[malsun]

It's mostly a male, working class dominated genre in terms of audience, so it's ignored and ridiculed for not being glamorous enough to fit mainstream media's mindset.

That's a good thing because they would slowly change it if they got their hands on it. Sony buying Century was disappointing but there's alternative labels. Metal should stay underground to protect itself from the people who see it as 'weird'.

[collyw]

The mainstream do try do do metal, but its ends up crap, like Nickelback.

[cjslep]

I've never heard someone try to say Nickelback is metal as a serious argument. I have heard arguments for Evanescence. I usually toss Nightwish their way instead.