It's a full time job listening to the show.
I mean it's 2 A.M. and I'm sitting in front of Felice's house unable to turn the radio off. Howard's interviewing the nerds, Robert Carradine and Curtis Armstrong, and it's so damn real, so much the essence of life, that I figure if it doesn't end soon, I'm gonna wear down my brand new battery.
What did Gary say one day? About people giving him shit for digging so deep into Springsteen? That he was worth it? Yup, Howard's worth it.
And it's important you pay attention, because he's breaking all the rules.
In music, being young and beautiful is a badge of honor and oldsters get no traction and give up or write horribly boring music that even their fans can't stand. But Howard's pushing sixty and he's better than ever.
Let me put it this way...
Either you're a Stern fan or you're gonna be one, you just don't know it yet.
Howard's an Internet act even though he's doing his show on the radio. You know why? He keeps on doing it. Day after day. He doesn't harass you to listen to his great interviews of yore, he just keeps making more. And when you first become a fan you can't believe all the callers who know all the characters, all the history, and suddenly you do too.
This is how you do it. You're determined and you don't give up.
Sure, Howard's a tireless self-promoter. And I'm not even sure it's working for him anymore. So, he's a judge on AGT, even his fans know that show sucks and is not a good vehicle for his talent, no matter how much he talks about it. But this is a guy who worked on his craft, perfected it in Hartford when the other deejays were partying. Who got fired again and again but believed in his act and didn't kiss the butts of the programmers who were telling him he was doing it all wrong.
The programmers don't know. The label doesn't know. Only the artist knows.
Are you an artist?
Probably not.
You're not honing your chops and testing limits. You're just eager to get on the gravy train and become rich and famous, you don't care if it's for music, a fashion line or just showing up at the club. That's not an artist.
Then again, everybody's got art in their life. And it's this that Howard tries to extract. How did the porn star get here? What was it like to be the son of John Carradine and discover in your teens that your mom is not your real mom?
Or who is the hottest actress Kevin Bacon ever performed with?
Oh, of course that's base.
But that's what we all think about.
The late night TV talk shows are fading because instead of testing limits, they're circling the wagons, being nice promotional vehicles for movies most of us don't care about. Except for Jimmy Fallon, give him credit for trying something new.
Whereas with Stern, the promotion is less than ten percent.
The rest is story.
That's what Stern knows best. Story. Arc. The essence of all great art, whether it be a book, record or movie. How did the celebrity get from there to here? And the cast of characters... I know them all, and their peccadilloes, because I've been listening so long.
Howard Stern built Sirius.
It will survive without him.
But I might not.
If Howard Stern retires, there'll be a great big hole in my life. It'll be like my best friend moving away before the cell phone era, when long distance calls were still expensive and my parents wouldn't let me make any.
Ignore the haters. Get Sirius. Join the club.
IT'S WORTH IT!
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Saturday 19 January 2013
Friday 18 January 2013
Rhinofy-The Harder They Come
Reggae music was supposed to take over the world.
At least that's what "Time" magazine said. The hype was everywhere. And we didn't even know how to pronounce it! Most people thought it was said the same as the name of that rich kid in the Archie comics, REGGIE music! Like Reggie Jackson.
But Reggie Jackson didn't peak until the late seventies, didn't enter the national consciousness until he played for the Yankees. Around the same time that Bob Marley put out his initial live album and people were mesmerized...
ONE GOOD THING ABOUT MUSIC, WHEN IT HITS YOU FEEL NO PAIN!
Hell, I'm gonna put the famous London '75 live version of "Trenchtown Rock" at the head of this playlist... It wasn't released on wax in the U.S. until the fall of '76, but when you dropped the needle on this initial cut, you immediately got the power of reggae, you were closed.
Actually, that happened almost half a decade earlier, with Johnny Nash's "I Can See Clearly Now," the "Graceland" of reggae cuts. Yes, Johnny Nash was an American with previous hits who synthesized the Jamaican sound and had a monster smash in '72. One of the greatest reggae songs of all time, it's pooh-poohed by the cognoscenti, but "I Can See Clearly Now" is pure perfection, put it on and you will truly believe it's gonna be a bright, bright, sunshiney day.
And months later, "The Harder They Come" was released in theatres in the U.S. and promptly did...nothing.
Then it was shifted to midnight shows and it slowly gained traction, in Boston it played for years! And if you haven't seen it, you must. To hear Ivan/Jimmy Cliff say DON'T **** WITH ME! as he brandishes a knife.
And sure, in retrospect it's a genre picture. But it captured Jamaica before it became America's spliff haven, when it was still raw and new to most people.
And it had the most fabulous soundtrack.
Yup, "Catch A Fire" came out in '73 too, but the first Island Bob Marley album got a lot of press and had very few sales. We were all listening to Jimmy Cliff. We're still listening to Jimmy Cliff. Because of those exquisite numbers on "The Harder They Come" soundtrack.
Oh, it wasn't only Jimmy...
Toots and the Maytals are still touring on "Pressure Drop." Be sure to listen to Robert Palmer's cover, as well as the Selecter's, but this is the definitive take.
And the Melodians never broke in the U.S., but you'd be hard-pressed to find a baby boomer who does not know "Rivers Of Babylon"...
"By the rivers of Babylon
Where he sat down
And there he wept
When he remembered Zion..."
There was even a Desmond Dekker track, "007 Shantytown," which was excellent, but no match for his 1968 hit "Israelites," which burned up the airwaves in the U.S.
But the most memorable cuts on the soundtrack were by Jimmy Cliff. Starting with the opener, "You Can Get It If You Really Want."
Better than any self-help book, play this cut and you truly believe you can not only conquer demons, but climb unscalable walls and triumph. You hear that opening brass note and you're immediately ADRENALIZED!
Then, of course, there's the title track.
"So as sure as the sun will shine
I'm gonna get my share now, what's mine
And then the harder they come
The harder they fall
One and all"
It's the gansta rap ethos decades before, sung by someone who played a true gangster in the movie.
But as great as those two Jimmy Cliff songs are, they're still not in the league of "Many Rivers To Cross." A veritable spiritual, the track makes you think about everything that's gone down and that which is still yet to come. The lyrics are great, but the feel is what makes the track. When they cut this they must have known they had a smash. Certain tracks just have that something extra.
But it's not my favorite cut on the album.
That's "Sitting In Limbo."
There's that groove, you can't help but close your eyes and twist your head up and down and back and forth in time.
That's what life is about, sitting in limbo.
Being alone.
It occupies all that time in between interactions. When you're in your own mind, wondering what's going to transpire.
