vinylgirl's Diaryland Diary ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- broken social snobs I feel obliged to comment on this since I am an ardent fan of Canadian music. Kevin Drew of the band said this: "I feel really sorry for those kids in Canadian Idol because they're going absolutely nowhere. It's a trick.... It's a Canadian music industry downfall because in three years no one is going to remember them." My initial reaction was disgust with Drew. Indie rock kids are always accused of having a sense of elitism or snobbery and for me this remark solidified and confirmed that. The music industry is tremendously large, even in Canada, and there is enough room for everyone. Despite the sort of artistry Drew would like to see dominate Canadian music, there will always be an influx of radio-friendly pop music around to satisfy the hunger of the public. It is the same way with TV and most other forms of mass media. Unfortunately the recording industry is a business looking to make money and making money means mass appeal and mass appeal, right now, means pop stars groomed within an inch of their life. Now that doesn't mean I think it is good or even right, but that is the way it is. So in that sense Drew proved nothing except that indie snobbery is alive and well. I guess upon further reflection and upon hearing Drew explain his comments further on the CBC Radio 3 Podcast (check it out if you heart Canadian indie rock), I felt a sense of truth in his words. It seems we are locked in this incessently hedonist culture where we seek immediate gratification and nothing else. People don't want to think when they go to the movies/read the newspaper/watch the news/listen to music; people want to be entertained and entertained at a base level in the form of endorphin release. We live in a troubled world where people die all the time (every second and minute in fact) where suffering is so great and we face so many challenges that when people are at home enjoying lesiure time they want to relax without thinking about our complicated planet. But should we really just feed our most base instinct? What about striving for something greater like Dylan did? Isn't it important for us humans to be challenged and to feel uncomfortable sometimes? Can't we translate that discomfort into some form of action however small in order to try and rectify the situation? It is the same debate going on about network news in the U.S with the hiring of Katie Couric as the anchor for CBS news. Critics say Couric is not a real journalist, but instead a morning show host who covered light-hearted fluff pieces. Perhaps they are right. But even so, if that is what the public wants to see that is what the news should cater to. No ratings, no money, no news. On the other hand, The Daily Show and The Colbert Report are intensely popular shows, which despite their comedic antics take a serious look at the issues of the day. Maybe people are hungry for real news again. Maybe it is just the journalist in me, but I felt vindicated after seeing Goodnight and Good Luck. It too was fairly popular and found critical acclaim. I suppose I am just hoping when we are all finished scarfing down the cheesecake that is our hedonist culture we will hunger for something more subtle and more wholesome like cereal. Perhaps instead of counting our calories so much we should be paying more attention to the fattening of our minds with all the junk in our culture. xo Allison 10:21 p.m. - 04/10/2006 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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