Ever get the feeling you've been cheated?
Jan. 28th, 2004 11:22 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
hirezThis television business (and by extension, the notion of 'fame' and people's curious reaction thereto.) is an odd one and no mistake. A set of bods roughing it mostly live on camera in Australia seems to have polarised opinion thusly:
a) Lydon! Hurrah! Sound fellow!
b) Lydon! Fucken sellout maan! Z-List-no-mark has-been!
Those taking the (b) option have me confused. When, precisely, did the chap 'sell out'? First paying gig? Signing to EMI? Appearing on 'So it goes'? Signing to the filthy hippies at Virgin? Appearing on Top of the pops? The US tour? The full-colour photograph in the Christmas Radio Times as 'Prince Disgusting'? PiL? Using a bunch of expensive sessioneers to record/tour 'Album'? Judge Judy? The talk-radio show? The VH1 (or was it MTV?) programmes?
I suspect the answer is "Your favourite artist 'sells out' when they do something you're not comfortable with."
And who the hell has enough of an ego to consider that someone who makes records you like shouldn't do anything to make you feel uncomfortable?
"But what about punk rock?"
What about it? The Stalinist idiots over at MRR bang on about that sort of thing. They get really stroppy if some band or other dares to rise above some arbitrary value of subsistence living and actually manages to eat regularly and buy fresh socks. For my sins, I know a few people in bands, and I want the buggers rolling in money. If only so I can ponce beer and backstage access... As was explained to me recently, the most important thing to remember is get paid. Words like 'integrity' are for those with private incomes or Journos who're on salary and doing the R&R-thing vicariously through whoever they've been told to hype this week.
Which reminds me: Punk was (among other things) about DIY. You don't buy rebellion from Camden Market or Hot Topic, you buy conformity. No matter how much money you wave, no-one else is going to do your rebelling, least of all some 40-something bloke in the jungle.
a) Lydon! Hurrah! Sound fellow!
b) Lydon! Fucken sellout maan! Z-List-no-mark has-been!
Those taking the (b) option have me confused. When, precisely, did the chap 'sell out'? First paying gig? Signing to EMI? Appearing on 'So it goes'? Signing to the filthy hippies at Virgin? Appearing on Top of the pops? The US tour? The full-colour photograph in the Christmas Radio Times as 'Prince Disgusting'? PiL? Using a bunch of expensive sessioneers to record/tour 'Album'? Judge Judy? The talk-radio show? The VH1 (or was it MTV?) programmes?
I suspect the answer is "Your favourite artist 'sells out' when they do something you're not comfortable with."
And who the hell has enough of an ego to consider that someone who makes records you like shouldn't do anything to make you feel uncomfortable?
"But what about punk rock?"
What about it? The Stalinist idiots over at MRR bang on about that sort of thing. They get really stroppy if some band or other dares to rise above some arbitrary value of subsistence living and actually manages to eat regularly and buy fresh socks. For my sins, I know a few people in bands, and I want the buggers rolling in money. If only so I can ponce beer and backstage access... As was explained to me recently, the most important thing to remember is get paid. Words like 'integrity' are for those with private incomes or Journos who're on salary and doing the R&R-thing vicariously through whoever they've been told to hype this week.
Which reminds me: Punk was (among other things) about DIY. You don't buy rebellion from Camden Market or Hot Topic, you buy conformity. No matter how much money you wave, no-one else is going to do your rebelling, least of all some 40-something bloke in the jungle.
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Confused?
Date: 2004-01-29 05:34 am (UTC)I'm sort of disappointed that someone who has (or at least had) a certain iconic status is happy to accept as his peers a group of yes "Z-list nobodies".
Totally agree with you on 'off the peg individuality' and 'rebelion on a box' though. But you knew that already.
Re: Confused? Don't you know who I am?
Date: 2004-01-29 06:50 am (UTC)Surely not mixing with people because they 'weren't famous enough' would be the true mark of the up-their-own-arse has-been?
(This is where I have my 'Won't be doing with hanging around stage doors, hoping to have my existance validated by some coke-addled twat of a rock-star' rant. I've (usually) paid my way in. I expect them to come to me and thank me for validating their dog-and-pony show.)
Re: Confused?
Date: 2004-01-29 09:42 am (UTC)Re: Confused?
Date: 2004-01-29 10:22 am (UTC)I can buy irony for a fiver down my local Blockbuster ... It's on Sale