Posted by Andrew Unterberger on 01/24/2012 at 5:01 PM News

The Popdust Files: haters, nickelback, twitter

At first, when Nickelback started taking a more proactive approach in responding to their critics—with the Funny or Die video, and the Twitter debate with the Braves relief pitcher—it seemed pretty cool of them, like they were self-aware enough to acknowledge that a large section of the population deemed them uncool, without actually being insecure about their popularity and their place in the rock hierarchy. But eventually, you have to just shrug your shoulders, say “haters gonna hate,” take considerable consolation in your millions of fans and millions of dollars, and get on with your life, right?

Not yet for Nickelback. Instead, they appear to be taking the other approach, responding to their more virulent internet critics one at a time, in an extended Twitter deluge a couple days ago that proved the group to truly be a band of the people—even the people that wish they would die in a gasoline fire. Observe:

@corymyoung we thought about it.But how else could we cause you so much torment?So worth it.A lifetime of tunes just for you.#enjoy

— Nickelback (@Nickelback) January 21, 2012

@ladyyfig that one’s a little stale.Try harder next time.

— Nickelback (@Nickelback) January 22, 2012

@mybueno we blame you.Not sure for what, but it was definitely you.

— Nickelback (@Nickelback) January 22, 2012

And so on. Well, at least they’re not coming off as paranoid and blind with rage—yet—but their constant need to defend themselves against the haters, on Twitter or elsewhere, does have them coming off a little…well, defensive. Hopefully this Twitter run was just the result of the band having a couple of hours to kill and baiting The Internet to amuse themselves—otherwise, you’d be surprised how quickly “self-aware” turns into “insecure and kinda obsessed.”

[Billboard]