Originally Posted by
trollmanen
I can't even look at the Reddit posts, with stuff like "NIN getting crucified on social media". Crucified by who? Teenagers who aren't going to buy them anyway? Gen X fans who just want to complain? I just don't get it. And the people who are saying "just release new music!", to them I say, try being a fan of The Cure. You think Trent and Atticus are on the factory line hand stitching boots? John Crawford is doing the work, Trent is probably just spending a bit of time with ideas and approval. Stuff like this isn't keeping him from making music. Of course, I want new music too. I think the reality is that Trent is probably in a different mindset after the pandemic, he's basically said as much in some of the interviews. He has other priorities, and while it isn't the end of NIN, he doesn’t seem to be in a rush either.
I find it curious that the amount of complaining I've seen about this Dr Marten collab is exponentially more than with the Welcome Skateboard collab. If it were actually feasible, I'd want to approach this like political polling and try to figure out what age group it is that's complaining most. I thought Dr Martens were something that NIN fans on the whole would be more interested in.
I posted the two H&M shirts on my Instagram page, and there were a lot of folks complaining about that, saying stuff like “they’re going to end up like Nirvana”. Maybe its the saturation of merchandise in general that is bugging people? Maybe it’s gatekeeping? Lots of “legacy” acts use merchandising to keep the band AND brand alive, and to attract new fans. Yes, Nirvana has been doing that for years, but I’d argue not in this way. Joy Division is probably a better example, as there have been collaborations with brands (even Dr Martens). Sure, maybe some of the people buying it don’t even really know who Joy Division is. Maybe they’ll check it out and actually like it. Maybe not. Does it matter? I don’t think it does, and it certainly doesn’t effect my love of the band and the music.
I don’t think NIN is a legacy act yet, as they are still an active band, but there’s nothing wrong with bands using their brand in the ways they see fit. If people don’t buy it, they won’t make it. But I don’t think that’s going to be a problem.