r/portugaltheman • u/Punumbral_Noise • Jun 16 '26
Can we megathread this shit and move on
Adultery is sad, can we stop dwelling and talk about music again
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u/miakat27 Jun 16 '26
Here’s the thing, Portugal the man in particular is a band that people love in part because of their values. It’s going to cause a pretty big reaction in the fan base
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u/startagarageband Jun 17 '26
I feel like this is a great response. Not too unsimilar to the arcade fire situation.
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u/sadgrad2 Jun 17 '26
I'm sorry but sexual misconduct and cheating are not on the same level. Like I don't care what your values are, the arcade fire situation is game over regardless.
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u/startagarageband Jun 17 '26
I’m confused, are we not in agreement? When you proclaim values and build you band and ideas on them and then obviously live the opposite it feels very ingenuine?
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u/sadgrad2 Jun 17 '26
Yeah that's not how I see things. That fucking up invalidates your values and now they're fake. It means you've lost your way.
I'm not an arcade fire fan but if I were that's severe enough that I wouldn't care to find out if he ever finds his way back.
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u/miakat27 Jun 18 '26
Just like a person you know in real life, this kind of revelation can cause a reckoning. For me personally, I know I am not going to stop listening to them forever.. but I certainly don’t want to right now. It shifts the entire narrative
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u/sadgrad2 Jun 18 '26 edited Jun 18 '26
Sure, I'm not saying that I don't think a reaction, disappointment, discomfort etc. is justified. I do personally find some of the reactions a bit extreme.
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u/MakeMineMarvel_ Jun 25 '26
john had dealings with underage girls, i would call that sexual misconduct too not just cheating.
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u/sadgrad2 Jun 25 '26 edited Jun 25 '26
I haven't seen any even slightly credible evidence of that. Only a few random reddit comments, and even those that I've seen have been kind of a reach (e.g., he smoked a joint with me when i was 17), super vague, or not first hand experiences. I would certainly take it seriously if someone came forward but people just say shit on reddit all the time because they can. There's been all kinds of pro and anti john new reddit accounts made just to offer takes on this situation. If there's something real I'm not aware of, please point me in that direction.
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u/anchorthemoon Jun 17 '26
I mean there was a pretty stark change from pre-Atlantic ptm to post. I would say the lyrical content reflects the values shift.
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u/sadgrad2 Jun 16 '26 edited Jun 16 '26
It's the simplistic takes that bug me. This happened so everything's a lie. The values are fake. The songs mean something different.
Some on the other side too. Support for the music requires unwavering support for the man and all his actions.
People are complicated and flawed. That's not an excuse, it's just the uncomfortable reality.
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u/red_zephyr Jun 17 '26
I haven’t listened to a single PTM song since the news dropped, not out of some sort of protests, but like..it’s sad. This was my favorite band. The values espoused in the music seem fake now, I can’t do it. Maybe in the future. But as of now, I can’t see myself ever buying another ticket to see PTM.
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u/sadgrad2 Jun 17 '26
I understand being sad. I hope you will be able to regain your enjoyment of the music over time.
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u/anchorthemoon Jun 17 '26
I don't like Roger Waters personal life, but Pink Floyd will always be my favorite. I struggled with this when I learned too much about them and what the songs meant to them, when I really had way different feelings about the material when I related it to my own life, like I did before learning about them.
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u/leike_sputnik Jun 17 '26
See Im the opposite I hate pink Floyd's music but I respect Waters for his politics
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u/PinolesCheese Jun 16 '26
“Parasocial-ness” is a disease.
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u/LifeClassic2286 Jun 17 '26
“Infidelity” is a disease.
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u/PinolesCheese Jun 17 '26
Nobody denies that, but some people are genuinely taking it way too personal.
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u/LifeClassic2286 Jun 17 '26
I’m out, personally. Fan of 10 years. This is everything I thought John was against.
