Songs with "Friend" in the title.
Tune in Saturday June 10th, to Faction Talk, channel 103, at 4 PM East, 1 PM West.
If you miss the episode, you can hear it on demand on the SiriusXM app. Search: Lefsetz
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
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Listen to the podcast:
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-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
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Friday, 9 June 2023
Thursday, 8 June 2023
Political Advertising On Social Media
TikTok doesn't allow it.
Meanwhile, its social media competitors like Twitter and Facebook have liberalized the restrictive policies they instituted in the wake of falsehoods in the 2020 election cycle and January 6th.
"Twitter's U.S. Ad Sales Plunge 59% as Woes Continue - In internal forecasts, the company projected that ad sales would keep declining, handing a tough challenge to its new chief executive": https://tinyurl.com/ycy5x994
Now wait just a second, didn't Elon Musk tell us Twitter had turned the corner, that advertisers were coming back? Yes, he did, but that turned out to be patently untrue. In other words, if you're listening to Musk on Twitter you're bombarded with misinformation, Elon even blocks information contrary to his mission. Ironically, you've got to go to mainstream media to get the straight story, but these same people addicted to Twitter and Musk see the mainstream media as the enemy. Credit Donald Trump, he's vilified most mainstream news outlets, and we know he's got a large constituency. Furthermore, non-right wing news outlets have been said to be unfairly biased, even though in many cases this is untrue. Bottom line, a lot of people are missing the news. And I mean facts. Like the decline in advertising above.
It's fascinating to watch Twitter, not for the content but the business. What is end game here? Elon keeps destroying value, he's made the service itself toxic with the lack of policing of false and outrageous content and mainstream advertisers are not coming back, why should they take a risk of their content being nestled next to heinous posts? Especially in light of the Bud Light blowback. Corporations are inherently risk averse. And now they're all re-evaluating their marketing campaigns that feature marginalized groups attacked by the right wing. The key is to double-down. That's how Patagonia became one of the most loved and respected brands in America.
Now the reason that Twitter and Facebook are allowing political ads is the money. Plain and simple. They're not interested in discourse, enough about "free speech," these social media sites depend on advertising to survive, Musk tried to institute a subscription model at Twitter, but it failed.
And one thing we know is political candidates have money. And despite all the hype about cable news and cable television, younger voters, the ones who will ultimately decide the 2024 election, don't watch, they don't even have cable subscriptions. But they are on social media. That's the only way to reach them. And now with Apple blocking identifying factors, the bottom line is you've got to spend more to reach people, since you can't target many individuals based on characteristics found in cookies. It's a gold mine I tell you. Political candidacies are not businesses, they are one time events, you raise the money and spend it. You spend in pursuit of the win, but most people lose. And if you can get yourself in line for that spend...
Does anybody like Twitter? Does anybody like Facebook and its wholly-owned Instagram?
People tolerate Twitter, I haven't heard someone testify about the service in years. And Twitter is a cult, albeit a somewhat large one. And what I mean here is either you're in or you're out, Twitter is not for casual users. Most people don't even bother. They just hear about how bad it is.
As for Facebook, if you're on it you're pissed. Because of the algorithm. You don't see what you want in your newsfeed. You keep being presented junk that you have to scroll through to get to the nougat. As for advertisers...talk about resentment of the algorithm... Facebook can put companies out of business, by not featuring, by burying them.
No one likes Facebook, even the people who are addicted to it. Who in this case are aged, youngsters have moved on.
As for Mark Zuckerberg, he appears more evil every day.
And Instagram? It's the scourge of society. That's where you go to feel inadequate. The Kardashians complained when Instagram decided to focus on video to compete with TikTok. Because the Kardashian empire is built on falsehood, subterfuge. They don't look the same as their original pictures, they've had so much work done. It's all an image, it's got little to do with reality. Whereas on TikTok...
Think about it. Isn't America the home of the best and the brightest? Isn't Elon Musk once again the world's richest man? How come Americans can't compete with TikTok?
Because they put money first. And that's their only goal, to make bread. The reason Steve Jobs catapulted Apple to being the number one company in the world is because he focused on the user experience. The user experience was key. Even to this day, it's easier to cancel services on Apple than anywhere else. Just go into the settings and click. Whereas the cable company, the rest of the companies hide their cancellation buttons, they figure if they put up enough hurdles you won't even bother. I once had to call Amazon to figure out how to cancel a streaming service I purchased through Prime. They've made it a bit easier now, but still...who can find what they want on Amazon with the morass of ads? No one there is worried about the customer experience. Amazon is solely about money. The ads. Working its employees to death. It's still the everything store with fast delivery, but if there was an alternative we'd jump instantly. We're proud to be Apple acolytes, but we're embarrassed to admit we use Amazon.
