The Word Alive’s Telle Smith On Twitter Culture “The Entertainment World As A Whole Can Be So Toxic”

Telle has taken aim at toxic internet culture.

The Word Alive frontman Telle Smith has taken to Twitter to discuss the toxic nature of the internet and fan culture, and has taken aim at fans who throw criticism at band members online.

“‘Soft. Pussy. Hope you flip your van and die. Entitled. Egotistical. Sell out. Don’t care about old fans. Need to write songs like the old ones. Fuck this band sounds the same they need to change it up. Way better with *insert old member*. Fuck You for not playing my city’- fans. ALL of these things I have been told over the internet for the entirety of my career which began back in March of 2007 when I quit college, quite my job, broke up with my gf and left my family to cross the country in hopes of chasing a dream… ALL things we are told to “just don’t read it” or “fuck ‘em”.” Telle started with.

He then opened up about the hate he’s received over the years, sharing “I’m gonna be super fucking real with you guys, MOST of us read MOST of what you write. We’ve seen the hate. We feel it. We bury it. We move on. We try to pretend it doesn’t impact us, but that’s a lie. The world is so negative and in spite of devoting my entire adult life to try to help people, make music I love, support my friends and colleagues, play shows with broken bones, excruciating pain, depression, loneliness and emptiness it’s just never enough. For some… 

I have battled out of a super dark place that one day I will speak of but for now just appreciate how far I’ve come as I learn to be proud of myself, happy, and mentally/emotionally/physically healthy.

Others are in the darkness right now. Touring FOR you. Hurting FOR you.

I’m saying this shit because nobody talks about it. The entertainment world as a whole can be so toxic and it doesn’t HAVE to be. Stop making it cool to be hateful and negative. It starts small but positivity is infectious and it grows. It can spread and inspire change.

I started this thread with the dark side of things but I have also found so much joy and happiness. I have sold over 100,000 records, have had millions of streams, fans singing so loud I could barely hear myself and made the best life long friends I could ever dream of. I have made so many memories a kid from Dayton Ohio “never should” have. Somehow just enough of you have believed in me and given me a voice and I want to say thank you. Thank you for being a light to me because it does help. I am human just like you. I never wanted to be a rockstar. I still don’t. I don’t need fame. I don’t need to be rich. I DO want to be able to provide for my family. I DO want to be comfortable and to be able to see my family more often while they are here. I DO want to leave the world a better place.

If you want to be a part of THAT type of environment then come to our 10 year tours. Go support the bands you love. Listen and love unapologetically to the music that makes you FEEL something real. It’s the best feeling in the world when you need to hear THAT song. 

I want to give you 100 more of those songs, so thank you for supporting me and please… Think about what you say before you say it because you never know who is struggling, and just because we’re on that stage doesn’t mean we are all happy. Some are barely hanging on…”

So now seems like as poignant a time as ever to remind you that the artists you admire (or don’t) are real people. With real feelings.

Don’t let the relative anonymity of social media drive you towards saying things that you would never say in person. 

Don’t be a dick.

Check out all of Telle’s tweets below:

via:: Rock Sound News