Weird/ problematic special interests causing guilt

Does this Rockband have a song about getting the last train home if so(and you don’t have tj say the name we know it’s a weird one) i like the songs and also the evil man in question gets no royalties anymore 

Hey R3v3ng3 !!! I think I know which band/singer you mean…. LOL

They happened to be my special interest for the entire year of 2021 (I l discovered them in December 2020) because their music was unlike anything I’d ever heard before!
Sometimes special interests with problematic elements can be quite exciting at first because it’s those offputting, shocking things that fascinate you and make you want to research more about them! That being said, it is important to look at those aspects of the band and understand why they’re wrong or not normal. It’s not the most appropriate or normie kind of special interest to have, but I’m sure that others would begin to understand where you’re coming from if you carefully explained to them what your relationship is with the band’s music (the reasons why you like it basically!!) and then relate that to what you think of the singer’s views and actions. (Should the music be separated from him? Is what he did justifiable?)

Please take care in handling this situation!! 

Damojo said:

How did that go?

careful - you may have to start using facial recognition software prove your age to access such sensitive words on the internet now...

IntruderAlarmAbatis said:

the fascist organisation who ruled Germany

I figured it was that, but then got a bit thrown by "Nazi documentaries" not being censored. Maybe it's the plural or the capital letter that's doing it.

Let's try that out:

• Ruling party nickname (not used by them) with a capital initial letter: Nazi
• Same name with a small initial letter: nazi
• Capital letter and plural: ***
• Small letter and plural: ***

How did that go?

IntruderAlarmAbatis said:

I'm sharing this with you, because out of context I'm very aware of what being enthusiastic about *** sounds like

Being interested in it is not an issue. It is like true crime enthusiasts that are fascinated about the truly horrible things that some have done to their victims. It doesn't mean we despise them for their special interest.

The problem only comes when you start to sympathise with them or advicate for their teachings.

Having said that, the same ideology is growin in real time in the USA so it really is useful to draw on those historical parallels to call out those fascists.

Wow when the key element of your post has been censored, that makes communication incredibly difficult. But I'm talking about the fascist organisation who ruled Germany during the 1940s, sounds a bit like "blasé"

***

I was speaking to someone the other day about this.  I'm fascinated by ***, if a documentary about *** is on, I will watch it. I've seen so many Nazi documentaries I could probably name you all of the high ranking *** along with a brief accurate resume.

My politics is very liberal, I am an active (i.e. I actually get involved and do things) supporter of LGBT+ rights, and part of my job is supporting asylum seekers to gain residency in the UK

But I can't get enough of those ***!

I don't watch with hate or anger, I'm quite impassive, in my head in the context of 1930-1960 (up until Adolph Eichmann was captured) it's just data. As opposed to Anti-Semitism in 2025 which I would openly and actively oppose.

I'm sharing this with you, because out of context I'm very aware of what being enthusiastic about *** sounds like, the kind of impression it would give someone, but within the Autistic mind a special interest is just some compelling data.

If you picked up this response 26 days after you wrote it, I would be interested to know how you were feeling now?   

R3v3ng3 said:

I keep getting made fun of and judged by neurotypical friends for having the band as my special interest

If you really like the band then by all means carry on liking them, but I would learn from your experience here and "read the room" - this subject causes problems so don't talk about it. Simple. You get to carry on enjoying them without intrusion from others.

If the bullying persists then you can use a response like "I feel sorry you are unable to separate the art from the artist. What a sad life you must have". It is normally best to walk away at this point and leave them speechless.

This is my preferred approach and can lead to some people taking insult from pointing out their failings, but I have no issue in facing down bullies if I need to - this may not be the case for you so only use it you can handle this.

People should learn to keep these two separate. It is like the JK Rowling / Harry Potter situation where people who hate JK are trying to cancel the art as best they can in order to separate the artist from their income. This is trying to steal the joy from those who enjoy the art (which has no problematic content as far as I understand).

I feel the same way but I have been told before that reality is nobody really cares about what others think. They are more intrested in their own things. But something in your head is telling you that you will be shamed for it.

You can like any band or music genre the people who judge have the problem not you.

As long as what you like doing isn’t illegal I don’t see a problem.

NT's do like to judge and make fun of others, I've liked some things that others really dislike both before and after diagnosis, bands, tv programs, politics etc. What do you get out of being with these people who make fun of you and make you feel embarassed to be yourself? Do you need them in your life? Could you play them at their own game and make fun of some of the things they like?

You are allowed to like whatever feels right. Many of things I like have turned out to be “unacceptable”. That doesn’t change how the performance affects you. 

For example, I still like a lot of Marilyn Manson music, though I acknowledge the allegations against him. I like the music of Infected Mushroom though I don’t support Israel. Millions of people still obsess over Michael Jackson music though there are still unknown aspects of his personal life. 

I can only say acknowledge the problems, that you don’t support the toxic parts. Just that the music is still good. Did the music change when they found out about the other issues? You can’t control how you feel. If they can, they are the weird ones.

You can be Republican and not like Trump. You can be a Christian and accept LGBT. It’s not black and white. You can like the music and hate what they stand for. Just like you can support the actions of a really decent band, but not like their music.