Posted by Andrew Unterberger on 08/17/2012 at 12:57 PM News

The Popdust Files: limp bizkit

When hearing the news that Limp Bizkit have broken up, your reaction will likely be like most of America’s: “Limp Bizkit were still together?” Turns out, this is the precise reason why Limp Bizkit are breaking up. It’s not creative differences, or behind-the-scenes drama, or because of drugs or sex or any of the normal dramatic reasons that cause bands once considerable as among the world’s biggest to break up. Nope: Limp Bizkit is breaking up because they know that you just don’t care that much anymore.

“We haven’t properly toured America since 2006,” bemoans singer Fred Durst to UK magazine NME. “The reason? We just don’t know what’s going on in America…It’s all about the new catchy thing and that’s always changing. America is driven by record sales. It’s the home of corporations. We’re just Limp Bizkit, so we don’t know how to do anything but Limp Bizkit.”

Durst then gets to the crux of the issue: “But here’s the deal: say in 2000, there were 35 million people who connected to this band. Twelve years later, lots of those people have moved on. We were a moment in time and it’s over.” Durst also says the he recognizes that most of his fans—the Bizkids, as they were known at the turn of the century—”have moved on.”

Well…that’s kind of a bummer, isn’t it? We never expected Limp Bizkit to be as popular or relevant again as they were back in the summer of ’99, when “Nookie” spawned the year’s biggest pop catchphrase and “Break Stuff” seemed dangerously close to an anthem for a generation. But for them to just quit like this—and when they had just signed to the world’s hottest rap label!—is pretty dispiriting.

Credit Durst for the self-awarness, we suppose—pretty sure it’s no picnic to be the voice of youth culture one moment, and a walking punchline the next, and to not try to pretend nothing’s changed is probably the smart, un-pathetic move. But man, if you grew up with Limp Bizkit like some of us here at Popdust did, it’s a fairly sobering reminder that we’re none of us as young as we used to be.

Photo: YouTube

 

Well, at least we have 98 Degrees back. Sunrise, sunset.

[NME]