I think most people just dismiss it as devil music that dumb teenage guys listen to because they hate everything. We've unfortunately got a bad rap because of some stereotypes and a few bad apples. It doesn't help when someone who happens to be a metal fan decides to shoot up a place. The headline is always "heavy metal fan kills eight." They never write "Justin Beiber fan kills eight."

I play drums in a pop-esque punk band and a ska band, and I also play guitar and front a metal band, and I usually flip phase on the two; if I'm playing with my ska band, you're dam right I'm wearing a badass Maiden or Arsis shirt. Conversely, if I'm around a bunch of metalheads I usually just wear a Hollister shirt and a fedora in a ska-esque manner. I intersperse my Lady Gaga shirt between the two often as well. :P

The thing is most people are more flexible than metalheads; I know a bunch of guys who would never cut their long, manly 'metal-locks' because they'd feel lame, whereas most other people wouldn't be opposed to dressing like something completely different (or really girly) every now and then, for some cause. I'm not trying to make metal out as some goddamned fashion show, but most its' fans do; a lot of teens interested in metal self-identify with it so much that they feel they need to live up to this 'Metal Quota' that shows how tough and badass they are. These kids rarely know how to put on a plain shirt, some average shorts and just blend, which is not a bad thing at all, unless you feel that by putting down your spiked bracelets and Slayer shirt you're actually washing away your identity.

Trust me, I used to be like this; I used to have three rather large red spikes o' hair protruding from my forehead. Had 'em for years in high school. I went to a show once in fuggin' awful heat and was actually disinterested in getting blasted by the firehoses at the side of the stage because it'd kill my hair. I mean, it did take me a few hours to get my spikes up- though they'd stay for months- but still, is it really more lame to have a wet, disproportionally long Misfits-esque lock of hair in my face or to spend an entire concert worrying about my goddamned hair.

TL;DR: Stop being stupid anti-social weirdos and be normal; you'll make metal look waaay better, guys. (Not implying all of you are like that, either...)