The Rise and Fall of the Swedish Welfare State: The Metal Years

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but for those reason readers who compulsively listen to Stryper and/or Keel, you might consider consulting a doctor. And if you happen to live in Sweden, you might want to locate the closest welfare office. The Local explains:

A Swedish heavy metal fan has had his musical preferences officially classified as a disability. The results of a psychological analysis enable the metal lover to supplement his income with state benefits.

Roger Tullgren, 42, from Hässleholm in southern Sweden has just started working part time as a dishwasher at a local restaurant. Because heavy metal dominates so many aspects of his life, the Employment Service has agreed to pay part of Tullgren's salary. His new boss meanwhile has given him a special dispensation to play loud music at work.

"I have been trying for ten years to get this classified as a handicap," Tullgren told The Local.

"I spoke to three psychologists and they finally agreed that I needed this to avoid being discriminated against."

In a country where heavy metal never really went away, this is indeed a dangerous precedent.

Yngwie Malmsteen could not be reached for comment at press time.

Comments

JasonC | June 19, 2007, 4:42pm | #

You stole this story from The Onion, right?

Michael Moynihan | June 19, 2007, 4:43pm | #

Afraid not. It is Sweden, after all.

RegularRon | June 19, 2007, 4:45pm | #

Keel, Styper?? Come on man, you can do better than that. Faster Pussycat, LA Guns , and of course those queens of the Sweedish sissies Europe....

And for this guy...What a friggin Joke.

Michael Moynihan | June 19, 2007, 4:47pm | #

JasonC,
Here is the original story from the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet, complete with photos of the disabled metalhead.

J sub D | June 19, 2007, 4:48pm | #

As I was implying on a previous thread (Votes for Nuts?) what is a mental illness? I doubt the psychology/psychiatry professions are to be trusted to define it.

Episiarch | June 19, 2007, 4:52pm | #

Has Dethklok been reached for comment?

JasonC | June 19, 2007, 4:53pm | #

Well, at least there are some sane people in Sweden:

The Local spoke to an occupational psychologist in Stockolm, who admitted to being baffled by the decision.

"I think it's extremely strange. Unless there is an underlying diagnosis it is absolutely unbelievable that the job centre would pay pay out.

"If somebody has a gambling addiction, we don't send them down to the racetrack. We try to cure the addiction, not encourage it," he said.

Marty DiBergi | June 19, 2007, 4:54pm | #

"This tasteless cover is a good indication of the lack of musical invention within. The musical growth of this band cannot even be charted. They are treading water in a sea of retarded sexuality and bad poetry."

Nigel Tufnel: That's just nitpicking, isn't it?

Robert Stacy McCain | June 19, 2007, 4:55pm | #

Can't believe you passed up such a splendid opportunity for a reference to Twisted Sister ("Metal Health") or Ozzy Osbourne ("Crazy Train").

Scott | June 19, 2007, 4:57pm | #

The Metal Militia now has the funding required for world domination.

Stevo Darkly | June 19, 2007, 4:58pm | #

Keel, Styper?? Come on man, you can do better than that. Faster Pussycat, LA Guns , and of course those queens of the Sweedish sissies Europe....

An alternate title for this thread could have been "The Final Countdown for the Swedish Welfare State?"

Nasikabatrachus | June 19, 2007, 4:59pm | #

I gave up all of my incredulity about affairs within the Swedish welfare state (except about the idea that it actually works) after I heard about their governmental committee for handicraft issues.

Zevatron | June 19, 2007, 5:10pm | #

Odin bless Wikipedia:
Swedish heavy metal groups
Prepare to be amused...

The Swedish Dan T. | June 19, 2007, 5:22pm | #

Ah, ya sure! God forbid da government step in and help somevun who need it, now. You loony libertarians hate dat, doncha? Yah, hew betcha!

Seitz | June 19, 2007, 5:24pm | #

Twisted Sister ("Metal Health")

Sheesh! C'mon, man, that's Quiet Riot, not Twisted Sister. No disability for you!

VM | June 19, 2007, 5:28pm | #

Fantastic, Stevo! Awesome!

JSF | June 19, 2007, 5:29pm | #

YNGWIE IS GOD...at least, that was what was scrawled across all my textbooks and locker when I was 14.

Urkobold™ | June 19, 2007, 5:46pm | #

MICHAEL C. MOYNIHAN! GET A TIE! AND WELCOME TO THE BORKING MACHINE:

I hete-a tu be-a zee beerer ooff bed noos, boot fur thuse-a reesun reeders vhu cumpoolseefely leestee tu Stryper und/oor Keel, yuoo meeght cunseeder cunsoolteeng a ductur. Hurty flurty schnipp schnipp! Und iff yuoo heppee tu leefe-a in Svedee, yuoo meeght vunt tu lucete-a zee clusest velffere-a ooffffeece-a. Zee Lucel ixpleeens:

A Svedeesh heefy metel fun hes hed hees mooseecel prefferences ooffffeecielly clesseeffied es a deesebility. Bork bork bork! Zee resoolts ooff a psychulugeecel unelysees ineble-a zee metel lufer tu soopplement hees incume-a veet stete-a beneffeets.

Um gesh dee bork, bork! Ruger Toollgree, 42, frum Hässlehulm in suoozeern Svedee hes joost sterted vurkeeng pert teeme-a es a deeshvesher et a lucel restoorunt. Um de hur de hur de hur. Becoose-a heefy metel dumeenetes su muny espects ooff hees leeffe-a, zee Impluyment Serfeece-a hes egreed tu pey pert ooff Toollgren's selery. Bork bork bork! Hees noo buss meunvheele-a hes geefee heem a speceeel deespenseshun tu pley luood mooseec et vurk.

