Is My Chemical Romance Still Relevant?

A week ago, I went to the mall with a friend and we stumbled upon a Hot Topic. I hadn’t been inside one for a good 4 years so I thought I would indulge myself in some nostalgia. I was pretty excited by all the new stuff (mostly a very cool Nirvana shirt with a floral design and a Bruce Springsteen shirt) but I was pretty disappointed when it came to bands that were once ‘iconic’.

Jaden and I were in Hot Topic for about 20 minutes, looking at clearance sales and ogling the spiked jewelry when it hit me.

“Where’s all the MCR merch?” I asked her.

And for another 10 minutes, we searched. I was gradually becoming more and more discouraged when Jaden called me over to a shirt display. At the top was a very generic Black Parade shirt. Just the one. When I looked at the shelves, it almost looked like no one had bought one. I stared at it for a long time, feeling a little… upset. I mean, this was MCR that we were talking about. The most iconic band of its time and a legacy today.

And it drew me to ask the question: Is MCR still relevant?

Unless one is completely submerged in stan twitter or Instagram fan accounts or fan-casts, the answer simply is confusing. I wanna say yes but it’s a very unsure yes. I see new people become fans today by their friends or older siblings. Hell, even I’ve introduced MCR to people younger and older than me.

I’m aware, going back to my earlier narrative, that it was one Hot Topic out of hundreds. Sure, bands fade in and out of time; it’s a natural occurrence. But it still had me disconcerted. When had they become irrelevant? I know they sure weren't in March of 2013 because after the news was shared, everyone binged MCR for the newfound nostalgia their music had. It wasn’t in the early 2000s when their career was at its peak, especially when The Black Parade was released. Maybe it didn’t happen all at once. Maybe it happened slowly underneath my nose and I only noticed it now.

Now, when I look at this question in the sense of the media, the answer is no, they aren’t relevant anymore. But when I look at the individual level, I would say 100%, yes they are. Because even if the fans are getting older and are no longer talking about it, MCR is still apart of many of us. It was a time period, an experience, a calling. MCR is relevant to me. I listen to these songs that I’ve known for years and I still find new things that I like about them. There are podcasts that keep coming out with amazing points of view and have wonderful analytic skills into things I wouldn’t even dwell on (shameless plug for the My Chemical Fancast. I love it so much and you should listen to it.) There are also people on Youtube who continue to come out with videos about My Chem.

If you were looking for a set yes or no answer on whether or not they’re relevant, I’m sorry that I don’t have one. I guess to summarize, MCR is still relevant, is still there but only if you look for it. Or maybe, instead of looking for it, make them relevant again. Be that person who brings them up in conversation, posts about them online, wears their merch in public, or starts an entire blog dedicated to them.

Relevance is based on influence. Be that influence.

- Elora the Psychic