I thought it was because they suck

[Scooter]

Mike Kroeger says culture around early hate for Nickelback was “training ground for cyber bullying”

Nickelback bassist Mike Kroeger has said the hate his band received in their early days was a “training ground for cyber bullying”.

The early ‘00s rockers often found themselves being used as an easy target, with many music fans in that era choosing to vocally express their distaste for the band.

Kroeger – the brother of the band’s frontman Chad – even spoke to NME earlier this year about the phenomenon. Reflecting on how they have been treated over the years, he said: “The thing we came to realise through all of this is as much as the word ‘hate’ is used, it’s pretty overstated because people don’t really care that much.”

“If Nickelback is the thing you get most upset about, you’re living a charmed life. Nobody’s trying to kill you, and you’re not starving to death. If our band is the level in which your hate exists, boy, you’re living in a fairy tale!”

Now, the bassist has expanded on the topic, saying that the vitriol has was a precursor to what we now recognise in everyday life.

Speaking to the Downbeat podcast, he said: “It was the training ground for cyber bullying. Everybody was learning how to pick on people online, and we got to be patient zero of cyber bullying on social media. It sucked. But it turns out it was the trial run of what would become sort of how things work.”

“I know music is a very emotional thing for people — I get that — but it also exposes a real weakness in the human condition that we’d much rather talk about the things we don’t like than the things that we do like, the fact that humanity really has a real addiction to negativity,” he added.

“We really like negativity, really like to see people get hurt. Especially people that are successful and doing well, we wanna see them go down the hardest. Look at the royal family. These people catch cancer, and it’s, like, that’s all anybody wants to talk about. Somebody gets killed, and it’s, like, ‘This is great news.’ Like, what the fuck is wrong with you?

Last year, Chad Kroeger also said that he thinks the band are not as hated nowadays as they used to be, describing it as a “softening”.

“I’m not sure if it’s because we receive a ton of love on TikTok or whatever the hell it is, but for whatever reason the teeth have kind of been removed,” he said. “It’s really nice to not be Public Enemy Number One.”

SZA also recently weighed in on the discussion, defending Nickelback as well as Creed. “Wait, you know what’s crazy?” she asked. “Do white people hate Creed and Nickelback? Why? Black people love them! They rock! That shit is bomb!”

[Burning Petard]

“I know music is a very emotional thing for people — I get that — but it also exposes a real weakness in the human condition that we’d much rather talk about the things we don’t like than the things that we do like, the fact that humanity really has a real addiction to negativity,” he added.

Too true. That is my saddest observation of people in general.

snailgate

[BoSoxGal]

I concur.

I also believe there is now extensive research in neuroscience which supports the long held theory in psychiatry that fear is the most powerful motivator in the human psyche - and of course fear is tied to negativity.

But then not so long ago when we were on the savanna hunting, it paid evolutionarily to always be on heightened alert, sniffing the air for negativity lions and chattering softly to our troop members reporting on all the negative stimuli we were sensing around us.

We are hard wired to be afraid and sour. In a world of relative abundance and safety, we have to manufacture other channels into which to pour our negativity.

[ex-khobar Andy]

I love the idea of 'negativity lions.' Reminds me of a cartoon I saw years ago - just looked for it and I can't find it of course. Sweating and snarling lioness drags home an antelope. Meantime His Majesty King of the Jungle is saying "On second thoughts I'd like zebra for dinner."

[Sue U]

People can like or dislike whatever they want to in music or other arts; whether something is "good" or "bad" is a matter of personal taste and temperament, and if you enjoy it then have at it. I never cared for Nickelback; I thought they were unimaginative and unoriginal, just recycling well-worn grunge tropes. They could have been any non-descript bar band playing the Jersey shore for the summer. I just don't have the time to waste on that when there's so much else to hear. I don't think their unpopularity with a segment of the music-consuming public was as much actively hating on Nickelback as it was just finding them to be an easy punchline. As in, "Between the geese, Ted Cruz, Howie Mandel and Nickelback, Canada has a lot to answer for."

[Big RR]

I agree Sue, I have fairly strong opinions about music as well, but find it best not to broadcast them because some people take a rejection (or even a slight criticism) of "their" type of music very personally. To me, I could care less what someone else thinks about what I like (but then, being someone who likes opera, I got a great start in ignoring those who disagree with my taste ).

[Crackpot]

The reason they catch so much hate is that they were unapologetically formulaic in their creative process. Which makes their success both sour grapes and entirely bad faith.

They were simply producing AI art before the AI.

[MajGenl.Meade]

What is a Nickelback?

[Bicycle Bill]

What is a Nickelback?

It's what you get after you buy something for $19.95 and pay with a $20 bill.   (sometimes they just write themselves...)

-"BB"-

[Joe Guy]

What is a Nickelback?

It's what you don't get when there's a no refund policy on your purchase.

[MajGenl.Meade]

Only two? I expected a better catch

[Jarlaxle]

What is a Nickelback?

The fifth defensive back in an NFL defense.

[MajGenl.Meade]

Getting better!

[Joe Guy]

What is a Nickelback?

It's what you'd demand if I charged you five cents for this joke.

[Crackpot]

It’s what you’d demand if I failed to secure things.

[Sue U]

It's a cheaper rattlesnake.

[BoSoxGal]

[MajGenl.Meade]

Now you're cookin'!

[Sue U]

Also too it's a defective parking meter (oh jeebus I really am that old).

[Big RR]

Or a free Ring Ding? (Yes, I recall when they were a nickle--don't know what they are now).