House of Cards

Don't block my way as I'm climbing the greased pole.

Did you read the story about Wendi Deng in "Vanity Fair"? Wherein it states that Rupert Murdoch divorced her because she slept with Tony Blair and Eric Schmidt?

You know Tony, the titan with the six-pack. But Schmidt? The goofy guy with the bad complexion who sits atop Google?

Money, power...they're much more important than fame.

Yes, while the minions salivate over Miley Cyrus, those who pull the strings are barely paying attention, as they gallivant in private jets making money and deals and living a life much more interesting than yours. Then again, to read how Rupert spent precious time on his wife's business shenanigans makes your jaw drop. Meanwhile, after being fired by Rupert Wendi does well in Silicon Valley investments. She's no Hollywood trophy wife whose beauty is only skin deep. Yes, a beautiful bod and striking punim will put you on the arm of a movie star, but be prepared to get the old heave-ho when your looks fade.

So Wendi, not her real name, she changed it, she westernized it, goes from $50 a month factory father's daughter to medical school to snaring the husband of an ex-pat to getting another man to pay for a Yale MBA to getting a job at Star TV in Asia to nabbing Rupert.

Naked ambition. And smarts.

Talk to anybody in the music business. They've been stepped on. It's a fascinating experience, watching someone cunning be nice and friendly and then use and abuse you. Not that everybody climbs the greased pole to the top, but there's a certain breed that's determined...

Like Francis in "House of Cards." He needs it. He's willing to sacrifice children, the normality of family life, for his political ambitions.

Not that Wendi Deng was a nitwit. Her father had her reading next year's textbooks over the summer. She dropped out of medical school. These people chew nails and spit them out with impunity. They're determined.

And you don't have to be like them, you can ponder if they're truly happy, but you don't make it from the backwoods to the pinnacle by accident.

They say politics is show business for ugly people.

And show business is fodder for the masses.

But when done right, art illuminates life.

I'd like to say this year's edition of "House of Cards" is as good as last's. But there are too many plot twists, not all of them believable. Still, they're shooting high and the resulting drama is intoxicating.

We're in a golden age of television.

Once upon a time we were in a golden age of music.

The golden age of television was ushered in by "The Sopranos." Something so good, people could not stop talking about it. Sure, there were series on HBO previously, but nothing of this quality. "The Sopranos" was TV's Beatles. Meanwhile, we're still waiting for a new Beatles in music, something that makes everybody pay attention.

But we shoot low in music. We focus on money. The barrier to entry is so low that the great unwashed believe they deserve a shot. Justin Timberlake and Beyonce and Miley Cyrus may have hit records, but try and convince someone who is not normally interested, it's impossible.

That's our problem.

There was Adele... But we used to have many Adeles, of different stripes and colors. Back when people knew how to write and play and had something to say.

So now, despite all the hosannas from those in the business, all the testifying from individual fans, the great American sport is watching television, where's there's a cornucopia of stuff thrilling the public. More people have told me about "True Detective" than any new band. Surf Netflix and you'll find documentaries like "Chasing Ice," that don't worry about the market share, just getting it right.

Meanwhile, Reed Hastings single-handedly moved the entire nation to streaming. Oh, the public, they HATED IT! Wall Street excoriated the company. But despite some initial wavering, Hastings stayed the course, he led, he was right. DVDs are deader than CDs. The poor man's viewing choice. But instead of embracing streaming, the music business still wants you to buy the physical product.

As for the album... We're hooked on these series because they tell a story. There's no story on your album, never mind inconsistent quality at best. I just hear you second-guessing the audience, not striving to lead it.

So it's everybody for himself.

Always has been.

Want to hang with movie stars?

Want to fly private?

It's your ball. And the best way to get there is to be an entrepreneur. If you're thinking about someone giving you a job, you're headed straight for middle management.

And know unless you're feverishly climbing the ladder...

You'll be pushed aside by those who are.

"Read Wendi Deng Murdoch's Mash Note About Tony Blair: "He Has Such Good Body": http://vnty.fr/Ly4sTf


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