If you haven't sat on the curb and had this song go through your brain, you've never heard it.
"I can't say what life will show me
But I know what I've seen
I can't say where life will lead me
But I know where I've been
Tried my hand at love and friendship
But all that is past and gone
This little boy is moving on"
Ain't that the truth. The past is known and the future's yet to be discovered. It's both scary and the nature of life, you've got to put one foot in front of the other.
Which Jimmy Cliff did. To Africa. To Islam. To near-irrelevance.
While Jimmy Cliff confounded and disappointed audiences, Bob Marley snuck in and stole everybody's heart.
Yet, Marley's no longer with us.
And Jimmy Cliff still is.
He played the main stage at Coachella last year to almost nobody, but if you saw him you were mesmerized, he's as great as he's ever been.
Either you know what I'm talking about or you don't.
If you don't, play these songs, see this movie, catch a glimpse of reggae in its formative phase, when it was all about the music and we were discovering it for the very first time.
Spotify link: http://spoti.fi/p6HcZ8
Previous Rhinofy playlists: http://www.rhinofy.com/lefsetz
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At least that's what "Time" magazine said. The hype was everywhere. And we didn't even know how to pronounce it! Most people thought it was said the same as the name of that rich kid in the Archie comics, REGGIE music! Like Reggie Jackson.
But Reggie Jackson didn't peak until the late seventies, didn't enter the national consciousness until he played for the Yankees. Around the same time that Bob Marley put out his initial live album and people were mesmerized...
ONE GOOD THING ABOUT MUSIC, WHEN IT HITS YOU FEEL NO PAIN!
Hell, I'm gonna put the famous London '75 live version of "Trenchtown Rock" at the head of this playlist... It wasn't released on wax in the U.S. until the fall of '76, but when you dropped the needle on this initial cut, you immediately got the power of reggae, you were closed.
Actually, that happened almost half a decade earlier, with Johnny Nash's "I Can See Clearly Now," the "Graceland" of reggae cuts. Yes, Johnny Nash was an American with previous hits who synthesized the Jamaican sound and had a monster smash in '72. One of the greatest reggae songs of all time, it's pooh-poohed by the cognoscenti, but "I Can See Clearly Now" is pure perfection, put it on and you will truly believe it's gonna be a bright, bright, sunshiney day.
And months later, "The Harder They Come" was released in theatres in the U.S. and promptly did...nothing.
Then it was shifted to midnight shows and it slowly gained traction, in Boston it played for years! And if you haven't seen it, you must. To hear Ivan/Jimmy Cliff say DON'T **** WITH ME! as he brandishes a knife.
And sure, in retrospect it's a genre picture. But it captured Jamaica before it became America's spliff haven, when it was still raw and new to most people.
And it had the most fabulous soundtrack.
Yup, "Catch A Fire" came out in '73 too, but the first Island Bob Marley album got a lot of press and had very few sales. We were all listening to Jimmy Cliff. We're still listening to Jimmy Cliff. Because of those exquisite numbers on "The Harder They Come" soundtrack.
Oh, it wasn't only Jimmy...
Toots and the Maytals are still touring on "Pressure Drop." Be sure to listen to Robert Palmer's cover, as well as the Selecter's, but this is the definitive take.
And the Melodians never broke in the U.S., but you'd be hard-pressed to find a baby boomer who does not know "Rivers Of Babylon"...
"By the rivers of Babylon
Where he sat down
And there he wept
When he remembered Zion..."
There was even a Desmond Dekker track, "007 Shantytown," which was excellent, but no match for his 1968 hit "Israelites," which burned up the airwaves in the U.S.
But the most memorable cuts on the soundtrack were by Jimmy Cliff. Starting with the opener, "You Can Get It If You Really Want."
Better than any self-help book, play this cut and you truly believe you can not only conquer demons, but climb unscalable walls and triumph. You hear that opening brass note and you're immediately ADRENALIZED!
Then, of course, there's the title track.
"So as sure as the sun will shine
I'm gonna get my share now, what's mine
And then the harder they come
The harder they fall
One and all"
It's the gansta rap ethos decades before, sung by someone who played a true gangster in the movie.
But as great as those two Jimmy Cliff songs are, they're still not in the league of "Many Rivers To Cross." A veritable spiritual, the track makes you think about everything that's gone down and that which is still yet to come. The lyrics are great, but the feel is what makes the track. When they cut this they must have known they had a smash. Certain tracks just have that something extra.
But it's not my favorite cut on the album.
That's "Sitting In Limbo."
There's that groove, you can't help but close your eyes and twist your head up and down and back and forth in time.
That's what life is about, sitting in limbo.
Being alone.
It occupies all that time in between interactions. When you're in your own mind, wondering what's going to transpire.
If you haven't sat on the curb and had this song go through your brain, you've never heard it.
"I can't say what life will show me
But I know what I've seen
I can't say where life will lead me
But I know where I've been
Tried my hand at love and friendship
But all that is past and gone
This little boy is moving on"
Ain't that the truth. The past is known and the future's yet to be discovered. It's both scary and the nature of life, you've got to put one foot in front of the other.
Which Jimmy Cliff did. To Africa. To Islam. To near-irrelevance.
While Jimmy Cliff confounded and disappointed audiences, Bob Marley snuck in and stole everybody's heart.
Yet, Marley's no longer with us.
And Jimmy Cliff still is.
He played the main stage at Coachella last year to almost nobody, but if you saw him you were mesmerized, he's as great as he's ever been.
Either you know what I'm talking about or you don't.
If you don't, play these songs, see this movie, catch a glimpse of reggae in its formative phase, when it was all about the music and we were discovering it for the very first time.
Spotify link: http://spoti.fi/p6HcZ8
Previous Rhinofy playlists: http://www.rhinofy.com/lefsetz
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Thursday 17 January 2013
A Winter Day In L.A.
I don't go anywhere anymore. You can't. Traffic is just that bad. I'm not sure what endgame is, whether everybody wakes up and moves from L.A. or just those most frustrated are replaced by lemmings eager to partake in the phenomenal weather and the entertainment business.
Yes, we had record cold the past few days. I even saw ice by Felice's house, and that's a first.
But today is something different. It's 73 in Beverly Hills! Actually, I'm in Century City, at the Apple Store, but that's what the app says. You see I'm killing time on my way back from Hollywood.
I haven't been to Hollywood during the day…in a decade? And driving to Center Studios I was reminded why. Sure, there were drivers on their cell phones slowing my progress, but there were just too many cars for La Brea. Too many people wasting time they'll never get back trying to get to their destination.