This is what is wrong not only with American business, but American artists. Musicians are the worst. It's all about the Benjamins. At least some of the rappers admit it. They want to become mini-corporations, it's hard to align your interests with theirs. We've heard for decades now that the younger generation does not care. Hogwash, everybody cares. They might tolerate this behavior by their favorite, but it decreases belief and stickiness. Just because everybody else is jumping off a bridge, should you?
But the Chinese company has it right.
We love the algorithm! It serves us what we want!
And it's like heavy metal or some new, marginalized music. The older generations hate TikTok in principle. They've never even gone on. They don't understand it, they just decry it. Sign me up for that service!
TikTok is full of information. And personality comes first. Never do you think that the service is placing itself in front, above you, the customer comes first!
I know, I know, there's all that China b.s. But even if TikTok has all that information and decides to use it... How valuable is it? We've turned China into the new Russia, the enemy, a country to be hated in principle. How did we end the Cold War? We talked to the Russians. Meanwhile, Biden is pulling back from China, never mind Trump before him.
No, TikTok is not refusing to take political advertising because it's afraid of pissing of American politicos, but because it's afraid of pissing off its users! TikTok wants to keep the experience sacrosanct. For longevity.
In America you want to build and sell. But nowhere have we heard that ByteDance is pumping TikTok to sell it.
In other words, TikTok is beating us at our own game. America has lost its values. America is now about class warfare, income inequality, aspiring to be a fat cat living a lifestyle others can't afford. And you feel powerless in America, whereas using TikTok...it's all personalized, you're the most important element. You're not served crap you don't want to see.
And some of the stuff on TikTok is available elsewhere, in other words it's not brand new. But via its algorithm, TikTok has found a way to serve up this information such that you're titillated, you can't wait to log on and see what's going to come up next!
And what you like best is either raw information or people testifying as to their identity. Falsehood is anathema. Authenticity is everything.
But these lessons are lost on American competitors, America in general.
The stories about the falsehoods, the toxic political drivel on Twitter and Facebook, is just beginning. Meanwhile, every day there are stories about abuses on these platforms. Child porn on Instagram. Hell, they fired the content censors at Twitter, or they quit. There's literally nobody home. They've opened the gates and let the lunatics take over the asylum. And we don't like it!
I'm on Twitter a lot less. I was never on Facebook. I only use Instagram to watch Reels, because unlike with TikTok you can mute the audio and I can listen to music simultaneously while I do my back exercises.
When I go on TikTok I smile. Sure, occasionally I blow more time than I was planning to, but it's so damn interesting. To peek into others' lives. To learn more about subjects you're interested in. You have to like something for it to become addictive. You start out loving dope. And you love TikTok.
TikTok is leaving money on the table by refusing political advertising. But it's winning in the end. And critics can only evaluate platforms via financials so they miss it.
But the users don't.
Meanwhile, its social media competitors like Twitter and Facebook have liberalized the restrictive policies they instituted in the wake of falsehoods in the 2020 election cycle and January 6th.
"Twitter's U.S. Ad Sales Plunge 59% as Woes Continue - In internal forecasts, the company projected that ad sales would keep declining, handing a tough challenge to its new chief executive": https://tinyurl.com/ycy5x994
Now wait just a second, didn't Elon Musk tell us Twitter had turned the corner, that advertisers were coming back? Yes, he did, but that turned out to be patently untrue. In other words, if you're listening to Musk on Twitter you're bombarded with misinformation, Elon even blocks information contrary to his mission. Ironically, you've got to go to mainstream media to get the straight story, but these same people addicted to Twitter and Musk see the mainstream media as the enemy. Credit Donald Trump, he's vilified most mainstream news outlets, and we know he's got a large constituency. Furthermore, non-right wing news outlets have been said to be unfairly biased, even though in many cases this is untrue. Bottom line, a lot of people are missing the news. And I mean facts. Like the decline in advertising above.
It's fascinating to watch Twitter, not for the content but the business. What is end game here? Elon keeps destroying value, he's made the service itself toxic with the lack of policing of false and outrageous content and mainstream advertisers are not coming back, why should they take a risk of their content being nestled next to heinous posts? Especially in light of the Bud Light blowback. Corporations are inherently risk averse. And now they're all re-evaluating their marketing campaigns that feature marginalized groups attacked by the right wing. The key is to double-down. That's how Patagonia became one of the most loved and respected brands in America.
Now the reason that Twitter and Facebook are allowing political ads is the money. Plain and simple. They're not interested in discourse, enough about "free speech," these social media sites depend on advertising to survive, Musk tried to institute a subscription model at Twitter, but it failed.
