Almost anyone that writes anything this time of year spends their column inches telling the world that for which they’re most thankful. I have no problem with these columns, in fact I spend a lot of my time telling you why I’m thankful, what I’m thankful for, etc. so instead of going with the flow I’ve decided to spend a little bit of time commenting on some of the worlds ills. In some cases you’re just going to get my insight, which really is worth the price of admission alone. In other cases I may have the solution to the problems that have been hexing the world. Without further chatter then, here are some of my observations from the last few weeks on both the issues that matter and those completely meaningless.
The Rock N Roll Hall Of Fame-It’s that time of the year again, time for the Hall of Fame to nominate bands into its hallowed halls. Each year it seems the process means less and less. As the Hall continues to ignore acts that Jann Wenner doesn’t deem acceptable and fights the fights to right the wrongs he perceives in the history of music the idea of a rock n roll hall of fame becomes a larger sham with every passing cycle. As long as acts as vitally important to the genre as Deep Purple, Kiss, Rush and Journey are snubbed; as long as acts as marginally important to rock (not pop, rock) as Madonna and Grand Master Flash; as long as acts that have no business in the hall such as Erik B and Rakim are nominated while these acts and others who have played a far, far larger role in the development of rock are passed over the hall means nothing more than a nice dinner and a sometimes a good made for TV concert. The hall is a nice museum, until it changes its processes that’s all it will ever be. Hear me Wenner,I’m calling you out, what are you going to do about it?
Penn State-What a horrible, horrible mess. Full disclosure on a couple of issues here, I live in Pittsburgh so have been inundated with news about this awful situation, I work for a radio station that broadcasts Penn State football so I’m even more inundated with the situation and I hate football so I’m not enamored or in awe of any of the principles in the situation. Of course Paterno should have been fired. Any CEO of any corporation that was in charge when something like this went down would be fired, Paterno is no different. Not being a football fan I have no sense of history with this guy, he’s just an old man that screwed up, choose money over morality and is paying the price. Rich guys like Franco Harris should just shut up (that guys for our Mayor too who isn’t old enough to have his opinion count). And as for the Penn State students, come on, what the hell’s the matter with you?! Obviously showing why you got into a state school right (that’s a joke don’t send angry e-mails.) Here’s a general rule, if a guy covers up or ignores someone under him serially raping children you don’t get to riot about his removal. Oh yeah, one more general rule, rioting doesn’t show support or an opinion, it only proves you’re a moron. I’ve said for years college football should cease to exist. Make a minor league system, remove the money and power from these institutions and let the colleges concentrate on what they should, the education of those who are paying for it.
NBA-As little as I know about football and college football, I know even less about basketball. Luckily, I live in Pittsburgh and you’ll have to trust me if you don’t live here, there isn’t one professional basketball fan. I kid you not, we could care less about the sport, have never supported it and I doubt we ever will. Soccer gets as much attention as basketball and curling is probably a bigger draw during the winter Olympics than basketball. That being said, as an outsider here’s my advice—stop it. Your almost billionaires playing a ridiculous game, making far more than other sports for doing far less with much less of an education than anyone else making the type of money you do. No one cares. Really, no one. You make far too much money, we aren’t sympathetic. Shut up and start playing your silly game again.
U.S. Politics-How the hell have we gotten to this point? Oh yeah, I remember, the same way we got into the mess we’re in with Penn State, money. Money has to be removed from politics and you do that by cutting off the lobbyists. We’re in deep shit right now and it’s all because lobbyists have convinced politicians not to cut their special program. Want to fix the deficit, get us out of debt? Raise taxes on the rich and cut special programs. It’s simple, make more than a million dollars, guess what, you’re rich, now pay more taxes; want to fund your museum that only 25 people visit a year, guess what you’re a special program and now you’re cut. It’s simple. Here’s a few other nuggets, Occupy Wall Street get your head out of your ass, you have no platform, no goals and no set of principles. You look and are acting like whiney babies. Republicans, your nominees are awful and can’t win, not that we were going to vote for you anyway. Tea Paty, you’re still awful. OK, I think that’s enough about politics for now.
OK, I could go on but it’s a holiday week and I have shopping to get done. These are only a few issues and I haven’t really spent a lot of time on any of them. I’m sure we’ll touch them again. Have a happy Thanksgiving everyone.
8 comments
blerd says:
Nov 23, 2011
Re: Rock & Roll Hall of Fame-I’ve said this so many times I almost considered not even commenting on it. You quite obviously subscribe to the notion of rock ‘n roll as guys flailing around on stage with guitars-which is not the spirit I think the founders of the Rock ‘n Roll Hall had when they dreamed it up. “rock ‘n roll” is used as an umbrella term for all popular music post-mid Fifties. By your definition, Madonna and Grandmaster Flash are not “rock”. Fine. Then, also by your definition-half of the people in the Hall of Fame shouldn’t be in there because they’re not “rock”. Is Miles Davis rock? Is Michael Jackson rock? Are the Bee Gees rock? Hell, is Simon and Garfunkel rock? Is Bob Marley rock? No, but I guarantee you that if a place like the HOF existed and those people weren’t in it, it would lose a shit-ton of credibility. I’m not saying you’re sexist or racist, but it seems as though your concept of what “rock” is comes from a sexist and racist place. Furthermore, it’s their Hall of Fame. They get to make their rules.
The Penn State situation is just fucked up all around. I often wonder if I will ever be in a situation where I’ll have to decide whether to compromise my principals and morals for money. I don’t think I ever will. My soul is more important than money is. Unfortunately, more people don’t think that way.
