"What's the Diff?"- MPAA Brainwashes Jr. High Kids

[Roundabout]

I read a post on this forum that called musicians lazy. They are far from it. Please do not make sweeping generalizations.

Blame "Dire Straits" for the public perception that artists don't work. They're the ones that wrote "Money for Nothing, Chicks for Free..."

[mecg]

http://www.snopes.com/music/songs/birthday.htm
Tell me copyrights aren't rediculous. I have no propblem with one or two years - but 95 years is absurd.

[Tidy]

Well you can't take the word of one artist as law for all of them past present and future

[tgpo]

I read about this in WIRED. The guy there for the MPAA was talking with the kids. One boy as the kids were leaving said "I still don't see a problem with it, it's just like test driving a car before you buy." The guy said "Yeah, but what if I went to a Ferrari dealership and borrowed a car for a month." A little girl ssaid to the guy "That's fine because you're just borrowing it, you'll return it." The guy didn't have a response to her.

The problem is they are doing all they can to sell their ideas, but not changing their business practices. They are teaching one side of the story, why is no one there to be the oposing voice?

I say for every MPAA brainwash yuppie their should be a jeex in the classroom.

[jeex]

I say for every MPAA brainwash yuppie their should be a jeex in the classroom.

[raises hand]

mr. brainwasher,

when i download the cd's, usually arent i stealing FAR more from the record company than i am from the artist?

dont the majority of artists make their money from touring & merchandise?

the only reason you're pissed is because the record companies are the one's losing the money.. and then you price fix the cd, and get a slap on the wrist.. you ripped us off for billions! *******!

oh and by the way, i fingerbanged tgpo's sister last night. if you'd like to smell her, my fingers will be in the air the the next 2 minutes.

[VCDHunter]

oh and by the way, i fingerbanged tgpo's sister last night. if you'd like to smell her, my fingers will be in the air the the next 2 minutes.

I really don't know how you get away with this stuff but keep it up.

[gitreel]

thank you sir valenti, may I have another brainwashing you pathetic weak old weasely excuse for a human being? Now get outta here before I get the ninjas and the kung-fu people to kung-fu your sorry a**

[Rookie64]

Blame "Dire Straits" for the public perception that artists don't work. They're the ones that wrote "Money for Nothing, Chicks for Free..."

That was in the day where it didn't matter if you could carry a note or play...just as long as you had a look that would get you noticed or a sexy girl in your video
The birth of the MTV generation.

The song is really the viewpoint of the working class citizen...hence the bluecollar workers in the video watching MTV and commenting on how the grass looks greener on the other side. That they themselves have to work for pennies while these bands have it made...they get paid millions to play.


How 'bout this for irony -
In MTV's humble beginnings, they revolutionized the New Wave era being a national outlet for the alternative music scene.
At a time when the music industry was in a crises due to poor album sales (mainly due to inflation), the record companies were crying about audio cassette recorders and going around to universities and pleading with college students to buy their music or there would be no more music.
A year before MTV launched, John Cougar/Mellencamp released a rebellious album, entitled Nothin' Matters and What if It Did, which included a stab at the Recording Industry with the tune, Cheap Shot.
lyrics went...the record companies are goin' out of business...'cause they price their records too damned high

In '81, MTV gives heavy airplay to a then little known band, Bow Wow Wow, who just happen to be encouraging people to *steal* all their music - in the classic, C30-C60-C90 Go
Annabella Lwin (the punky but chic oversexed teen - you could say she was the Britney Spears of her day) singing about how she doesn't buy her favorite records...she tapes them all off the radio...and how much cooler it is.
It used to break my heart when I went in your shop and you told me my records were out of stock....so now I don't buy records in your shop...I tape them all...'cause I'm top of the pops...yeah!
If you're not rich enough to have a record collection...I'll bring my bazooka (boombox) 'round for discretion.

Though it was a novelty...the song caught on with the hip crowd, and soon enough MTV became a giant marketing tool.
Everyone in the industry wanted in on it - they knew the power it held and it turned things around for the record companies - they suddenly were making more money than they had ever made before.
All the crying over poor record sales suddenly stopped...and every recording artist was all of the sudden making music videos to promote their new record.

Another funny thing, was that MTV regularly ran spots for their channel and telling their audiences to record their favorite videos (with their VCRs) and trade them with your friends

Bet you won't see those aired anymore

[Roundabout]

That was in the day where it didn't matter if you could carry a note or play...just as long as you had a look that would get you noticed or a sexy girl in your video

Isn't that pretty much the same story today? I haven't seen anything on MTV2 (the one that still plays videos) that resembles musicians that can play. It's all about rap or teeny-rock (Spears, et al). At least some of the bands back then could play. Nowadays it's all whoever can be hyped the most - instant stardom a la "American Idol".

A year before MTV launched, John Cougar/Mellencamp released a rebellious album, entitled Nothin' Matters and What if It Did, which included a stab at the Recording Industry with the tune, Cheap Shot.
lyrics went...the record companies are goin' out of business...'cause they price their records too damned high

I remember that album, a great one. And didn't Springsteen sometimes encourage the people at his concerts to "Get the tapes rolling, this is gonna be a good one!" IIRC. Don't know if that happens anymore.

Another funny thing, was that MTV regularly ran spots for their channel and telling their audiences to record their favorite videos (with their VCRs) and trade them with your friends

Bet you won't see those aired anymore

How the world has changed in barely 20 years... now you're considered a criminal if you do that. Of course, by now, I've tuned all this out. I haven't bought a CD in years (nothing worth buying, IMHO) and just listen to the ones I have. Not likely I'll be buying more the rest of my life. At least I can still listen to what I like by popping a CD in the player and going back in time. Whatever the outcome of all the lawsuits, threats, P2P, etc. it won't matter to me. I have what I need and want. I hope all the record companies go out of business and become the dinosaurs they already are.