And one thing we know is political candidates have money. And despite all the hype about cable news and cable television, younger voters, the ones who will ultimately decide the 2024 election, don't watch, they don't even have cable subscriptions. But they are on social media. That's the only way to reach them. And now with Apple blocking identifying factors, the bottom line is you've got to spend more to reach people, since you can't target many individuals based on characteristics found in cookies. It's a gold mine I tell you. Political candidacies are not businesses, they are one time events, you raise the money and spend it. You spend in pursuit of the win, but most people lose. And if you can get yourself in line for that spend...
Does anybody like Twitter? Does anybody like Facebook and its wholly-owned Instagram?
People tolerate Twitter, I haven't heard someone testify about the service in years. And Twitter is a cult, albeit a somewhat large one. And what I mean here is either you're in or you're out, Twitter is not for casual users. Most people don't even bother. They just hear about how bad it is.
As for Facebook, if you're on it you're pissed. Because of the algorithm. You don't see what you want in your newsfeed. You keep being presented junk that you have to scroll through to get to the nougat. As for advertisers...talk about resentment of the algorithm... Facebook can put companies out of business, by not featuring, by burying them.
No one likes Facebook, even the people who are addicted to it. Who in this case are aged, youngsters have moved on.
As for Mark Zuckerberg, he appears more evil every day.
And Instagram? It's the scourge of society. That's where you go to feel inadequate. The Kardashians complained when Instagram decided to focus on video to compete with TikTok. Because the Kardashian empire is built on falsehood, subterfuge. They don't look the same as their original pictures, they've had so much work done. It's all an image, it's got little to do with reality. Whereas on TikTok...
Think about it. Isn't America the home of the best and the brightest? Isn't Elon Musk once again the world's richest man? How come Americans can't compete with TikTok?
Because they put money first. And that's their only goal, to make bread. The reason Steve Jobs catapulted Apple to being the number one company in the world is because he focused on the user experience. The user experience was key. Even to this day, it's easier to cancel services on Apple than anywhere else. Just go into the settings and click. Whereas the cable company, the rest of the companies hide their cancellation buttons, they figure if they put up enough hurdles you won't even bother. I once had to call Amazon to figure out how to cancel a streaming service I purchased through Prime. They've made it a bit easier now, but still...who can find what they want on Amazon with the morass of ads? No one there is worried about the customer experience. Amazon is solely about money. The ads. Working its employees to death. It's still the everything store with fast delivery, but if there was an alternative we'd jump instantly. We're proud to be Apple acolytes, but we're embarrassed to admit we use Amazon.
This is what is wrong not only with American business, but American artists. Musicians are the worst. It's all about the Benjamins. At least some of the rappers admit it. They want to become mini-corporations, it's hard to align your interests with theirs. We've heard for decades now that the younger generation does not care. Hogwash, everybody cares. They might tolerate this behavior by their favorite, but it decreases belief and stickiness. Just because everybody else is jumping off a bridge, should you?
But the Chinese company has it right.
We love the algorithm! It serves us what we want!
And it's like heavy metal or some new, marginalized music. The older generations hate TikTok in principle. They've never even gone on. They don't understand it, they just decry it. Sign me up for that service!
TikTok is full of information. And personality comes first. Never do you think that the service is placing itself in front, above you, the customer comes first!
I know, I know, there's all that China b.s. But even if TikTok has all that information and decides to use it... How valuable is it? We've turned China into the new Russia, the enemy, a country to be hated in principle. How did we end the Cold War? We talked to the Russians. Meanwhile, Biden is pulling back from China, never mind Trump before him.
No, TikTok is not refusing to take political advertising because it's afraid of pissing of American politicos, but because it's afraid of pissing off its users! TikTok wants to keep the experience sacrosanct. For longevity.
In America you want to build and sell. But nowhere have we heard that ByteDance is pumping TikTok to sell it.
In other words, TikTok is beating us at our own game. America has lost its values. America is now about class warfare, income inequality, aspiring to be a fat cat living a lifestyle others can't afford. And you feel powerless in America, whereas using TikTok...it's all personalized, you're the most important element. You're not served crap you don't want to see.
And some of the stuff on TikTok is available elsewhere, in other words it's not brand new. But via its algorithm, TikTok has found a way to serve up this information such that you're titillated, you can't wait to log on and see what's going to come up next!
And what you like best is either raw information or people testifying as to their identity. Falsehood is anathema. Authenticity is everything.
But these lessons are lost on American competitors, America in general.
