The Music Industry can be so sickening

[Maximius]

Well I think that has been the way most ads try to appeal to you ever since ads were invented

 

Yes, but I wonder if its to the degree we see today. For one thing, theres simply a lot more advertising out there. And the kinds of claims seem different to me than what I watched and read growing up, less claims about the material benefits or characteristics of the product and more about how it will make you a super stud for buying it. This is all just my observations, nothing concrete here.

[Domarius]

Well if that's true, the sad part is this is probably due to some statistical analysis that has shown this technique actually works on the majority of people...

[Crispy]

Hey yeah you're from Australia too I just saw the same ad last night. I don't usually watch TV but I was at a friend's house. It's a cool ad though, plus I tend to ignore the product anyway. I remember "Cool ad with a guy as a toy, life shouldn't be pre packaged (ah I get it!) blah blah blah. Something about Virgin, whatever."

Yeah, I try to do that, but I think one often (not always) absorbs the name of the company partly-subconsciously anyway.

[Domarius]

Well the same thing happened to me I guess, see I remembered it was from Virgin. The punch line occours and then the logo appears, so it's emblazened into your subconsious if you were really waiting for the punch line.

[Ishtvan]

Btw, I just wanted to point out that the lyrics advice book in question was first written in 1989, then revised in 2001. The author is also 60 years old, so at the risk of being "age-ist", I'm going to go out on a limb and say she might not quite be "with" the current musical trends. Of course that's still no excuse for thinking unhappy lyrics don't sell well. I guess she never heard of the Blues, or countless songs throughout history about unobtainable love and stuff.

 

Still, be sure to check when things were written. You wouldn't want to build a laser death ray based on a book that refers to lasers as "optical masers."

[Crispy]

Still, be sure to check when things were written. You wouldn't want to build a laser death ray based on a book that refers to lasers as "optical masers."

Drat! That'll teach me to pick up books on world domination at the second-hand store.

[Domarius]

Today I picked up a book from the library (thank god I didn't purchase it). I've been looking for ways to both improve my song-writing and my lyricism. Now maybe I should shed some light on my musical influences including Robert Smith of the Cure, the Cocteau Twins, the Chameleons, Cranes, Siouxsie and the Banshees, etc. etc. Not exactly the happiest stuff, but I like things that are "real", statements from the heart, music as an expression of art.

 

Now this book is called "The Art of Writing Great Lyrics" by Pamela Phillips Oland and on the fourth page she goes through a checklist for whether or not you have lyrics.

 

Some excerpts:

What the hell is wrong with people? I thought the point of music was to be introspective and intimate. Hell I thought the purpose of art was to look inside ourselves and figure out what we're doing here and how we really feel. I thought it was supposed to be psychological and emotional, a dialog with the soul. I didn't know society was supposed to pretend that they were happy all the time and to never be introspective and share personal feelings with anyone. I guess we'll entirely disregard the punk, post-punk, goth, grunge, and shoe-gaze movements. They effectively didn't happen. So much for the "Art of Writing Great Lyrics" and more like "The Craft of the Con: A Guide to Manipulating the Consumer's Emotions."

 

Hell it's almost like last night reading the carton Wendy's fries come in: "We think you're special" printed across the front. To think that actually influences sales is sad, that people can be fed such bullshit.

 

I just showed my friend (who has been studying music for mass apeal in her course) this excerpt, and while she scoffed at it too, she said she's trying to get a valid point across but delivering it wrong.

 

The lyrics can be about whatever sad event in your life, but the words used should be generic enough that people can relate to those emotions.

[Macsen]

I must say I agree with the woman, I'm tired of this constant whingeing about how crap our lives are. Your lives aren't crap, and anyone who thinks so should be booted into a time machine to experience a sorry existance in any other century - or better yet have to leave the USA/Europe and see how hard it is for other people in comparison.

 

I'm not an USA lover, there's plenty wrong with the place BUT it's without a doubt the best evil empire we've had ruling over us in the history of man. Yes life there is unfair but it's unfair everywhere else too, stop complaining.

[OrbWeaver]

I must say I agree with the woman, I'm tired of this constant whingeing about how crap our lives are. Your lives aren't crap, and anyone who thinks so should be booted into a time machine to experience a sorry existance in any other century - or better yet have to leave the USA/Europe and see how hard it is for other people in comparison.

