A speaker criticizes the phrase “support local artists,” arguing the term ‘local’ carries dismissive connotations that unfairly devalue creators. Using an analogy (Dr. Thunder vs. Dr. Pepper), the speaker urges people to recommend artists based on the work itself and explain why they love it, letting listeners discover that an artist happens to be local rather than labeling them first.
Anytime I hear somebody say the term support local artists, like, my skin just crawls. I cringe. What comes to your mind when you hear somebody say, oh, they're a local artist? If it's a musician, it's probably something like, oh, okay, well, I don't need to go check it out. Like, they play here all the time. I'm sure you're probably thinking, like, oh, they haven't done anything substantial yet. They're still just local. It's like the equivalent of getting Dr. Thunder instead of Dr. Pepper. It could be good, but if you got the two in front of you, you're gonna pick Dr. Pepper every single time. And the problem is, this has nothing to do with what this artist actually makes. Everything to do with how we perceive it. The words we use are so important. It's usually local artists that support local artists. So instead, if you dig what somebody does, go and tell people why you love them, the same as you would for any national act or your favorite creatives that are out there doing the thing right now. Let people discover on their own that they are local and appreciate them for the story that they're telling and the work that they're creating.