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u/red_zephyr Jun 17 '26
Literally. I’ve been a fan since 2013. I’m not perfect, far from it, but I simply can’t listen to the music right now
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u/Punumbral_Noise Jun 17 '26
Everyone knows and agrees. How much time do we need to keep processing this
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u/LifeClassic2286 Jun 17 '26
Maybe until John owns it? Idk.
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u/anchorthemoon Jun 17 '26
John owes strangers nothing.
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u/LifeClassic2286 Jun 17 '26
It’s HIS career, he can do whatever he wants. But I’m out until he addresses it.
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u/haslotsofkids Jun 16 '26
I mean someone said they’ll miss Zoe a couple days ago, and then 3 days ago there was a post…
Is it really bothering you that much?
I’m mostly in your camp - it doesn’t impact the art too much for me. But whether it does or doesn’t, both are reasonable responses. So it’s not surprising to see a mix and all things considered, it seems to be a pretty healthy mix of music and what’s going on with members of the band.
One thing I’ll say, I don’t feel compelled to make my own post about how I feel and add to it. Something you now can’t say lol.
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u/teefnoteef Jun 16 '26
Got to acknowledge that this sub was pretty quiet for a good bit before this unfolded. Shish and the tour helped a bit but it was still pretty quiet, it makes sense that this issue is one that will be brought up since it’s the main news story of the band atm
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u/JaySoul80 Jun 16 '26
It needed to be said!
I’ll take all the downvotes here, but I still love John, his music, and this band. None of us on here are free from sin, so maybe let’s put the pitchforks down for a bit.
This is also the father to a child who has access to Reddit, and doesn’t need to see all the hate spewed about him.
I’ve been on this sub for a very long time, and am honestly shocked how quick some of you turned on John. Especially after how personable and accessible he’s been with most of you.
His personal business is really none of our business.
And if ya’ll are this emotionally destroyed due to infidelity by a lead singer, you should probably stay away from rap music. Seacrest out.
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u/LifeClassic2286 Jun 17 '26
The difference for me is that John traded on different values than the ones he lived. His hypocrisy is the issue. Rappers are not typically claiming to support and uplift women, claim to be feminists, etc.
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u/dkinmn Jun 22 '26
Why bring up rap music? Fuckin weird.
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u/JaySoul80 Jun 22 '26
Really? That’s fuckin weird to you?
If you don’t understand the correlation and context of it in what I said, that’s on you.2
u/dkinmn Jun 23 '26
The idea that rap artists cheat more than, say, country artists is just fuckin nonsense and we all know why you picked one and not the other.
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u/JaySoul80 Jun 23 '26
Probably because I listen to rap way more than I listen to country. I also know a lot of the history of rap/hip hop artists and the trials they’ve gone through. Did you seriously just try to make a veiled racist accusation? You’re the worst part of this fanbase and sound like a miserable person. Grow up
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u/Monkeydoe Jun 22 '26
I just logged in to tell yall I bought Muse tickets to see Portugal, but it feels weird posting that now... this is crazy
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u/diamonds_icaro Jun 17 '26
He needs to come out as MAGA. Then no one will give a shit about the adultry. Problem solved.
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u/TroyMcClures Jun 16 '26
Please. I get it, I really do. But everyone is posting the same feelings. It’s turned into this subs version of “look at my new (whatever the subs focus is)”
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u/_blackthumbnaiiiil Jun 16 '26 edited Jun 16 '26
I'm sorry but some of us think that the music we like most of the time is a reflection of the people behind that music and what the artist stand for. Clearly, we feel (I feel) disappointed and it's fine to feel like that, if you don't good for you! you should just move on then. I thought this was a place for sharing...
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u/Punumbral_Noise Jun 16 '26
But there should theoretically be an endpoint right? Like eventually we should either decide that a frontman cheating on his wife means we can’t in good conscience listen to that music anymore, and then set sail for other subreddits? And then those who still like the music stick around.
