Nope, no axes to grind here. I just really wanted to know if Tone Deaf Leopard were some kind of in-joke, the kind of thing that people who have known one another for a long time create that makes people new or returning to a scene not understand it-- or if they and others actually took TDL seriously as a band.

I have learned the following things:

1. Tone Deaf Leopard really appears to take itself seriously as a band, in that it considers itself to be a band.

2. Some members of this community do actually appear to like them and what they do.

3. There are a number of people out there who found them every bit as distasteful as I did.

Assumptions of mine that have been corrected:

1. I assumed TDL couldn't possibly take themselves seriously as a band and really were just around to take the piss out of the folk scene and mock folks who do what they love sincerely. I was wrong. TDL appear to believe they are making a contribution, and their vocal fans agree.

2. I assumed many of the tongue-in-cheek-sounding replies and comments from above in the thread were indications that the entire community realised the band was a joke. I was wrong. These ambiguous responses are apparently completely straightforward, sincere expressions of genuine love for this duo.

3. I assumed that some kind person and straightforward person would come out of the woodwork to explain to us all how this all got started. It seems that no such explanation is necessary, as TDL are a completely sincere part of the local folk scene, and their only wish is to entertain and delight the other deeply committed and sincere fans of folk music in the southeast.

Although I remain Boggled, every learning experience is a good learning experience, I suppose.