"I hefe-a beee tryeeng fur tee yeers tu get thees clesseeffied es a hundeecep," Toollgree tuld Zee Lucel.

"I spuke-a tu three-a psychulugeests und zeey feenelly egreed thet I needed thees tu efueed beeeng deescrimineted egeeenst.

Um de hur de hur de hur." In a cuoontry vhere-a heefy metel nefer reelly vent evey, thees is indeed a dungeruoos precedent. Um de hur de hur de hur.

Yngveee-a Melmsteee cuoold nut be-a reeched fur cumment et press teeme-a.

dr_dog | June 19, 2007, 5:46pm | #

Rather, The final countdown for the Swedish welfare state

Chris W | June 19, 2007, 5:51pm | #

I have a fever and the cure is - More Cowbell!

Col. Panic | June 19, 2007, 6:24pm | #

Odin bless Wikipedia:
Swedish heavy metal groups
Prepare to be amused...

I like most of these bands...*pouts*

Toki Wartooth | June 19, 2007, 6:27pm | #

He's so metal that he became a ward of the state? That's brutal.

NoStar | June 19, 2007, 6:43pm | #

A Iron Maiden dishwasher in the Swedish Chef's kitchen? I went looking for a clip, but all I could find is The Swedish Chef Meets IRON CHEF.

click on my name or C&P:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8TVDmwkMmg

SxCx | June 19, 2007, 7:20pm | #

Man, I would love to tell my boss the first three Entombed records are too awesome to let me do my job.

cold hard facts of swedish society | June 19, 2007, 7:26pm | #

That isn't as bad as the Arabs in Sweden and how they have played the system. Check out some of the stuff coming out of Sweden regarding radical Islamic thinking. Be a good article for Reason.

Postmodern Sleaze | June 19, 2007, 7:36pm | #

So both Michael Moynihan's are into scandinavian metal? Who woulda thunk it?

jb | June 19, 2007, 7:50pm | #

He sounds like he should be represented by Robert Bork Bork Bork!

wsdave | June 19, 2007, 8:09pm | #

I'm a big fan of David Hasselhoff.

Pay me.

Isaac Bartram | June 19, 2007, 8:14pm | #

You stole this story from The Onion, right?

Here is the original story from the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet, complete with photos of the disabled metalhead.

So, Aftonbladet is Swedish for The Onion, right?

Nathan Explosion | June 19, 2007, 8:52pm | #

This is totally lame and not metal.

SxCx | June 19, 2007, 8:55pm | #

So both Michael Moynihan's are into scandinavian metal? Who woulda thunk it?

I spent a good ten minutes trying to figure out if the Reason contributor was the same guy who wrote Lords Of Chaos.

dead_elvis | June 19, 2007, 9:37pm | #

A better link for the 'Yngwie Malmsteen could not be reached for comment' would be a link to his famous tirade, "YOU'VE RELEASED THE FUCKING FURY"

Virgil R | June 19, 2007, 9:38pm | #

His cousin, Jethro Tullgren, has a disability, too, requiring the use of an Aqualung.

jtuf | June 20, 2007, 1:34am | #

Great story.

dave | June 20, 2007, 4:49am | #

So I'm guessing that the Swedish media actually has people who are pasionately arguing the side that this is a good ruling. Youtube anyone?

Gil Roth | June 20, 2007, 6:38am | #

I'm very disappointed that none of you have mentioned "Heavy Metal Poisoning" from the worst album of all time, Kilroy Was Here.

James | June 20, 2007, 6:53am | #

As a big metal fan and a fan of many bands from Sweden, I can't help but to laugh my ass off.

wayaway | June 20, 2007, 7:32am | #

Re Wiki list

The Poodles? Excellent metal band name.

Went to their site and ordered aa T-Shirt.

Yesssssss.....

Dee | June 20, 2007, 8:28am | #

Next thing you know it will be a disability to be blond in Sweden. That will surely sink their system. Blond metal heads will get the biggest cut of pie. I wonder if they determine your rate by the length of your hair?

David | June 20, 2007, 9:10am | #

Hårdrock överallt!

Tym | June 20, 2007, 9:44am | #

Keel, Styper??

How about Metalica, Iron Maiden and classic Sabbath?

I am Swedish American but I don't know much about Swedish metam, but Yngvie is a great guitarist.

Randolph Carter | June 20, 2007, 10:40am | #

This reminds me of an interview with Finntroll about why they sing in Swedish rather than Finnish: "Because Swedish is a Fucking Troll language! It's so fucking metal!"

Sean | June 20, 2007, 12:12pm | #

I love Sweden. Go to record shop there: There are ENTIRE RACKS dedicated just to Iron Maiden. It is truly a paradise.

SFC SKI | June 20, 2007, 1:00pm | #

Dude, this news totally rawks!!AAAWWWEESOME!

ed | June 20, 2007, 1:17pm | #

Wait a minute. Are you saying that metal fans are not truly disabled?
I'm willing to take Tullgren at his word.
It's most definitely a handicap.
He deserves our sympathy and compassion.

black metal kim | June 20, 2007, 2:34pm | #

Ok for the record, stryper is NOT metal. Maybe that is what metal is to people that suck. Real metal is black metal and Sweden has some of the best. Besides, America funds more stupid things than this. Ex. Billions of dollars were spent on building a giant, glorious bridge, that connected two uninhabited islands in Alaska. For all the metalheads that have to go through the anguish of ignorant people saying, "Oh you like metal? That's like ACDC and Metallica, right?" We should get paid for not socking those people in the face. Go Tullgren!!!

Tree | June 21, 2007, 3:22pm | #

Something tells me Sweden will survive this episode of stupidity but at least my own personal point has been proven which is that one has to be disabled to appreciate Metal...or something like that.