And when you go that slow it's fascinating. You see what once was. That restaurant with the outdoor patio you frequented in the eighties, which now has a fresh coat of paint and a different name, but looks just the same.
And I was a bit frustrated. You see there was a delay. This taping was supposed to happen an hour earlier. I'd lost my edge.
Then I entered the lot.
I forgot. The power, the vibe of movie-making.
Oh, I know, you can do it at home now, on your laptop, but suddenly I was reminded that Hollywood is still the center of the film universe and some people are doing it the same way they always have.
Looking for my building I was confronted by tin-men. And damsels from the Middle Ages. I would have asked them what picture they were in, but I've learned that's uncool. Nothing's more important that being a member of the club, refraining from asking inappropriate questions.
And everybody was so busy, the twenty and thirty somethings focused on getting somewhere. You see it's a young person's game. Get old enough and you're either famous or you give up. Because it's too hard to make it.
And when I finally found the location they were interviewing a young bearded chap in a cap. Unrecognizable to me.
Until he emerged and I realized it was Jack Osbourne. The e-mail had said Jack OSBORNE'S office. Rang a distant bell, but I didn't think it was Ozzy's progeny.
And Jack's oh-so-nice. We discuss his health and the old family homestead in Malibu that's now inhabited by Dr. Luke.
And when I'm done with my business I emerge and continue to be mesmerized by the sights. Women not dressed for the office, but for work where they might get grubby. The latte stand. The food truck. A whole world behind the walls.
And it's definitely winter light, but it's got the feel of being…the same as it ever was. Like "Day Of The Locust." The dream factory in action.
And rather than battling freeway traffic I decide to take Santa Monica Boulevard back to the westside, it's a straight shot.
And I pass that grey French/New Orleans restaurant that I used to drive by constantly, but never went in.
There's the Gardens Of Taxco!
Whole Foods took over the coffee shop, but they kept the sixties facade at Fairfax.
And Los Tacos… Where I used to eat burritos with Freddy and Demi Moore!
And pulled up alongside is three teenagers in a red Mustang convertible, with the top pulled down, basking in the sun.
And with a shiteating grin on my face I realize this is where I'm supposed to be, and I'll never leave.
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Yes, we had record cold the past few days. I even saw ice by Felice's house, and that's a first.
But today is something different. It's 73 in Beverly Hills! Actually, I'm in Century City, at the Apple Store, but that's what the app says. You see I'm killing time on my way back from Hollywood.
I haven't been to Hollywood during the day…in a decade? And driving to Center Studios I was reminded why. Sure, there were drivers on their cell phones slowing my progress, but there were just too many cars for La Brea. Too many people wasting time they'll never get back trying to get to their destination.
And when you go that slow it's fascinating. You see what once was. That restaurant with the outdoor patio you frequented in the eighties, which now has a fresh coat of paint and a different name, but looks just the same.
And I was a bit frustrated. You see there was a delay. This taping was supposed to happen an hour earlier. I'd lost my edge.
Then I entered the lot.
I forgot. The power, the vibe of movie-making.
Oh, I know, you can do it at home now, on your laptop, but suddenly I was reminded that Hollywood is still the center of the film universe and some people are doing it the same way they always have.
Looking for my building I was confronted by tin-men. And damsels from the Middle Ages. I would have asked them what picture they were in, but I've learned that's uncool. Nothing's more important that being a member of the club, refraining from asking inappropriate questions.
And everybody was so busy, the twenty and thirty somethings focused on getting somewhere. You see it's a young person's game. Get old enough and you're either famous or you give up. Because it's too hard to make it.
And when I finally found the location they were interviewing a young bearded chap in a cap. Unrecognizable to me.
Until he emerged and I realized it was Jack Osbourne. The e-mail had said Jack OSBORNE'S office. Rang a distant bell, but I didn't think it was Ozzy's progeny.
And Jack's oh-so-nice. We discuss his health and the old family homestead in Malibu that's now inhabited by Dr. Luke.
And when I'm done with my business I emerge and continue to be mesmerized by the sights. Women not dressed for the office, but for work where they might get grubby. The latte stand. The food truck. A whole world behind the walls.
And it's definitely winter light, but it's got the feel of being…the same as it ever was. Like "Day Of The Locust." The dream factory in action.
And rather than battling freeway traffic I decide to take Santa Monica Boulevard back to the westside, it's a straight shot.
And I pass that grey French/New Orleans restaurant that I used to drive by constantly, but never went in.
There's the Gardens Of Taxco!
Whole Foods took over the coffee shop, but they kept the sixties facade at Fairfax.
And Los Tacos… Where I used to eat burritos with Freddy and Demi Moore!
And pulled up alongside is three teenagers in a red Mustang convertible, with the top pulled down, basking in the sun.
And with a shiteating grin on my face I realize this is where I'm supposed to be, and I'll never leave.
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Wednesday 16 January 2013
Martin Elbourne On HMV
From: Martin Elbourne
Subject: HMV
Date: January 14, 2013 1:29:47 PM PST
UK last chain.
In administration in morning.
Just come up on BBC.
Virgin France went under last week.
Apparently Fnac about to as well.
Big hit for the labels.
Martin
___________________
From: Martin Elbourne
Sent: Wednesday, 16 January 2013 12:19 AM
For those of you who didn't get my email last night, HMV, the last music
store chain in UK and Ireland has gone into administration.
It does not affect the Great Escape as there was a management buyout a
month ago.
It does affect 230 shops and 4,000 staff.
And 40 per cent of the physical music market in the UK.
And much higher proportion of the many acts who never get near a supermarket shelf.
For what it's worth, this is my prediction of likely outcome - a new HMV
with more like 50 shops.
Most if not all of independent distributors to go bankrupt.
Virgin France (no 2 in France went under recently..Fnac the biggest in
France, Spain, etc. about to as well.)
If you are owed money by an independent distributor in Europe budget not to get it.
Of course will be knock on effect on indy labels...many will go under.
Pias..who distribute Adele, not been paid since September (they are
strongest.)
Be prepared to write off money...renegotiate deals.
Any artist who relies on sales in Europe preparing to record 70 minute
CDs is a moron now.
Those days are gone...big time.
Which I think is no bad thing.
In fact, apart from obvious bad news for employees, small companies, long
term..
Much more level playing field.
In short, will be shite year followed by good healthy things.
Later Martin
___________________
From: Martin Elbourne
Sent: Wednesday, 16 January 2013 6:32 AM
My final thought is that effectively for vast majority of acts we work
with physical cd thing now dead.
Or it's like vinyl now.
But I do remember two years ago at Musexpo in L.A. a very good indie label
panel.
After moaning for half an hour they suddenly all agreed that would
actually be great news for their business when physical died.
