Ok, hear me out for a second:
Don't you think it's strange that there are no real musical trends or movements this decade?
Each decade of the past century had distinct and recognizable styles, innovations and movements. I can't think of any significant development in music this decade. The 50's introduced rock n' roll, the 60's and early 70's explored the idea of what rock and roll could do in ways that are still breathtaking, the late 70's brought disco and punk. The 80's brought alternative/college rock and of course rap. The 90's brought grundge and rap's growth was dizzying. These were significant artistic movements. 7 years into this decade what do we have?
I don't know.
Ok, and if you stay with me and look at things in even broader terms an entirely NEW genre of music was developed almost every 20 years in the last century-and almost every time by black artists. Jazz was followed by blues, which was followed by rock n' roll, soul and funk, followed by dance/disco then rap. Granted a lot of these genres drew on aspects of the others, but they were significantly different. Rap is the last significant genre of music to be developed and it's almost 30 years old now. And it's getting stale, damnit. WTF? What went wrong?
"American Idol"
Ok, it's unfair to blame everything on American Idol. I know you watch it. EVERYBODY watches it-except me. And I'll tell you why I hate that show so much: it's backwards. And it's the exact OPPOSITE of what I think music -and art in general-should be about.
Ok, I'm not a musician. I never will be. But to me an artist (and I'm not afraid to use that word) expresses themselves through music. "American Idol" TELLS the performer what to do. In fact they have judges to critique a performer to tell them how to express themselves. What happened to originality? What happened to artists who would bend the zeitgeist of the times? What happened to making reality fit your artistic vision instead of the other way around? What happened to molds being shattered? People standing in front of Paula fucking Abdul and the guy who once managed the Spice Girls and asking if they have talent? WHAT? DID I slip into a coma or something? What's going on here?
I know that has always been a part of the music business. And I'm no music snob. You're talking to someone who owns all of Britney Spears AND the aforementioned Spice Girls CDs. I'm not saying the music business only has room for Bob Dylans. It has plenty of room for pop stuff too. But now American Idol IS the music business. The show is the biggest hit on TV in years. A regular episode of American Idol beat the grammys last year. MTV and VH1 don't play music anymore. Radio doesn't break new artists anymore. "American Idol" is the biggest thing going now. And from what I can see "American Idol" IS America now. Safe. Packaged. Predictable. Watered down music for a watered down age. I heard last year's winner on the radio this morning saying that he sang "soul" music and I drove my car into the Hudson River, swam to the bank and immediately called Otis Redding's widow to apologize on America's behalf. SOUL music? Are you kidding? Listen to 30 seconds of Wilson Pickett and then tell me that Taylor Hicks sings soul music.
But I'm not talking about talent of lack of talent. I'm sure there are a ton of talented people on the show. I'm not arguing that. But they're still competing to be judged, to be packaged. They don't want to be original artists, they want to be McDonalds. They want to be Wal Mart. And they're sold the same way. Cause that's what America is today. We're cheap, safe, disposable, and we do and and buy what we're told.
I know-"American Idol" isn't the problem. It's only a symptom. But it still bugs me.
Don't you think it's strange that there are no real musical trends or movements this decade?
Each decade of the past century had distinct and recognizable styles, innovations and movements. I can't think of any significant development in music this decade. The 50's introduced rock n' roll, the 60's and early 70's explored the idea of what rock and roll could do in ways that are still breathtaking, the late 70's brought disco and punk. The 80's brought alternative/college rock and of course rap. The 90's brought grundge and rap's growth was dizzying. These were significant artistic movements. 7 years into this decade what do we have?
I don't know.
Ok, and if you stay with me and look at things in even broader terms an entirely NEW genre of music was developed almost every 20 years in the last century-and almost every time by black artists. Jazz was followed by blues, which was followed by rock n' roll, soul and funk, followed by dance/disco then rap. Granted a lot of these genres drew on aspects of the others, but they were significantly different. Rap is the last significant genre of music to be developed and it's almost 30 years old now. And it's getting stale, damnit. WTF? What went wrong?
"American Idol"
Ok, it's unfair to blame everything on American Idol. I know you watch it. EVERYBODY watches it-except me. And I'll tell you why I hate that show so much: it's backwards. And it's the exact OPPOSITE of what I think music -and art in general-should be about.
Ok, I'm not a musician. I never will be. But to me an artist (and I'm not afraid to use that word) expresses themselves through music. "American Idol" TELLS the performer what to do. In fact they have judges to critique a performer to tell them how to express themselves. What happened to originality? What happened to artists who would bend the zeitgeist of the times? What happened to making reality fit your artistic vision instead of the other way around? What happened to molds being shattered? People standing in front of Paula fucking Abdul and the guy who once managed the Spice Girls and asking if they have talent? WHAT? DID I slip into a coma or something? What's going on here?
I know that has always been a part of the music business. And I'm no music snob. You're talking to someone who owns all of Britney Spears AND the aforementioned Spice Girls CDs. I'm not saying the music business only has room for Bob Dylans. It has plenty of room for pop stuff too. But now American Idol IS the music business. The show is the biggest hit on TV in years. A regular episode of American Idol beat the grammys last year. MTV and VH1 don't play music anymore. Radio doesn't break new artists anymore. "American Idol" is the biggest thing going now. And from what I can see "American Idol" IS America now. Safe. Packaged. Predictable. Watered down music for a watered down age. I heard last year's winner on the radio this morning saying that he sang "soul" music and I drove my car into the Hudson River, swam to the bank and immediately called Otis Redding's widow to apologize on America's behalf. SOUL music? Are you kidding? Listen to 30 seconds of Wilson Pickett and then tell me that Taylor Hicks sings soul music.
But I'm not talking about talent of lack of talent. I'm sure there are a ton of talented people on the show. I'm not arguing that. But they're still competing to be judged, to be packaged. They don't want to be original artists, they want to be McDonalds. They want to be Wal Mart. And they're sold the same way. Cause that's what America is today. We're cheap, safe, disposable, and we do and and buy what we're told.
I know-"American Idol" isn't the problem. It's only a symptom. But it still bugs me.
VIEW 17 of 17 COMMENTS
how expensive are the hotels you recomended?
im a broke ass betch!! HOPE TO SEE YOU THO!
ill give you my # soon