 

This argument is nonsense. For any problem that somebody experiences, there will be somebody else out there experiencing a worse one, but so what? We don't experience any lives except our own, so the fact that somebody else may be worse off does not make any difference whatsoever.

 

I agree that it is hard to find much sympathy for rich celebrities who complain about not making enough money or something, but dismissing all of the problems of everybody living in the West is just ridiculous.

 

Yes life there is unfair but it's unfair everywhere else too, stop complaining.

 

Why? Just because the world works a certain way doesn't mean that people have to shut up and like it. Maybe you prefer to live in a "bliss ninny" world where everybody says how wonderful everything is (even when it is not), but others prefer to recognise reality.

[Crispy]

@Macsen: Sure, I don't think anyone could objectively say that the lives of most Westerners are crap. But that's not the point. People still get depressed, and music can be cathartic in that regard. If you're always perfectly happy, great, good for you; don't listen to it. Nobody's forcing you to. I'm tired of this constant whinging about how crap "unhappy" music is...

 

(If anyone takes this opportunity to say something along the lines of "depressed people should just get over it", then by all that isn't holy I will slap you. See how you get over that, punk!!!)

[Macsen]

Just because the world works a certain way doesn't mean that people have to shut up and like it.

You don't have to 'like it' but whingeing on a message board isn't going to solve anything. You have to take action! When Gandhi was thrown off a train in South Africa did he log on to the Dark Mod forum and complain? No! If you're unhappy with the state of the world, you either need to change the world or change your place in it.

 

Why do you complain at all anyway, Mr Nihilist? If you were really a nihilist you'd be stoic and accept the world as it was because that's the only way it could ever be under the rules of cause and effect. Looks like you're trying to have it both ways. You don't want to have to take responsibility for your own actions but you want other people to take responsibility for theirs.

[Crispy]

You don't have to 'like it' but whingeing on a message board isn't going to solve anything. You have to take action! When Gandhi was thrown off a train in South Africa did he log on to the Dark Mod forum and complain? No! If you're unhappy with the state of the world, you either need to change the world or change your place in it.

I love this. You whinge on a message board, then someone responds to your whinge, and then you tell them to stop whingeing on a message board! Irony much?

 

Why do you complain at all anyway, Mr Nihilist? If you were really a nihilist you'd be stoic and accept the world as it was because that's the only way it could ever be under the rules of cause and effect. Looks like you're trying to have it both ways.

Oh, stop trolling.

[Springheel]

I'm tired of this constant whingeing

 

+

 

If you're unhappy with the state of the world, you either need to change the world or change your place in it.

 

= .....?

[Macsen]

I love this. You whinge on a message board, then someone responds to your whinge, and then you tell them to stop whingeing on a message board! Irony much?

But now you're whinging about me whinging!

 

You'd think the reference to Gandhi logging onto the Dark Mod forum should have made it obvious that I was ribbing.

 

I despair.

[Macsen]

+

= .....?

Yeeees, stop whingeing and take positive action. I see no contradiction there. If the masses spent half the time they use up complaining amongst themselves to campaign for change the world would be a better place (for them at least).

[OrbWeaver]

If the masses spent half the time they use up complaining amongst themselves to campaign for change the world would be a better place (for them at least).

 

And what is the necessary first step in bringing about change?

 

(HINT: It doesn't involve shutting up and accepting things as they are).

[Macsen]

And what is the necessary first step in bringing about change?

 

The first step is to sit down and realise you've got it pretty good and that the changes you'd like would probably make things worse. If after much soul searching you're still confident that you know what is best, join a likeminded protest group, form your own, or become a politician and try to change the system from the inside. Sitting and home grumbling to yourself won't do the trick.

[sparhawk]

You don't have to 'like it' but whingeing on a message board isn't going to solve anything. You have to take action! When Gandhi was thrown off a train in South Africa did he log on to the Dark Mod forum and complain? No!

 

Well, he would have signed on TDM to complain, if the messageboard had existed at that time. Unfortunately it didn't so we have to live with the consequences today.

[SneaksieDave]

I would only chime in to say: this was one person's opinion in one book. If you disagree with it, toss it and move on!

[Domarius]

It's sooo annoying though when that person writes their stuff as if it's fact, like they're so experienced, just because it's "in a book" now, when what they're saying is pretty crap - if it was something from my field of expertise I would have wanted to rant as well.

[Nyarlathotep]

Well, he would have signed on TDM to complain, if the messageboard had existed at that time. Unfortunately it didn't so we have to live with the consequences today.