The drop in sales offset, but no stock worries, accounting hassle, etc etc.
No sales force.
Level playing field with majors (apart from supermarket acts).
And for artists don't need to make 70 minute crap 'albums' anymore.
I'm beginning to sound like Lefsetz..this is dangerous
And another plus point...means zero reason to go to Midem anymore.
Why on earth would you sub-license anything?
PS: Sandy, enjoy Midem.
(Martin Elbourne: http://www.celebrityaccess.com/news/profile.html?id=491)
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Subject: HMV
Date: January 14, 2013 1:29:47 PM PST
UK last chain.
In administration in morning.
Just come up on BBC.
Virgin France went under last week.
Apparently Fnac about to as well.
Big hit for the labels.
Martin
___________________
From: Martin Elbourne
Sent: Wednesday, 16 January 2013 12:19 AM
For those of you who didn't get my email last night, HMV, the last music
store chain in UK and Ireland has gone into administration.
It does not affect the Great Escape as there was a management buyout a
month ago.
It does affect 230 shops and 4,000 staff.
And 40 per cent of the physical music market in the UK.
And much higher proportion of the many acts who never get near a supermarket shelf.
For what it's worth, this is my prediction of likely outcome - a new HMV
with more like 50 shops.
Most if not all of independent distributors to go bankrupt.
Virgin France (no 2 in France went under recently..Fnac the biggest in
France, Spain, etc. about to as well.)
If you are owed money by an independent distributor in Europe budget not to get it.
Of course will be knock on effect on indy labels...many will go under.
Pias..who distribute Adele, not been paid since September (they are
strongest.)
Be prepared to write off money...renegotiate deals.
Any artist who relies on sales in Europe preparing to record 70 minute
CDs is a moron now.
Those days are gone...big time.
Which I think is no bad thing.
In fact, apart from obvious bad news for employees, small companies, long
term..
Much more level playing field.
In short, will be shite year followed by good healthy things.
Later Martin
___________________
From: Martin Elbourne
Sent: Wednesday, 16 January 2013 6:32 AM
My final thought is that effectively for vast majority of acts we work
with physical cd thing now dead.
Or it's like vinyl now.
But I do remember two years ago at Musexpo in L.A. a very good indie label
panel.
After moaning for half an hour they suddenly all agreed that would
actually be great news for their business when physical died.
The drop in sales offset, but no stock worries, accounting hassle, etc etc.
No sales force.
Level playing field with majors (apart from supermarket acts).
And for artists don't need to make 70 minute crap 'albums' anymore.
I'm beginning to sound like Lefsetz..this is dangerous
And another plus point...means zero reason to go to Midem anymore.
Why on earth would you sub-license anything?
PS: Sandy, enjoy Midem.
(Martin Elbourne: http://www.celebrityaccess.com/news/profile.html?id=491)
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Perception
Is everything. It's more important than reality.
Steve Jobs knew that, that's the essence of his vaunted reality distortion field. You watched his dog and pony show and believed not only was Apple superior, it truly had no competitors.
But now the press is beating up Apple and the company is silent.
Steve Jobs was not silent during the iPhone 4 antenna fiasco. He interrupted his vacation, and spun the problem as overblown hype from the media... And the iPhone 4 went on to set sales records.
If you read the press today, you believe the iPhone is in a death spiral, that Samsung is king and Apple is going downhill.
And what does Apple have to say about this?
NOTHING!
Some questions you don't bother to answer. It's kind of like "Have you stopped beating your wife?" You just cannot win. Haters and destroyers are out to get you.
But when it's raw misinformation, and the public is acting on it, you've got to put in your two cents, you've got to spin the story.
It's kind of like Google. It didn't advertise and it didn't lobby. So the government thought it was evil, that it didn't respect the rules of the road. So Google lobbied up and got the antitrust investigation quashed. Google explained its position.
Normally in the entertainment business we've got over-explainers. Celebrities just want attention. And it's never about the truth, it's purely spin, so it ends up being ignored. As for the titans behind the story...you can't get anybody to go on the record. Has anybody gone on the record about Universal being on the hook for HMV leases? I haven't read anything.
But there's no leader at Apple. Tim Cook is charisma-challenged. He starts to speak and credibility goes out the window. Phil Schiller has more gravitas, and Jonny Ive eclipses even him, but who's really driving this car? Everybody knows Cook is an efficiency expert. Who's the heart and soul of the enterprise, and where is it going?
The vacuum is such that way down the food chain, where the rubber meets the road, where people buy stuff, Apple is losing steam. It's gone from trustworthy monolith to dying empire, all based on spin. People in the press and online saying Apple is toast with few facts to back it up.
Maybe the company is in a swoon. We'll find out next week, when it releases its numbers. But unless Apple blows the Street away, it won't stanch the bleeding. Word is Apple is done. Kind of like when David Lee Roth left Van Halen. Apple needs a Sammy Hagar. Even better it needs to elevate the image of someone already working there, take Steve Jobs down from the shelf and put someone else up.
You've got to manage your image. You cannot let the hoi polloi run ragged with your story. You've got to control it. I'm not saying you should lie, but at least give some real guidance. Otherwise you're like Apple, with a tanking stock and everybody piling on.
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Steve Jobs knew that, that's the essence of his vaunted reality distortion field. You watched his dog and pony show and believed not only was Apple superior, it truly had no competitors.
But now the press is beating up Apple and the company is silent.
Steve Jobs was not silent during the iPhone 4 antenna fiasco. He interrupted his vacation, and spun the problem as overblown hype from the media... And the iPhone 4 went on to set sales records.
If you read the press today, you believe the iPhone is in a death spiral, that Samsung is king and Apple is going downhill.
And what does Apple have to say about this?
NOTHING!
Some questions you don't bother to answer. It's kind of like "Have you stopped beating your wife?" You just cannot win. Haters and destroyers are out to get you.
But when it's raw misinformation, and the public is acting on it, you've got to put in your two cents, you've got to spin the story.
It's kind of like Google. It didn't advertise and it didn't lobby. So the government thought it was evil, that it didn't respect the rules of the road. So Google lobbied up and got the antitrust investigation quashed. Google explained its position.
Normally in the entertainment business we've got over-explainers. Celebrities just want attention. And it's never about the truth, it's purely spin, so it ends up being ignored. As for the titans behind the story...you can't get anybody to go on the record. Has anybody gone on the record about Universal being on the hook for HMV leases? I haven't read anything.
But there's no leader at Apple. Tim Cook is charisma-challenged. He starts to speak and credibility goes out the window. Phil Schiller has more gravitas, and Jonny Ive eclipses even him, but who's really driving this car? Everybody knows Cook is an efficiency expert. Who's the heart and soul of the enterprise, and where is it going?
