Pete Townshend apologizes for swearing at young fan...

[artk2002]

I have to disagree with most of the posters here and I give kudos to Pete T for apologizing.  7 is probably too young but we started taking our son to rock concerts when he was 9.  He is a very talented drummer and loves classic rock music.   He has seen Rush 2x, Bon Jovi and The Who and I just ordered tickets for Fleetwood Mac (can't wait).  Now we would never sit in the Orchestra as we know that that is where people stand and it can get out of hand.  We choose our seats carefully and have special noise cancelling earplugs to protect his hearing.  I have seen several other children at these concerts.  I don't expect anyone to cater to my son but I would be really annoyed if anyone mouthed FU to him.  This Dad used poor judgement but hopefully he learned a lesson about taking appropriate precautions to shield his dd.

For me, it's not so much taking a child to a rock concert, it's taking a child and getting upset that they have been exposed to whatever happens there. If your kid can deal with all that, then I'm fine with it. In general, though, a single-digit child isn't mature enough to deal with that stuff. Yours may be, but yours is a likely exception.

Pete shouldn't have apologized because he did nothing at all wrong. His behavior was completely normal for a rock concert. The dad was entirely wrong to bring that child and then get upset.

[Redneck Gravy]

“Go away with that sign please, just go away with it, just go away with it. Don’t bring your children…I want to tell you two words, but I can’t because you’ve got a child there,” he said into the microphone. He then mouthed the words “f**k you.”

Afterwards, Jenny’s father, Eric Costello, had a few choice words for the musician. “Nobody talks to my seven-year-old daughter like that,” Costello told the Toronto Sun. “I expect a 70-something-year-old man to respect the fact that there’s a seven-year-old girl standing in front of him…I’d like [Townshend] to know in some small way, he broke a little girl’s heart.”

I'm not clear how Townshend broke her heart - because he swore in front of her (not at her) or because he refused to smash his guitar? 

[luvmyboys]

I have to disagree with most of the posters here and I give kudos to Pete T for apologizing.  7 is probably too young but we started taking our son to rock concerts when he was 9.  He is a very talented drummer and loves classic rock music.   He has seen Rush 2x, Bon Jovi and The Who and I just ordered tickets for Fleetwood Mac (can't wait).  Now we would never sit in the Orchestra as we know that that is where people stand and it can get out of hand.  We choose our seats carefully and have special noise cancelling earplugs to protect his hearing.  I have seen several other children at these concerts.  I don't expect anyone to cater to my son but I would be really annoyed if anyone mouthed FU to him.  This Dad used poor judgement but hopefully he learned a lesson about taking appropriate precautions to shield his dd.

For me, it's not so much taking a child to a rock concert, it's taking a child and getting upset that they have been exposed to whatever happens there. If your kid can deal with all that, then I'm fine with it. In general, though, a single-digit child isn't mature enough to deal with that stuff. Yours may be, but yours is a likely exception.

Pete shouldn't have apologized because he did nothing at all wrong. His behavior was completely normal for a rock concert. The dad was entirely wrong to bring that child and then get upset.

I get what you are saying.   I was responding to several posters that said kids have no place at rock concerts.   And you are correct, my son (now almost 12) is an exception as he is very mature and a rock aficionado.  My youngest is now 9 and I wouldn't dream of taking him at this point. 

[WillyNilly]

What, exactly, did the dad do to warrant Pete Townsend saying that to him?  He had a sign, he was asked to put it away.  Did he refuse, or start waving it madly around to be a jerk? 

I am an adult, and I would not like it one bit if a performer that I had paid good money to see had spoken (or mouthed) that way to me. 

You're a big rock star, but that doesn't give you the right to be a complete jerk to your fans.  I'm glad he apologized, but IMO, he should have apologized for being crass and rude to a fan, regardless of that fan's age.

I know absolutely nothing about Pete Townsend, but I am wondering if the fact that he doesn't smash guitars any more is something he considers common knowledge.  Is it something he says a lot in public or on some kind of fan page or such a thing?  It's even possible he's said directly that anyone holding a sign asking him to do that will be called out on it. 