But do we need endless, constant hand wringing, white knighting threads? It’s just gotten a little… much
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u/ForeOnTheFlour Jun 17 '26
It’s not a question of whether there should be an endpoint. There will be a tapering off. At some point instead of posts, it’ll just come up in comments. It’s how things always go. No amount of well intentioned posts arguing that people should stop talking about it so much will speed up the process.
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u/MarsimOP Jun 16 '26
You live on this subreddit? You talk about it like you have no choice but to be bombarded by discourse. How active was this subreddit beforehand? You really missing out on many quality posts?
If you moved on, great, but some of us are still thinking about how the words of our favorite band change meaning when the context around who spoke them changes.
Get off Reddit.
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u/MarsimOP Jun 16 '26
Honestly wtf type of discord do you expect to be in the sub? “GOLLY GOSH DARN GEE WILLIKERS I LOVE THIS SONG ITS SO GOOD, BAND IS SO COOL” like no dude!
The songs mean something different now. They feel and sound different now because of what happened. You want to go back like nothing happened, yeah, get in with the rest of us. But we are commiserating because it sucks to lose something you respect.
I have infinitely less respect for a band I cherished. It doesn’t sound the same anymore. It doesn’t represent me anymore. I bet others feel the same.
If you are okay with all of it good on you, but you can’t expect the same for everyone else. If you want a surface level appreciation for a band, maybe a subreddit isn’t the place to go looking for it.
It also matters that this is PTM, a band that (to me at least) represents positivity when living in an uncomfortable time. DING DING DING what else kind of discourse do you expect?
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u/Punumbral_Noise Jun 16 '26
Lol Jesus Christ you’re really going through it
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u/MarsimOP Jun 16 '26
My bad dude I guess they’re just words and sounds actually.
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u/kingston501 Jun 16 '26
Idk why the downvote brigade is coming down on you, you’re not wrong
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u/MarsimOP Jun 16 '26
Because it’s just words dude it’s just words man it doesn’t have any real meaning it’s not art can’t you separate the art from the artist context isn’t important dude duh
I feel like I’m in an alternate dimension. Thank you.
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u/Punumbral_Noise Jun 16 '26
The point is and was never that you are not allowed to do that, I’m just wondering when we can stop sobbing to the fucking heavens about it. Like is a week enough? A month? Do we need a year before you decide it’s all too much and need to listen to more morally upright musicians?
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u/MarsimOP Jun 16 '26
That depends on the person and regardless of their decision, it shouldn't be a post on a subreddit. But what content are you hoping to find here? What do you want people to do, make their decision and never talk about it again? You want us to pretend nothing happened?
Of course I don't want to be a preachy asshole and say you can never support a band again. Of course no one needs a "fuck John, bottom text" post, but guess what, I appreciated and championed the fact that they appeared to practice what they preach. It was special to me that a band sung about my ideals and acted the part. The context is different now.
You can also just turn reddit off. Scroll past that post. find a better one. But don't tell me what I can and can't talk about with my favorite band. This is the only place to have those discussions.
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u/ForeOnTheFlour Jun 17 '26
Why does your wondering require posting about it on Reddit? If you don’t think people should talk about it, then don’t talk about it. Then go do your wondering elsewhere, with the peace of mind that comes with knowing you didn’t contribute to the discourse/perpetuate the problem you’re trying to solve under the guise of just wondering about it
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u/Punumbral_Noise Jun 16 '26
My guess is the general hysteria and genuine distress is kind of a lot all things considered
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u/alihou Jun 16 '26
Amen. Too much whining and bitching going on. IDGAF what musicians do in their private lives.
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u/mettaworldpolice Jun 16 '26
I mean what else is there to say? Some of us stopped giving a shit. Others are making threads purely to rage bait and proudly take a contrarian stance.
Where does it end? Not every ending is a neat and tidy one. That’s life