The vacuum is such that way down the food chain, where the rubber meets the road, where people buy stuff, Apple is losing steam. It's gone from trustworthy monolith to dying empire, all based on spin. People in the press and online saying Apple is toast with few facts to back it up.
Maybe the company is in a swoon. We'll find out next week, when it releases its numbers. But unless Apple blows the Street away, it won't stanch the bleeding. Word is Apple is done. Kind of like when David Lee Roth left Van Halen. Apple needs a Sammy Hagar. Even better it needs to elevate the image of someone already working there, take Steve Jobs down from the shelf and put someone else up.
You've got to manage your image. You cannot let the hoi polloi run ragged with your story. You've got to control it. I'm not saying you should lie, but at least give some real guidance. Otherwise you're like Apple, with a tanking stock and everybody piling on.
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Zoosk
Buy YouTube ads.
Once upon a time, YouTube was a free-for-all. Not only were copyrights infringed willy-nilly, there was no revenue model.
Boy have times changed.
Rightsholders realize it's better to get paid on unauthorized videos and money comes in from...ads.
I hate 'em. Everybody does. Talk to Greg Sandoval, who left CNET after being squeezed by its owner CBS, pissed he gave an award to Dish and its Hopper. Which allows you to skip commercials. On TV, the antiquated medium, commercials are dying. On YouTube, the latest and the greatest, the ads have become so prevalent that we now know who's selling.
Yup, that's a big change. For a long while, you just sat there for a few seconds and clicked off the commercial. But now sometimes you have to wait fifteen seconds to click away, and suddenly, I'm aware of Zoosk.
Chances are you are too. If you watch any YouTube. And not a day goes by when I don't. Even though weeks can pass and I don't even turn on my television. People e-mail links to clips, I want to check out new music, and suddenly, I'm aware of Liz and Brad and this animatronic heart that looks like an M&M.
Yup, Zoosk is spamming YouTube. It's little different from e-mail spam. But this time, you've got to pay attention.
People think it's about buying views. That's passe. Because now everybody knows they're false. Yup... Your clip that no one has seen, people are still not gonna see it, despite you paying for tons of views. But these pre-roll commercials, we can't turn them off.
And maybe artists will start advertising soon. But what is fascinating is how the big boys, Madison Avenue, are completely clueless. They're still overpaying for network commercials, even though the ratings are sinking, convinced that this is the best way to reach the most people. But many viral clips reach more people than network TV shows. And there are no distractions. And there's no skipping, at least not the first five to fifteen seconds, which is enough to make an impression.
The new days are here. The switch from TV to online advertising is in swing. Advertisers now have a new medium to assault captive viewers. And I hate it. Can I just pay to get rid of the ads?
P.S. If for some reason you're under a rock, and you're not yet aware of Zoosk, check out the extended ad here: http://bit.ly/U3U43K There are 14,026,245 views as I write this. All real? Who knows!
P.P.S. Vevo abuses the advertising paradigm. Because the ads are too long. The ability to click to end each ad on YouTube gives the impression that the viewer is in control. Vevo just pisses people off.
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Once upon a time, YouTube was a free-for-all. Not only were copyrights infringed willy-nilly, there was no revenue model.
Boy have times changed.
Rightsholders realize it's better to get paid on unauthorized videos and money comes in from...ads.
I hate 'em. Everybody does. Talk to Greg Sandoval, who left CNET after being squeezed by its owner CBS, pissed he gave an award to Dish and its Hopper. Which allows you to skip commercials. On TV, the antiquated medium, commercials are dying. On YouTube, the latest and the greatest, the ads have become so prevalent that we now know who's selling.
Yup, that's a big change. For a long while, you just sat there for a few seconds and clicked off the commercial. But now sometimes you have to wait fifteen seconds to click away, and suddenly, I'm aware of Zoosk.
Chances are you are too. If you watch any YouTube. And not a day goes by when I don't. Even though weeks can pass and I don't even turn on my television. People e-mail links to clips, I want to check out new music, and suddenly, I'm aware of Liz and Brad and this animatronic heart that looks like an M&M.
Yup, Zoosk is spamming YouTube. It's little different from e-mail spam. But this time, you've got to pay attention.
People think it's about buying views. That's passe. Because now everybody knows they're false. Yup... Your clip that no one has seen, people are still not gonna see it, despite you paying for tons of views. But these pre-roll commercials, we can't turn them off.
And maybe artists will start advertising soon. But what is fascinating is how the big boys, Madison Avenue, are completely clueless. They're still overpaying for network commercials, even though the ratings are sinking, convinced that this is the best way to reach the most people. But many viral clips reach more people than network TV shows. And there are no distractions. And there's no skipping, at least not the first five to fifteen seconds, which is enough to make an impression.
The new days are here. The switch from TV to online advertising is in swing. Advertisers now have a new medium to assault captive viewers. And I hate it. Can I just pay to get rid of the ads?
P.S. If for some reason you're under a rock, and you're not yet aware of Zoosk, check out the extended ad here: http://bit.ly/U3U43K There are 14,026,245 views as I write this. All real? Who knows!
P.P.S. Vevo abuses the advertising paradigm. Because the ads are too long. The ability to click to end each ad on YouTube gives the impression that the viewer is in control. Vevo just pisses people off.
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Tuesday 15 January 2013
The Upsell
I'm afraid to go to the car dealership.
I believe in maintaining my automobile. After all, it's a lethal weapon, and I'm haunted by the seventies, when car trouble was still rampant. That used to be a regular excuse..."I can't come, my car won't start." Heard that this century? Not me. It took autos longer than computers, but at this point, they're close to foolproof. And just like a computer, beyond self-repair for most people.
And the dealer is not thrilled with this improvement in car quality, because it used to be all the profits were in service. And now that everybody shops on the Internet, it's hard to make money on new cars. All the profit is now in used cars.
As for service...
Many people jump from the dealership as soon as their warranty expires. They believe the dealer is a rip-off. Not me. I believe the dealer knows my car intimately, he sees it every day, he knows what it needs and can troubleshoot problems. I'm a dealer guy. I'll pay extra for peace of mind. And I never had a problem with the upsell at BMW. Then again, the repair prices there are insane. But at the Subaru dealer... Every time I go they recommend something else. And I'm a sucker because I don't want to find myself stranded. The aggravation's not worth it. It's kind of like buying insurance.
I was put on notice the first time I went there. The head technician, a brilliant mechanic, told me his customers didn't do everything he recommended. But I chalked this up to Subaru, believing the owners might be financially-challenged.