If it is the case that not many people know about this, then he couldn't expect that anyone would know it in advance and should have said politely, "Sorry, not going to do that" or such.  It wouldn't have warrented anger.  But if he's been saying it and saying it and for a long time...well, maybe it could be considered that the Dad was warned in advance and chose not to heed the warning.

Well I think regardless of whether he still smashed guitars or not A) a person on someone's shoulder's holding up a sign is obnoxious at a concert - its blocking the view of hundreds of other people B) its obnoxious to tell the performer how to do his job. This wasn't a jam session, nor is Pete Townsend a young buck - this was a rehearsed and planned performance for thousands of paying fans. His obligations are to his band and his audience as a whole, not to one demanding fan.

[Shoo]

What, exactly, did the dad do to warrant Pete Townsend saying that to him?  He had a sign, he was asked to put it away.  Did he refuse, or start waving it madly around to be a jerk? 

I am an adult, and I would not like it one bit if a performer that I had paid good money to see had spoken (or mouthed) that way to me. 

You're a big rock star, but that doesn't give you the right to be a complete jerk to your fans.  I'm glad he apologized, but IMO, he should have apologized for being crass and rude to a fan, regardless of that fan's age.

I know absolutely nothing about Pete Townsend, but I am wondering if the fact that he doesn't smash guitars any more is something he considers common knowledge.  Is it something he says a lot in public or on some kind of fan page or such a thing?  It's even possible he's said directly that anyone holding a sign asking him to do that will be called out on it. 

If it is the case that not many people know about this, then he couldn't expect that anyone would know it in advance and should have said politely, "Sorry, not going to do that" or such.  It wouldn't have warrented anger.  But if he's been saying it and saying it and for a long time...well, maybe it could be considered that the Dad was warned in advance and chose not to heed the warning.

Well I think regardless of whether he still smashed guitars or not A) a person on someone's shoulder's holding up a sign is obnoxious at a concert - its blocking the view of hundreds of other people B) its obnoxious to tell the performer how to do his job. This wasn't a jam session, nor is Pete Townsend a young buck - this was a rehearsed and planned performance for thousands of paying fans. His obligations are to his band and his audience as a whole, not to one demanding fan.

So the obvious response isn't to have the sign taken away, or even to just ignore it?  The obvious response is to mouth something obscene to the fan?  That's what I don't get.  To me, that is not okay.

[Redneck Gravy]

I agree that Pete could have handled the situation better but I'm still in awe that the Dad felt he was entitled to wave an annoying (to other concert attendees) sign, bring a young child to an inappropriate venue and then claim the child was heartbroken because Pete didn't smash his guitar like the princess or Dad wanted...

I still don't believe a 7 year old belongs at a rock concert with a group that has a reputation for acting like stereotypical rock bands from the 60's & 70's. 

Again, how exactly did Pete Townshend "break her heart" ?

[TurtleDove]

So the obvious response isn't to have the sign taken away, or even to just ignore it?  The obvious response is to mouth something obscene to the fan?  That's what I don't get.  To me, that is not okay.

I don't know much about The Who, but I would imagine saying "F you" during a concert is not uncommon, and in this context I don't even consider it obscene.  It is a performance.  To me it would be like taking a child to see Eminem and then being upset that Eminem talked like, well, like Eminem.  Or taking a child to see Snoop Dogg (sorry, Snoop Lion) and then getting upset that he talks about smoking weed.  Or taking a child to see Britney Spears and getting upset that several of her songs involve her referring to herself as "Britney B_tch."  It is what they do.  It is expected.

[Tilt Fairy]

It would be absolutely exhausting to scrutinise all the etiquette faux-pas of a rock concert. Expletives are part of the subculture. Of course it's a generalisation but in the world of sex, drugs and rock n'roll, pretty much every sentence is going to contain an expletive. It's a lifestyle. People don't even see it as anything rude or shocking anymore because it's such traditional behaviour. Getting sworn at by a rock legend isn't even seen as an insult but probably more a general flow of typical conversation. Not only do people expect lewd behaviour, it's cherished amongst rock legends. Fans brush it off or cheer when they're sworn to. I see rock musicians swearing at people in the crowd all the time, swearing at everything, swearing at the crowd collectively - everyone expects it, everyone understands, everyone enjoys it - it's part of the subculture.

