Religion Section 9-4

1. Pop Culture prophets:My Chemical romancegerard waymikey way, ray toro, and frank iero Advocates for self-acceptance and self-respect with strong anti-suicide and anti-violence messages.

2. POP CULTURE PROPHETS According to definition, a prophet brings about a positive change in society by speaking about the evils in their community openly and breaking down barriers so people may see the truth. My Chemical Romance came from rather dark beginnings, but blossomed into self proclaimed “saviors of the broken, beaten, and the damned.” Their music has a uplifting and riotously powerful message with inspirational lyrics. Apart from that, their personalities, opinions, and interviews allow for a sight into the collective mind of a band with solid messages of anti-violence, anti-suicide, and above all else; self-acceptance.

3. Background and beginnings Gerard Way, founder and front man of the alternative band My Chemical Romance lived in a dangerous and crime-ridden section of New Jersey, with his younger brother Mikey. He was criticized and bullied to an extensive amount due to the way he looked, spoke, and carried himself. In high school, Gerard and Mikey found themselves depressed. This led to Gerard’s intense use of alcohol and drugs to sedate his emotions. When they escaped the confounds of high school, As Mikey finished high school, Gerard moved to New York City to attend art school and work part-time in a comic book shop. Everything changed on September 11th, 2001.

4. Background and beginnings Gerard knew he was bound for “greater things”. He made it his personal responsibility to help teenagers and young adults who felt abandoned or hurt. He didn’t want to simply throw his life away. However, he witnessed one of the most violent terrorist attacks on the United States. This led to an even bigger issue with depression and anxiety. Ray Toro, a childhood friend of the Way brothers, stepped up and volunteered his skills as a guitarist. Mikey quit ideas of further schooling to play base. Frank Iero, lead singer for the band ‘Pencey Prep’ decided to join the band that they proclaimed had one intention; “THIS BAND WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE.”

5. Off to A rough start The first two recorded albums by the newly formed My Chemical Romance would seem rather dark upon first lessons. Their debut album, I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love was full of raw emotion and fueled with rage. However, Way insisted that his fans stay positive; music was a outlet and may seem angry at times, but the lyrics needed to be understood. “Think happy thoughts and we’ll fly home.” – Headfirst for Halos “Stand up tall, don’t let them see your back, and take my hand and never be afraid again.’ – Our Lady of Sorrows “You’re not in this alone.” – Skylines and Turnstiles

6. Revenge Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge was released in 2004. being hailed as a soundtrack to the lives of teenagers everywhere. Their daily lives were documented in videos such as I’m Not Okay (I Promise), which depicted the band as outcasts battling jocks and bullies at a preppy high school. Again, the lyrics touched the heart strings of many while staying true to punk-rock roots. “We’ll love again, we’ll laugh again, we’ll cry again, then we’ll dance again and it’s better off that way.” – I Never Told You What I Do For a Living “Things are better if I stay…” – Helena “I’ve lost my fear of falling – I’ll be with you.’ – It’s Not a Fashion Statement, It’s a Deathwish “Saints protect her now, angels of the Lord.” – Interlude

7. A new audience While at first, My Chemical Romance only appealed to a small demographic, their 2006 album ‘The Black Parade’ exploded into the mainstream and allowed for chart-topping hits. This concept record followed the a cancer patient through his turmoil and conflicted emotions. It dealt with the importance of life and memories above all else. “I am not afraid to keep on living, I am not afraid to walk this world alone.’ – Famous Last Words “You’ll never make me – the world will never take my heart. Go and try – you’ll never break me! … I won’t explain or say I’m sorry, I’m unashamed – I’m gonna show my scar!” – Welcome to the Black Parade “You’ll never take me alive, do what it takes to survive and I’m still here.” – Kill All Your Friends

8. A break and a breakdown The Black Parade was the first record after Mikey and Gerard Way’s pledge to sobriety. There was a four year gap between records, and in November of last year, they released their most upbeat album yet – Danger Days; The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys. Their hit single “Sing” has some of the most inspiring lyrics to date, urging young adults to “Sing it for the boys, sing it for the girls, every time that you lose it sing it for the world. Sing it from the heart, sing it till you’re nuts – sing it out for the ones that’ll hate your guts.” “See what tomorrow brings, gotta be what tomorrow needs” – Sing “Can I be the only hope for you? Because you’re the only hope for me.” – The Only Hope for Me Is You Alone “Get off the ledge and drop the knife – not a victim of a victim’s life. This ain’t a room full of suicides!” –Save Yourself and I’ll Hold Them Back

9. A heartfelt message As victims of severe bullying and discrimination, these four men had one message for the youth that listened intently to their music; be yourself. In interviews, personal messages, and during concerts, Frank Iero would often proclaim “ Love what you do and who you truly are – if you are true to yourself, you can never go wrong..’ As prophets, the band refused to sugarcoat anything. As bassist Mikey Way explained, “Kids are sick of the same old pop music. They’re sick of being lied to.” The band desired to explain to youth that life wasn’t always a bowl of cherries – but it was always worth sticking out and making the absolute best of what is given to you.