Oh, it's way different at Subaru than BMW. Not only are the prices lower, the people are...from a different economic class. The mother in the waiting room today wouldn't rent a car, believing she's not good with them, she always has accidents. And then there was that couple...who didn't seem to go together. One looked positively north of the border and the other positively south. I was surprised when the conversation was in fluent Spanish.
And I could hear, because I turned off the TV. Well, not completely, but the sound.
I'm waiting for the day when the smartphone eclipses television as the default time-waster. You see it already amongst the younger generation and upscale professionals. They're addicted to their personal screen. But the aged can stare blankly at the most banal of daytime programming not only in the waiting room at the dealership, but in the waiting room at the medical office too. That's a big thing in L.A... The doctors have you waiting so long they believe they must entertain you. And it's always some talk show and it's always so loud and...
I wasn't going to sit upstairs in the Subaru dealership with the blaring background noise for ninety minutes, the estimate of my repair, which concerned an oil change and wiper replacement, I wanted to read my book, "The Middlesteins."
Now that's addicting. I'm only twenty five percent through, but if you're Jewish or dating a Jew, read it. Because the characterizations are spot-on. Without the de rigueur humor Jews feel is necessary when writing about their neuroses.
And just when I'm thinking of going downstairs and checking on my machine, the service writer comes up to greet me.
ALL DONE!
But there is this one thing...
It's worse than Steve Jobs introducing new products, there's always one more thing. This time it was the battery.
Now wait a minute, I'm thinking. Assuming I need a new battery, I can probably get one at Sears, or Wal-Mart, I read "Consumer Reports," I know what's best, never mind these big boxes are always cheaper. But how much time is that gonna take, how much money am I gonna save? And what if my battery craps out on me, even if AAA gives me a tow, it's a total pain in the ass.
So I said yes.
Well, I thought how the previous battery only lasted four years. And now it's four years later. Yes, I keep my cars for a long while. I don't understand leasing. You overpay to impress people? Meanwhile, driving around fearful you're gonna get dinged when you return it? Ownership is best. Drive long enough, and the driving's free!
Then again, if every time you go to the dealer you get the upsell... I can turn down the warranty at the big box electronics store, but at the dealership I just can't say no, not when there's safety or drivability involved.
It would just take twenty more minutes. And $159.
Sold!
But the bill was indecipherable. And I won't pay anything without understanding.
So I track down the service writer who says... He screwed up. The final bill was closer to $200. But he'd said $159, so he gave me a discount, he was a man of his word.
So I continue to trust the dealership.
And there were those mornings when the car didn't start on the first crank...
P.S. For those paying close attention, yes, my car is a Saab, not a Subaru. But really, it's a Subaru, it just says Saab. Oh sure, there's slightly different sheet metal and some upscale touches, but it's Subaru inside, through and through, a legacy of when GM owned a slice of Subaru. But now that slice is owned by Toyota, ergo the BRZ and FR-S twins. And the Saab dealers have bitten the dust. They were clueless as to my 9-2X anyway.
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I believe in maintaining my automobile. After all, it's a lethal weapon, and I'm haunted by the seventies, when car trouble was still rampant. That used to be a regular excuse..."I can't come, my car won't start." Heard that this century? Not me. It took autos longer than computers, but at this point, they're close to foolproof. And just like a computer, beyond self-repair for most people.
And the dealer is not thrilled with this improvement in car quality, because it used to be all the profits were in service. And now that everybody shops on the Internet, it's hard to make money on new cars. All the profit is now in used cars.
As for service...
Many people jump from the dealership as soon as their warranty expires. They believe the dealer is a rip-off. Not me. I believe the dealer knows my car intimately, he sees it every day, he knows what it needs and can troubleshoot problems. I'm a dealer guy. I'll pay extra for peace of mind. And I never had a problem with the upsell at BMW. Then again, the repair prices there are insane. But at the Subaru dealer... Every time I go they recommend something else. And I'm a sucker because I don't want to find myself stranded. The aggravation's not worth it. It's kind of like buying insurance.
I was put on notice the first time I went there. The head technician, a brilliant mechanic, told me his customers didn't do everything he recommended. But I chalked this up to Subaru, believing the owners might be financially-challenged.
Oh, it's way different at Subaru than BMW. Not only are the prices lower, the people are...from a different economic class. The mother in the waiting room today wouldn't rent a car, believing she's not good with them, she always has accidents. And then there was that couple...who didn't seem to go together. One looked positively north of the border and the other positively south. I was surprised when the conversation was in fluent Spanish.
And I could hear, because I turned off the TV. Well, not completely, but the sound.
I'm waiting for the day when the smartphone eclipses television as the default time-waster. You see it already amongst the younger generation and upscale professionals. They're addicted to their personal screen. But the aged can stare blankly at the most banal of daytime programming not only in the waiting room at the dealership, but in the waiting room at the medical office too. That's a big thing in L.A... The doctors have you waiting so long they believe they must entertain you. And it's always some talk show and it's always so loud and...
I wasn't going to sit upstairs in the Subaru dealership with the blaring background noise for ninety minutes, the estimate of my repair, which concerned an oil change and wiper replacement, I wanted to read my book, "The Middlesteins."
Now that's addicting. I'm only twenty five percent through, but if you're Jewish or dating a Jew, read it. Because the characterizations are spot-on. Without the de rigueur humor Jews feel is necessary when writing about their neuroses.
And just when I'm thinking of going downstairs and checking on my machine, the service writer comes up to greet me.
ALL DONE!
But there is this one thing...
It's worse than Steve Jobs introducing new products, there's always one more thing. This time it was the battery.
Now wait a minute, I'm thinking. Assuming I need a new battery, I can probably get one at Sears, or Wal-Mart, I read "Consumer Reports," I know what's best, never mind these big boxes are always cheaper. But how much time is that gonna take, how much money am I gonna save? And what if my battery craps out on me, even if AAA gives me a tow, it's a total pain in the ass.
So I said yes.
Well, I thought how the previous battery only lasted four years. And now it's four years later. Yes, I keep my cars for a long while. I don't understand leasing. You overpay to impress people? Meanwhile, driving around fearful you're gonna get dinged when you return it? Ownership is best. Drive long enough, and the driving's free!
Then again, if every time you go to the dealer you get the upsell... I can turn down the warranty at the big box electronics store, but at the dealership I just can't say no, not when there's safety or drivability involved.
It would just take twenty more minutes. And $159.
Sold!
But the bill was indecipherable. And I won't pay anything without understanding.