Of course there are varying degrees between bands on the scale of how family orientated they are in comparison to how teenage angst/stick it to the man they are. The Who is an adult band. Pete Townshead is a colourful character. It's gonna happen. I wouldn't blink an eye if I got sworn at by a rocker whether it be out of contempt or adoration. I just brush it under the umbrella of "awww rock musicians". A  bit like the "boys will be boys!" sentiment. Of course swearing is rude but it's expected, it's common, it's frequent and it embodies the whole anarchist subculture. There would be no good rock music if bands acted like Miss Manners.

[Redneck Gravy]

So the obvious response isn't to have the sign taken away, or even to just ignore it?  The obvious response is to mouth something obscene to the fan?  That's what I don't get.  To me, that is not okay.

I don't know much about The Who, but I would imagine saying "F you" during a concert is not uncommon, and in this context I don't even consider it obscene.  It is a performance.  To me it would be like taking a child to see Eminem and then being upset that Eminem talked like, well, like Eminem.  Or taking a child to see Snoop Dogg (sorry, Snoop Lion) and then getting upset that he talks about smoking weed.  Or taking a child to see Britney Spears and getting upset that several of her songs involve her referring to herself as "Britney B_tch."  It is what they do.  It is expected.

Exactly my point also !

[lowspark]

Yeah. It's so silly. This guy clearly wanted to get noticed by Townshend. He did. Now he's mad about it. Seriously, what did he expect, for him and his daughter to get invited on stage? Buddy, get over yourself!

[Kiara]

So the obvious response isn't to have the sign taken away, or even to just ignore it?  The obvious response is to mouth something obscene to the fan?  That's what I don't get.  To me, that is not okay.

I don't know much about The Who, but I would imagine saying "F you" during a concert is not uncommon, and in this context I don't even consider it obscene.  It is a performance.  To me it would be like taking a child to see Eminem and then being upset that Eminem talked like, well, like Eminem.  Or taking a child to see Snoop Dogg (sorry, Snoop Lion) and then getting upset that he talks about smoking weed.  Or taking a child to see Britney Spears and getting upset that several of her songs involve her referring to herself as "Britney B_tch."  It is what they do.  It is expected.

Very well said.

[nolechica]

So the obvious response isn't to have the sign taken away, or even to just ignore it?  The obvious response is to mouth something obscene to the fan?  That's what I don't get.  To me, that is not okay.

I don't know much about The Who, but I would imagine saying "F you" during a concert is not uncommon, and in this context I don't even consider it obscene.  It is a performance.  To me it would be like taking a child to see Eminem and then being upset that Eminem talked like, well, like Eminem.  Or taking a child to see Snoop Dogg (sorry, Snoop Lion) and then getting upset that he talks about smoking weed.  Or taking a child to see Britney Spears and getting upset that several of her songs involve her referring to herself as "Britney B_tch."  It is what they do.  It is expected.

POD!

[artk2002]

Dad needs to stop using his daughter as a proxy. First to get Townsend's attention and then later to express his own disappointment. Buddy, own it. You're disappointed that Pete didn't think you were cool. Don't try to get sympathy by saying that your daughter was "heartbroken." And, if she really was unhappy, the fault lies with you for getting her hopes up.

[Twik]

So the obvious response isn't to have the sign taken away, or even to just ignore it?  The obvious response is to mouth something obscene to the fan?  That's what I don't get.  To me, that is not okay.

I don't know much about The Who, but I would imagine saying "F you" during a concert is not uncommon, and in this context I don't even consider it obscene.  It is a performance.  To me it would be like taking a child to see Eminem and then being upset that Eminem talked like, well, like Eminem.  Or taking a child to see Snoop Dogg (sorry, Snoop Lion) and then getting upset that he talks about smoking weed.  Or taking a child to see Britney Spears and getting upset that several of her songs involve her referring to herself as "Britney B_tch."  It is what they do.  It is expected.

POD!

For those who don't know, this is the Who, in their heyday: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q63XogYTIcc. I hope this explains the "guitar smashing" reference.

To assume, however, because Townshend is now much older that he would be a laid-back grandfather is foolish. He's still co-leader of the Who, that's why you went to see him!

The only difference is that the young Townshend would not have apologized.

[VltGrantham]

The only difference is that the young Townshend would not have apologized.

I'm not so sure the older one should have either.