll be taking her to any of his concerts.

The sign was in reference to Pete Townshend being a guitar smasher back in his younger partying days when The Who was at their peak. He used to love smashing guitars on stage just like lots of rock gods used to enjoy doing. However he's older now and has his younger days all behind him and has often said how embarrassed and sheepish he now is about the silly things he used to do in his prime like smashing guitars and trashing rooms and equipment. Him, the rest of the band and a generation of our parents who were Who fans and made up the crowd are all older and mature now. Added to that that a Who Concert these days would be more sedate and sensible than back in the day due to the average age of the crowd, the genre and changing times, the sign probably set him off. Not cool to swear but really REALLY not a good idea to bring your kid to any rock concert. A child at something like a Who or Fleetwood Mac or Phil Collins concert is one (stupid) thing but you'd have to have completely lost the plot to bring your child to watch a band like Iron Maiden or Motorhead or Metallica for example.

Why is it stupid?

Because it's an adult rock concert. Even though The Who is probably on the calmer end of rock concerts, most of them are filled with adult lyrics and themes, crowd surfers, swearing, drugs, drink, swearing, mosh pits, barging etc.. etc.. which is great and fun for me as an adult and the reason I love going to them but really really not a wise place to bring a 7-year old child. Reading the comments in the online newspapers about this, the overwhelming majority seem to be criticising the parents decision for taking the child to the concert rather than the actual swearing by Townshend. It's not a teenage child, she's 7. Rock concerts are great but parents really need to exercise thought on where to take children. 7 is far too young. I don't think I've ever seen a small child at a rock or metal concert before (except for families open air festivals). Young teenagers yes, but never 7 year olds.

*edited to add my 'stupid' comment was directed at the age of the child taken, not that anyone would be 'stupid' for seeing those bands. Quite the opposite.

[CakeBeret]

As a great rock concert fan, I: (a) would not take a single-digit child to a rock concert, (b) would not be surprised if my child were sworn at, if I did take him, and (c) would certainly not expect the musicians to treat my child any differently than they would treat any other concertgoer.

IMO the parent is at fault here. Don't take your child to a rock concert and expect them to get special consideration because they're a child! If an adult had held the same sign, Townshend would probably have said "F*** you" to that adult, so I don't see any real issue here.

[Tilt Fairy]

As a great rock concert fan, I: (a) would not take a single-digit child to a rock concert, (b) would not be surprised if my child were sworn at, if I did take him, and (c) would certainly not expect the musicians to treat my child any differently than they would treat any other concertgoer.

IMO the parent is at fault here. Don't take your child to a rock concert and expect them to get special consideration because they're a child! If an adult had held the same sign, Townshend would probably have said "F*** you" to that adult, so I don't see any real issue here.

POD 100%. As an adult, when I go to a rock or metal concert I pretty much expect to be sworn at at least once. After I graduated uni, me and a couple of girlfriends followed Metallica around for a bit on tour (from afar!) as we were a bit in love with them and I saw things at their gigs that I wouldn't even wish on the eyes of adults!

[lowspark]

This is the second thread in as many days regarding taking young children to places they don't belong. This behavior is getting to be an epidemic. What happened to the days when kids stayed at home with a babysitter when Mom & Dad went out? When my kids were little, if I couldn't get a babysitter I stayed home. The norm seems to be trending toward taking any kid of any age everywhere, appropriate or not, and I find that disturbing.

As far as the stupidity of taking a young child to a rock concert, I'm wondering about whether the extremely loud music is harmful to those young ears.

I don't think an apology was due to this family.

[Onyx_TKD]

As a great rock concert fan, I: (a) would not take a single-digit child to a rock concert, (b) would not be surprised if my child were sworn at, if I did take him, and (c) would certainly not expect the musicians to treat my child any differently than they would treat any other concertgoer.

IMO the parent is at fault here. Don't take your child to a rock concert and expect them to get special consideration because they're a child! If an adult had held the same sign, Townshend would probably have said "F*** you" to that adult, so I don't see any real issue here.

By my reading, the cursing was actually directed at the adult accompanying the child anyway. The article said the statement was

Don’t bring your children…I want to tell you two words, but I can’t because you’ve got a child there.

The girl's dad apparently said "Nobody talks to my seven-year-old daughter like that." Well, sir, no one did. He talked to you like that, and only mouthed the words because your seven-year-old was present. I'm definitely not sympathetic to the girl's parents here.

[BeagleMommy]

I've been to many concerts of differing types of music.  Everything from Sha Na Na, to Loverboy, to Daughtry (still hoping to get Maroon5 tickets!).  Anyone naive enought to take a 7-year-old to a rock concert shouldn't be surprised by what they get.  I don't think Pete Townsend need to apologize, but I think it was very classy of him to do so.

[Hillia]

Reminds me of an act that we used to see at the AZ Renaissance Faire, the Tortuga Twins.  Their shows bordered on naughty, but the final show of hte day was definitely adult oriented.  They announced it multiple times before the show, they unrolled huge banners saying 'R Rated Show!!!!', in short they made a Huge Stinking Deal out of the fact that the show would not be appropriate for kids.  And every year we would see several parents with young kids, 8 or 9 and younger, at the final show of hte day.  Never saw anyone getting cranky about it, and I'm pretty sure the Twins didn't modify their act any, but it always made me wonder.

[crella]

More than the child's age, the child's sign referenced something he used to do,something that she was not even alive to see, and probably would not care to see. The father was using his daughter to prompt Townshend into doing something he wanted to see, probably thinking he wouldn't refuse a child.

[MariaE]

Wow.  I'm actually very upset Townsend apologized.  I mean understand why did and all, but it just sets a terrible precedence.  That parent was wrong in so many ways, and the reality is Townsend didn't even actually curse.  He merely mouthed the words.  And words the child shouldn't really understand anyway.

That was my thought as well. And even if he had said it out loud, it was obviously aimed at the father, not at the kid.

[JonGirl]

As a great rock concert fan, I: (a) would not take a single-digit child to a rock concert, (b) would not be surprised if my child were sworn at, if I did take him, and (c) would certainly not expect the musicians to treat my child any differently than they would treat any other concertgoer.

IMO the parent is at fault here. Don't take your child to a rock concert and expect them to get special consideration because they're a child! If an adult had held the same sign, Townshend would probably have said "F*** you" to that adult, so I don't see any real issue here.

I agree! My son ( wants to one day see Tom Petty do a show and I would absolutely take him, he knows the sort of crowd certain acts get and he acts accordingly...