So I track down the service writer who says... He screwed up. The final bill was closer to $200. But he'd said $159, so he gave me a discount, he was a man of his word.
So I continue to trust the dealership.
And there were those mornings when the car didn't start on the first crank...
P.S. For those paying close attention, yes, my car is a Saab, not a Subaru. But really, it's a Subaru, it just says Saab. Oh sure, there's slightly different sheet metal and some upscale touches, but it's Subaru inside, through and through, a legacy of when GM owned a slice of Subaru. But now that slice is owned by Toyota, ergo the BRZ and FR-S twins. And the Saab dealers have bitten the dust. They were clueless as to my 9-2X anyway.
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Monday 14 January 2013
Getting Old
There's no manual.
You can sign up for Jenny Craig, you can go to the gym. You can read TMZ.
But you're still old on the inside.
I just can't get into "Girls."
Then I realized, I'm too old. I'm not lost in my twenties, looking for love, a career and stability. I've found who I am. I may or may not like me, but I've got to accept me. Whereas when you're young and dumb the world is your oyster, your dream is to conquer it. And then you get old enough to realize it's not only beyond your grasp, it's beyond anybody's grasp, you're gonna be here, then be gone and be forgotten, so you might as well enjoy the ride.
But it's not only "Girls," it's those preview issues of magazines and newspapers. Where they delineate all the films, TV shows and records coming down the pike. I can wait until the hoi polloi sift through them and tell me what's good. I've lived long enough to be resistant to the hype.
And I don't need it now either. The films I want to see are gone from the theatre before I can get it together and the rest... I can wait for VOD, DVD and pay cable. Then again, I don't watch them there either. I could argue because they don't define the zeitgeist, but getting older you realize you are the zeitgeist. You're the star of your own movie.
And new things... As a kid something four years old is an antique. I've got a Kindle 2 in a world of Paperwhites and iPads. But it works! That's enough. I mean if there's something better, I'm all over it. Then again, I still remember the days when tech didn't work. When the electric windows in your Cadillac broke before the car itself expired. I still can't wrap my head around the fact that something brand new has all the kinks worked out. And I still can't wrap my head around the fact that you might as well overpay for the first iteration, because then you'll get to use it. You can't have that time back. It's not worth denying yourself.
By the same token everything important to me will be thrown out by my heirs. My mother already threw out my baseball cards, which would probably pay for a year's worth of college. My curated vinyl record collection? Straight to the dumper! It means everything to me, but almost nothing to anybody else.
And when you're young everything is so dear. If it gets broken or stolen your life will end. Get old and you realize you'll just replace it. You won't be happy, but it's a minor hassle.
And then there are the aches and pains. You do read about these. How you wake up and that's as good as you're gonna feel all day. But they don't tell you that everybody is born broken, with a time bomb inside, and some of those you love most, who lived the healthiest of lives, will be kicked to the curb by fate and fade into memory. Then again, those who take their own lives live front and center in our brains for eons. If you decide to leave, we can't forget you, why is that?
And no one tells you your opinion won't count. That having lived for decades, through the last century, suddenly you're dumb and inexperienced. You get happier as you get older, who'd want to be younger? Then again, all the boomers are chasing the fountain of youth, they won't accept that the best plan is to kick back and enjoy the ride.
And time... When did they stop making less of it? Sunday night, you realize your entire week is shot. You don't have time to do everything you want and you're only interested in that which satiates.
Meanwhile, society bombards you with messages of inadequacy. You're too old, too fat, too poor, irrelevant. But that's not how you feel. That's how young people feel. Despite "Jersey Shore" and the glorification of adolescents, being young is fraught with despair. But you rarely read about it, otherwise the world would be topsy-turvy, old people would rule.
And they do. But they won't accept their fate. They're just pissed they're not young.
And what's up with the fascination with politics? It's like getting your AARP card. You hit fifty and suddenly what's happening in D.C. is utterly fascinating, whereas when you were young you barely looked at the paper, unless it was to read the sports scores or concert reviews. Now you read the Arts section last. You don't care about most of the performers and the raw hype rubs you wrong.
That's one thing that sucks about being old. The inability to turn off the spigot of hype. Buy this! See this! It's the greatest! But you've been burned before. Again and again and again.
And there's no self-respect. It can be the best football game of the year but the TV network is still hyping some lame sitcom that will fail in weeks, they've even got the announcer saying how great it is.
And then there are people like Rupert Murdoch, who don't realize they're not going to live forever. That's the great leveler, death.
So I don't know what oldster art looks like. Those healthy enough to make it are not angsting in love, they're more worried about their retirement account. And if you tackle an adult subject, you can't get financing, the young 'un at the studio can't relate and believes there's no audience. And the potential audience is so wrapped up in its lifestyle, so resistant to hype, that whatever penetrates does so slowly, and media doesn't care about that which is not immediate.
But, once again, being old is great. Except for the health issues. You know the game, you can suss out the b.s., you waste so much less time.
But you're an outsider. They don't want you on the field and they don't want to give you any ink.
But life is grand.
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You can sign up for Jenny Craig, you can go to the gym. You can read TMZ.
But you're still old on the inside.
I just can't get into "Girls."
Then I realized, I'm too old. I'm not lost in my twenties, looking for love, a career and stability. I've found who I am. I may or may not like me, but I've got to accept me. Whereas when you're young and dumb the world is your oyster, your dream is to conquer it. And then you get old enough to realize it's not only beyond your grasp, it's beyond anybody's grasp, you're gonna be here, then be gone and be forgotten, so you might as well enjoy the ride.
But it's not only "Girls," it's those preview issues of magazines and newspapers. Where they delineate all the films, TV shows and records coming down the pike. I can wait until the hoi polloi sift through them and tell me what's good. I've lived long enough to be resistant to the hype.
And I don't need it now either. The films I want to see are gone from the theatre before I can get it together and the rest... I can wait for VOD, DVD and pay cable. Then again, I don't watch them there either. I could argue because they don't define the zeitgeist, but getting older you realize you are the zeitgeist. You're the star of your own movie.
And new things... As a kid something four years old is an antique. I've got a Kindle 2 in a world of Paperwhites and iPads. But it works! That's enough. I mean if there's something better, I'm all over it. Then again, I still remember the days when tech didn't work. When the electric windows in your Cadillac broke before the car itself expired. I still can't wrap my head around the fact that something brand new has all the kinks worked out. And I still can't wrap my head around the fact that you might as well overpay for the first iteration, because then you'll get to use it. You can't have that time back. It's not worth denying yourself.
By the same token everything important to me will be thrown out by my heirs. My mother already threw out my baseball cards, which would probably pay for a year's worth of college. My curated vinyl record collection? Straight to the dumper! It means everything to me, but almost nothing to anybody else.