10. Self-acceptance Growing up, personal appearance was a common source of mockery for the NJ natives. This affected Gerard heavily as he wrote “If you look in the mirror and don’t like what you see – you can find out first hand what it’s like to be me.”

11. Self-acceptance Yet, the band constantly reminds the fans to ignore the media’s perceptions of beauty. When magazine NME commented on lead guitarist Ray Toro’s weight, the band responded by commenting “Don’t EVER let the media tell you what to look like! YOU’RE BEAUTIFUL. So stay beautiful, keep it ugly!” They protested the media’s discouraging remarks about the standards of beauty by performing at NME’s award show in balaclavas – proclaiming that beauty is a little more than skin-deep.

12. Self-acceptance As a husband and father to a two-year old daughter, Gerard reminds the female fans; “Hey girls – you are beautiful. Don’t look at those stupid magazines with those sticklike models. Don’t let anyone tell you you’re not good enough, You are good enough – you are too good. Love your family with all your heart and listen to it. You are gorgeous, whether you’re a size three or a size fourteen. It doesn’t matter what you look like on the outside as long as you’re a good person and you respect others. It’s true – hey girls, you’re beautiful.” Way’s outlook on the female fanbase is one of respect and dignity. They remind their fans to listen to their hearts and their heads, and to never settle for anything less than respect and love.

13. Self-respect Many put themselves down based on what others consider faults or undesirable traits. However, My Chemical Romance urges fans to hold onto their unique personalities and grasp the ability to stand firmly in what you believe in. “All your quirks, all your problems – even your depressions and failures – that’s what makes you – YOU.” “Everyone should love themselves like we love you.” “Embrace your originality – you can and should do anything!” “Never forget how perfect and beautiful you are – inside and out.”

14. Anti-suicide/anti-violence Mikey Way, bassist and brother of front man Gerard Way, has openly talked about his issues with suicide and self-harm.. After a rather dark period in life, he rose up from the ashes and decided to help teenagers who were considering the same dark pathway, Way reminded fans in a 2006 stint of the Black Parade tour that “NOTHING IS WORTH HURTING YOURSELF OVER AND NOTHING IS WORTH TAKING YOUR LIFE OVER.” Gerard spoke out once again after claims that My Chemical Romance promoted depression and death. In a concert, he told fans sternly that “you get hurt, you get depressed – but you never ever EVER use violence as a solution.”

15. Anti-suicide/anti-violence The band continued to release statements and live speeches at concerts announcing their stance on suicide and violence. “If you ever find yourself depressed, hurt, or like an outcast., remember; we’re all outcasts in our own way, we all fit in this world, we all belong in this world.” “We all have something to say – but we NEVER say it with violence!” “The world is an ugly place. It’s not always pretty, people’s feelings get hurt….but it’s a beautiful place and we all share it together, If you ever feel depressed or hurt in any way, find someone to trust, someone to talk to. A teacher, a parent, a best friend, a consular at school. But no matter what happens to you, we never resort to violence.”

16. Anti-suicide/anti-violence My Chemical Romance became a certain sort of safe-haven for many teenagers. They found a set of men who had experienced their lives first hand and could speak out against negative ideals. “The only thing that we’ve ever encouraged you to do is to BELIEVE IN YOURSELF. AND BE YOURSELF. And don’t listen to anyone who says otherwise!” “We wanna let these kids know that they’re not alone and they’re not actually that messed up and that they can and should do whatever they want - they can express themselves without being persecuted.” “Talk to your folks. Keep yourself alive – keep fighting. Because the world is beautiful and it actually isn’t that bad.”

17. Progression While their live shows and albums were released in a very dark and ominous point in their lives, their later work reflects a true zeal and lust for life. The band addressed this with “We started this band thinking the world was ugly, but it’s more beautiful than we thought. Take it from a band who used to think everything was miserable. But we’ve found that it’s not. “ There is a level of maturity and life in their music now that was perhaps missing before. Yet, this is just another prophetic life lesson for listeners; be who you are; take every chance you are given; but never resort to hatred, violence, or self-loathing.

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20. Sources April 22nd, 2011 – Live at Terminal Five (MCR concert experience) Clip footage (quotes) – The Black Parade is DEAD! Tour (Documentary.) Clip footage (quotes) – Life of the Murder Scene (Documentary.) I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge The Black Parade Danger Days: True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys www.mychemicalromance.com www.wikipedia.org www.imnotokay.net