On Hanson

Don't worry, this post isn't really about Hanson. Well...it kind of is, but then it also isn't. Hanson just happen to be a prime example of something I want to talk about a little bit.

For anyone not in the know – and if you’re one of my nearest and dearest, how could you possibly not be in the know – Hanson are a group of three mid-Western brothers turned musicians, made most famous in the nineties by their annoyingly catchy (and nonsensical) hit “Mmmbop”. As a child of the nineties, I was a big fan back in their heyday – but I’m actually a far bigger fan now (yes, they’re still going strong). AND I AM PROUD.

You’re probably sighing right now. Shaking your head. I can practically feel it coming across the internet at me. And that – THAT – is exactly what I want to talk about. Because at some point over the last few years, I can’t remember when exactly…I decided to stop caring about the fact that most people thought it was a bit pathetic for a woman in her mid-to-late twenties to like a band made famous for a song containing the infamous lyric “In an mmmbop they’re not there / Until you lose your hair / Oh, but you don’t care”.

Yes, they’re a bit cheesy. Yes, they’re fairly ridiculous, and have about a million children between them now. But you know what? None of that matters. Ultimately, I’ve decided that all that really matters is that Hanson – cheesy, nostalgic, slightly cringe-worthy Hanson – make me happy. I can sing along loudly and with great abandon to their music, and it perks me up without fail. (Unless it’s an Isaac song, but let’s not talk about that).

I think we waste too much time worrying about what other people will judge us for. Sure, on more important life decisions, it’s wise to listen to the counsel of friends and family. They know you well, so may be able to shed new light on a situation that – without the benefit of being on the outside, looking in – you wouldn’t have spotted yourself. However, even in those situations I think it’s important to listen to those words of advice and then make the final call yourself. Consider the opinions of others, but rely first and foremost on your own gut and your own moral compass to guide you.

Because the reality is – what’s right for someone else isn’t necessarily right for you. We all have different tastes, different opinions, different priorities. And if someone is going to hold you accountable to their own set of standards without considering that you are not in fact them – well what kind of ridiculous behaviour is that, really? I know it sounds a little grandiose to apply this argument to something as small as people making fun of a cheesy 90s band that I listen to…but as I said, they’re just a smaller example of a wider point. The point that we need to stop caring about what people think about us when it’s based on something as superficial as taste in music, the way we dress, or the kind of films we watch. These things are a part of you – sure – but they are the part that you should embrace and enjoy, not worry about whether or not they’re “saying something” about the kind of person you are.

If everyone I met thought I was an awful person, I’d care – of course I would. But if a couple of people want to judge me based on the music I listen to, I think that’s a poorer reflection on them than it is on me. That’s all.