And when you're young everything is so dear. If it gets broken or stolen your life will end. Get old and you realize you'll just replace it. You won't be happy, but it's a minor hassle.
And then there are the aches and pains. You do read about these. How you wake up and that's as good as you're gonna feel all day. But they don't tell you that everybody is born broken, with a time bomb inside, and some of those you love most, who lived the healthiest of lives, will be kicked to the curb by fate and fade into memory. Then again, those who take their own lives live front and center in our brains for eons. If you decide to leave, we can't forget you, why is that?
And no one tells you your opinion won't count. That having lived for decades, through the last century, suddenly you're dumb and inexperienced. You get happier as you get older, who'd want to be younger? Then again, all the boomers are chasing the fountain of youth, they won't accept that the best plan is to kick back and enjoy the ride.
And time... When did they stop making less of it? Sunday night, you realize your entire week is shot. You don't have time to do everything you want and you're only interested in that which satiates.
Meanwhile, society bombards you with messages of inadequacy. You're too old, too fat, too poor, irrelevant. But that's not how you feel. That's how young people feel. Despite "Jersey Shore" and the glorification of adolescents, being young is fraught with despair. But you rarely read about it, otherwise the world would be topsy-turvy, old people would rule.
And they do. But they won't accept their fate. They're just pissed they're not young.
And what's up with the fascination with politics? It's like getting your AARP card. You hit fifty and suddenly what's happening in D.C. is utterly fascinating, whereas when you were young you barely looked at the paper, unless it was to read the sports scores or concert reviews. Now you read the Arts section last. You don't care about most of the performers and the raw hype rubs you wrong.
That's one thing that sucks about being old. The inability to turn off the spigot of hype. Buy this! See this! It's the greatest! But you've been burned before. Again and again and again.
And there's no self-respect. It can be the best football game of the year but the TV network is still hyping some lame sitcom that will fail in weeks, they've even got the announcer saying how great it is.
And then there are people like Rupert Murdoch, who don't realize they're not going to live forever. That's the great leveler, death.
So I don't know what oldster art looks like. Those healthy enough to make it are not angsting in love, they're more worried about their retirement account. And if you tackle an adult subject, you can't get financing, the young 'un at the studio can't relate and believes there's no audience. And the potential audience is so wrapped up in its lifestyle, so resistant to hype, that whatever penetrates does so slowly, and media doesn't care about that which is not immediate.
But, once again, being old is great. Except for the health issues. You know the game, you can suss out the b.s., you waste so much less time.
But you're an outsider. They don't want you on the field and they don't want to give you any ink.
But life is grand.
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Sunday 13 January 2013
More Winners and Losers
They're gonna wipe out college!
Well, everything but the elite universities. Courses are gonna be online, you're going to be able to learn from the best professors on the planet. So, unless you're a star, you're HISTORY!
How did this happen?
Let's see... College has been a rip-off for eons. Overpriced, with lame courses all in the pursuit of a degree that no one examines or really challenges. But now employers are gonna ask, did you take Calculus from Professor X? Psychology from Professor R?
Everything I learned in college happened outside the classroom. Throw a couple of thousand talented kids in the middle of nowhere and it's the Lord of the Flies. I barely escaped from Middlebury intact. But college was cheaper then. Before all the universities had to build new plants, pay heftier salaries and beef up the administration. Kind of like all those record companies built CD plants and changed the price of an album from under $10 to nearly $20. Worked for a while, then it all CRASHED!
Don't you get it? The Internet is creating an elite. And if you're a member of the tribe, riches rain down upon you. If you're not, good luck!
Are you really gonna take a music business course from a never been in the middle of nowhere when Jimmy Iovine or Dr. Luke can teach you everything online for a fraction of the price?
OF COURSE NOT!
You're no longer limited to the professors at your college, the world is your oyster, pick from the best!
Used to be you could thrive as a regional act. Your audience was starved for talent. But mediocre has no audience in the arts today. With great a click away. And we can debate all day what's great, whether it be the top-selling Top Forty acts or Alabama Shakes... But have you noticed, there's only one Alabama Shakes? Used to be every market had an act like this. We knew who they were. But now only the best gets traction.
There's only one winner.
There's one iTunes Store.
One Amazon.
There will be one subscription music service.
Why?
Because that's the one where everybody will be, where all your friends are. Everybody will decide and that will be it. Second place will be like "Glengarry Glen Ross," you'll lose your job and go bankrupt.
Yup, college courses are moving online. The whole education sphere is being disrupted, just like music. Anybody trying to fight the tide is gonna be plowed under. Adjust, or get out of the game.
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Well, everything but the elite universities. Courses are gonna be online, you're going to be able to learn from the best professors on the planet. So, unless you're a star, you're HISTORY!
How did this happen?
Let's see... College has been a rip-off for eons. Overpriced, with lame courses all in the pursuit of a degree that no one examines or really challenges. But now employers are gonna ask, did you take Calculus from Professor X? Psychology from Professor R?
Everything I learned in college happened outside the classroom. Throw a couple of thousand talented kids in the middle of nowhere and it's the Lord of the Flies. I barely escaped from Middlebury intact. But college was cheaper then. Before all the universities had to build new plants, pay heftier salaries and beef up the administration. Kind of like all those record companies built CD plants and changed the price of an album from under $10 to nearly $20. Worked for a while, then it all CRASHED!
Don't you get it? The Internet is creating an elite. And if you're a member of the tribe, riches rain down upon you. If you're not, good luck!
Are you really gonna take a music business course from a never been in the middle of nowhere when Jimmy Iovine or Dr. Luke can teach you everything online for a fraction of the price?
OF COURSE NOT!
You're no longer limited to the professors at your college, the world is your oyster, pick from the best!
Used to be you could thrive as a regional act. Your audience was starved for talent. But mediocre has no audience in the arts today. With great a click away. And we can debate all day what's great, whether it be the top-selling Top Forty acts or Alabama Shakes... But have you noticed, there's only one Alabama Shakes? Used to be every market had an act like this. We knew who they were. But now only the best gets traction.
There's only one winner.
There's one iTunes Store.
One Amazon.
There will be one subscription music service.
Why?
Because that's the one where everybody will be, where all your friends are. Everybody will decide and that will be it. Second place will be like "Glengarry Glen Ross," you'll lose your job and go bankrupt.
Yup, college courses are moving online. The whole education sphere is being disrupted, just like music. Anybody trying to fight the tide is gonna be plowed under. Adjust, or get out of the game.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
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If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter,
http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1
If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25
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