He didn't have these forums, but he certainly did bitch about it--a lot. In fact, it was from people's responses about what he was saying that he finally got around to doing something about it.

[Vadrosaul]

He didn't have these forums, but he certainly did bitch about it--a lot. In fact, it was from people's responses about what he was saying that he finally got around to doing something about it.

Serious? His friends and colleagues actually got sick of his whining & complaining about the state of things and told him to act? Hehe I could imagine it being part of a dare

[sparhawk]

He didn't have these forums, but he certainly did bitch about it--a lot. In fact, it was from people's responses about what he was saying that he finally got around to doing something about it.

 

Oh, really? I didn't know that Ghandi already knew about TDM forums. Quite strange to think about what this guy already knew.

 

 

[Maximius]

I must say I agree with the woman, I'm tired of this constant whingeing about how crap our lives are. Your lives aren't crap, and anyone who thinks so should be booted into a time machine to experience a sorry existance in any other century - or better yet have to leave the USA/Europe and see how hard it is for other people in comparison.

 

I'm not an USA lover, there's plenty wrong with the place BUT it's without a doubt the best evil empire we've had ruling over us in the history of man. Yes life there is unfair but it's unfair everywhere else too, stop complaining.

 

Its not the best, its the worst. The most nuclear weapons, highest rates of militarism since who knows what, one of the highest polluters and still stalling on changing that, inhumane domestic and international policies, and I mean inhumane as in sponsoring murderers and rapists in S. America, hell all over the world, literally.

 

Its true conditions are worse elsewhere, but they are still bad here, and getting worse by the way. The shame is it could be much better here and then we could assist those who need help elsewhere but thats a pipe dream.

 

National infrastructure is collapsing here, every few weeks there is another disaster as a bridge falls or a big pipe bursts. Many schools are impoverished while a handful are bursting with resources, furthering gaps between socio-eco groups. Its a virtual police state as well, and the government is busy busy busy crushing civil liberties one environmentalist at a time. This place sucks man, take it from me. Except if you are wealthy, powerful, insulated from the mob, and then you are merely a useless eater.

 

This is not a diatribe against the US people, its against its leadership and the dominant political culture. People are people, although mine can be infinitely infuriating to me at times Im sure thats true of everyone. But don't pretend this US political monster thing is somehow wonderful. It spews death all over the place. I can show you the data if you like.

 

Yeeees, stop whingeing and take positive action. I see no contradiction there. If the masses spent half the time they use up complaining amongst themselves to campaign for change the world would be a better place (for them at least).

 

It could very well be that there is no action to be taken. I refuse, as many more liberally inclined activists I have known over here seem to think, to believe that you can always "just do something." Sometimes you can, and its probably important to try anyway for other reasons, but right now in this place there are several reasons I find compelling NOT to do something:

 

1. Im trying to move, to get out of this hellhole and still maintain my classwork. Although I plan on returning to teaching adults, a job I consider a form of activism, I will do nothing else because I have to move right now because I hear gunfire every few days from the neighborhood to my north, about three blocks away.

 

2. Getting involved in activism of almost any organized kind means getting your name onto databases all over the US accessed by the police, intelligence, who fucking knows. I'm probably on a few already for my past activist work. This is not paranoia, its solid fact, and I don't want to be on these lists if and when things get ugly. These lists are huge, the cops routinely break the laws concerning information collection, the courts rubber stamp their approval. Corporations push for aggressive laws that target activists and trouble makers proactively and un Constitutionally and they get their wishes.

 

3. Fighting these powers is getting harder and harder. Wal Mart has bazillions of dollars and so of course they have been spying/legally attacking their critics, and who knows what else. Courts routinely side with corporate power and when they don't, the corps just start pushing again immediately. Its a tough, wearying fight according to many I read who do this sort of work, and rewards are very thin. Add to this the general troubles being a US citizen brings and it activism seems like a harder item to sell.

 

Maybe Im wrong, I've heard others say things are not that bad in terms of generating political movements and such, but not from where Im standing. Time to bail this asylum.

[Macsen]

Well I'd tell you to move to England, but an 11 year old was shot in the face last night, so I can't really recommend it as a place to get away from gunfire...

 

I'm happy here in Wales at the moment, though I've considered moving to the Rep. of Ireland or New Zealand.

 

I must admit I'd never consider moving to America. I was in New York city for a few months and a man a few houses down was shot and killed during a barbeque and a house fell down at the other end of the street.