As one of the tens of Real Rejects super-fans populating this Earth, I am a firm believer that a TJ Cabot biopic would be must-see TV. If they can make a gigantic Hollywood film about Bruce Springsteen recording demos in his house with Stingray from Cobra Kai, why can't they make one for TJ Cabot that would at least go straight to streaming? Whether or not the lyrics in new demo "Some People Just Ain't Liked" are fact or fantasy, I can totally see someone pitching Ryan Gosling the role of the hapless barista who has been disliked and mistreated his whole life for no good reason and proceeds to exact his sweet revenge through fabricated allegations of a pubic hair turning up in a cup of coffee. Why does no one else see the cinematic gold that lies right in front of us? Look, there's Tyler lying on the floor listening to MOTO. Look, there's Tyler throwing the remains of a gas station sandwich at the TV when the Leafs choke away a playoff series. Who could resist a dramatized account of the time the words "occipital neuralgia" were first scribbled on a piece of paper? They could call the movie Patron Saint of Degenerate Little Shitheads. You are all welcome to steal my idea. All I ask for in return is a six-pack of high quality Canadian lager.
For musical inspiration here, Tyler turns to early '80s Australia. While the rest of the punk world had hardcore fever, the Aussies were busy trying to re-create power pop in the garage by way of the Ramones. "Some People Just Ain't Liked" marries that vibe to the spirit of poorly recorded and sloppily performed bedroom budget punk. This doesn't aim to be a finished product, but it absolutely cranks. In the hands of the full Real Rejects, it will almost certainly be transformed into a beloved track on the band's next record. In all seriousness, this is actually quite a profound song. Sometimes in life, you run into people who don't like you. You can drive yourself crazy trying to win them over, or you can just say "Fuck 'em!" and get on with your day. Let it be said that if a child cares enough to abscond with loose leaf paper from a classroom cupboard, that sort of intellectual curiosity should celebrated.