Spot on as far as the NBA. Particularly in these tough economic times, whiny, rich men arguing about money isn’t something that’s going to engender fan loyalty. As big a basketball fan as I am, I’m going to feel slightly sick about watching it in the future knowing that these guys were not only whiny pussies but that they inconvenienced people who actually need the money, from trainers to people who work at the venues.
I’m conflicted about the whole Occupy movement. I feel like a lot of protestors have their hearts in the right place, but it also doesn’t seem like there’s a specific purpose to the movement. I’m also getting a kick about middle class white liberal America getting up in arms about police brutality because it’s FINALLY HAPPENING TO THEM. Now they have a teeny little taste of what some minorities go through every fucking day, and not for protesting, but just for existing.
Quite honestly, I think we’ve reached a point of no return socially and politically. Either some phenomenally radical shit has to happen or we’re all going down the pisser. We have to realize that no politician out there gives a flying fuck about the common man, regardless of whether we elected him or her to office or not.
blerd says:
Nov 23, 2011
One more thing about the HOF. Rakim is (rightly) regarded as the best rapper of all time. If you’re going to include hip-hop artists in the rock ‘n roll hall of fame (which you should), then there’s no question that he should be in. While Eric B & Rakim didn’t sell a ton of records, they made four damn good albums, and Rakim has had a lasting influence over the genre in the 20 years since. That’s good enough for me-although I also say LL Cool J, Public Enemy and probably The Beastie Boys should (and most likely will) get in before him.
Dave says:
Nov 23, 2011
So, as to the HOF–I do indeed have a very specific idea of what rock is, in fact it’s an opinion shared by many radio DJ’s, record company employees, etc. In fact, it seems like only those that aren’t “rock” fans agree with. Rock has certain conotations and specific traits. I love Miles Davis, have almost everything the guy ever did and like his electric period more than his bop period, he shouldn’t be in the rock n roll hall of fame. Nor should Michael Jackson, Madonna or Grandmaster Flash. Rock changes, but it still has to be considered rock. Hip hop is hip hop. Pop is pop. You want a hall of fame for that, fine. It ain’t rock. Much the way modern art isn’t impressionism, rap isn’t rock. And, while MJ, Madonna or GMF might one day belong in the hall of fame if the genre is continually diluted and changed, they shouldn’t be in their before all of the trailblazers who created rock. Every single artist from the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s should be in the hall of fame before anyone from the 80’s. That’s just my opinion but it’s an opinion I’m hearing more and more and more.
Dave says:
Nov 23, 2011
Oh yeah, and it doesn’t come from a racist or sexist place. I have no problem with Heart, Jimi Hendrix or any of the blues artists from as far back as the 20’s being in the hall–they contributed to what rock is. Hip hop though isn’t rock, whether it’s the Beastie Boys or Luscious Jackson, hell I don’t care if it’s the woman that rapped the Real Roxanne, it isn’t rock. The Supremes deserve in, Lady GaGa doesn’t. It isn’t sexist or racist to say, using the specific traits and elements of rock, you aren’t rock. Prince should be in the hall of fame, Eminem should never be in the hall of fame.
blerd says:
Nov 23, 2011
You sort of missed my point. It isn’t the rock music hall of fame. It’s the rock and roll hall of fame. There’s a difference. If you want a “rock music” hall of fame, that’s fine. But this ain’t it, and I’d be willing to bet lots of money that it’s not what the founders of the RNRHOF had in mind when they created this institution. Because there are people who can argue this point much better than I can, I’ll point to the wikipedia definition of “rock and roll”, which is much different than the definition of “rock music.”: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_and_roll
By your (narrow) definition of what rock ‘n roll is, the man widely acknowledged as the “King of Rock ‘n Roll”, Elvis Presley, wouldn’t make music that qualifies for the HOF. Elvis might not be what’s now considered to be rock music, but he sure as shit is rock ‘n roll. And so are Chuck Berry, Little Richard and Buddy Holly. So’s Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Chicago, Hall & Oates, Steely Dan, Madonna, The Beastie Boys and Eric B. & Rakim.
And even if we’re looking at the “modern” definition of what “rock” is, to say hip-hop wasn’t a contributor to the sound of current rock is a joke. I’m sure Linkin Park, Korn, every “nu-metal” artist of the past decade, Nine Inch Nails and many others would disagree with you. So by the same methods that blues artists contributed to the sound of rock ‘n roll in the past, hip-hop artists have contributed to the sound of rock ‘n roll in the present.
Dave says:
Nov 23, 2011
No, I didn’t miss your point. They called it rock n roll for a reason. They could have called it the pop music or the music hall of fame but they didn’t. They called it rock n roll. That means something, or it should. Elvis sure as hell would be in the hall under my definition but the Beasties and Eric B wouldn’t. Nu metal won’t be in the hall because it sucks. I’ll tell you what, hip hop should be int he rock hall of fame when Nine Inch Nails wins a grammy for best hip hop album. What? They use drum machines are rhythmic, use synthesizers. Oh, you have a problem with that but rock’s just supposed to have any form of music shoved into it.
blerd says:
Nov 23, 2011
Yep, you missed my point. Any other thing I’d have to say at this point would just be contributing to a circular argument, so I’ll leave you to your opinion.
Dave says:
Nov 23, 2011
Much like whether San Francisco means whale’s vagina or not I guess we’ll have to agree to disagree. I don’t think I can be convinced though that until every act of merit from the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s is inducted and all of the true rock acts are recognized that pop, hip hop, jazz, etc should not be in the hall. Just my opinion.