The stories about the falsehoods, the toxic political drivel on Twitter and Facebook, is just beginning. Meanwhile, every day there are stories about abuses on these platforms. Child porn on Instagram. Hell, they fired the content censors at Twitter, or they quit. There's literally nobody home. They've opened the gates and let the lunatics take over the asylum. And we don't like it!
I'm on Twitter a lot less. I was never on Facebook. I only use Instagram to watch Reels, because unlike with TikTok you can mute the audio and I can listen to music simultaneously while I do my back exercises.
When I go on TikTok I smile. Sure, occasionally I blow more time than I was planning to, but it's so damn interesting. To peek into others' lives. To learn more about subjects you're interested in. You have to like something for it to become addictive. You start out loving dope. And you love TikTok.
TikTok is leaving money on the table by refusing political advertising. But it's winning in the end. And critics can only evaluate platforms via financials so they miss it.
But the users don't.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
--
If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter,
http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1
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The Baseball Game
1
What is Cracker Jill?
2
I went to three baseball games in 1961. The first time was a double-header in May, maybe June, wherein Yogi Berra hit an extra-inning single to end the game. The second time was Old-Timers Day in July. Tickets were tight and we sat in the upper deck. I cried as we climbed the ramps to the top, because from down below it looked like the seats in the upper deck were bolted to the wall and your legs swung free. That did not turn out to be the case, but it is really steep up there. As for being familiar with the old-timers... This was a different era, we were steeped in baseball history, at least I was. We not only had our cards, we had annuals, we bought paperbacks, baseball was the music of its day, at least before the Beatles. The third was on October 1st, when Roger Maris hit his 61st.
Not that I went to three baseball games every year thereafter, but at least two. After all, I had to convince my parents to take me. I was not a city kid, riding the subway to sit in the bleachers for a dollar fifty, actually I remember it being seventy five cents. I lived in the suburbs, I watched the Yankees on channel 11, to go to the game was not a casual experience... You entered the stadium, climbed through the labyrinth and ultimately you could see the pristine green field, it was like going to Mecca, or the Vatican, it was a religious experience.
When the Mets came along in '62, my parents took me to the Polo Grounds. Center field was so deep, you have no idea. That's where Willie Mays made his famous catch. But what I remember most about that game was a line drive foul ball, screaming right over our heads, and a guy in one of the last rows stood up and caught it bare-handed. How much did his hand hurt?
It probably still hurts.
And we went to Shea, most famously for the '69 playoffs, where the Mets eliminated Atlanta. But this time sans parents. We took the train in and ran out on the field after the victory, brought home pieces of turf. But the weird thing is the friend I went with, Judd, whose idea it was to skip school and go, died of a heart attack a couple of years back. Weird, now I think about him constantly.
But then the Yankees got bad, and they were sold to Steinbrenner, and by that time I was living in L.A. I know people love the Dodgers, but I was an American League guy, still am. I was more partial to the Angels, not that you could really identify with them. The Dodgers played small ball, they had incredible pitchers, Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale, and they'd beat you with stolen bases... I'm still not a Dodger fan.
Not that I was not caught up in Fernandomania. And I certainly watched as Kirk Gibson strode to the plate, hit it over the fence and gimped around the bases, putting a stake in the heart of the Oakland Athletics.
And since then...
I go when someone invites me. When they've got tickets.
When I was a young 'un, nobody I knew had season tickets. Today, many friends do. Some go to every game, most do not, so there are tickets available. But I hate to ask, I hate to be a schnorrer, but at least a couple of times a year someone offers, and I partake.
Not that I'd been in a couple of years, because of Covid. I turned down offers, but now, fully-vaxed, I was ready to go.
3
Now one thing you've got to know about going to the game in L.A. is...the traffic. You can ride public transportation in most cities, and I have no problem being packed in tight with the hoi polloi, but said public transportation doesn't exist in Los Angeles. You've got to get in your car and budget an hour, or more. And I wanted to get there early, for the buffet.
Yes, these were dugout seats. The equivalent of courtside seats in basketball, but there are more of them and there's privacy, you can't reach them from any other seat, they're separated from the riff-raff. And I know, it seems kind of elitist, but when you get old enough...
Well, I'm not going to rationalize it. Furthermore, Peter works 'round the clock, it's a deserved perk from the firm.
So it's a sunny day, and the traffic is bad, but we go through the checkpoint and steer to our anointed spot.
Did I tell you everything is digital these days? No paper, no cash. You show your phone at the toll booth, and when you go to enter, you don't even have to show the ticket in your smartphone wallet, there's an NFC chip reader, pretty cool.
And then you enter the stadium, at the far end of right field. And that's when you realize, this is not your average concert crowd. Tickets are not as cheap as they once were, but they're relatively affordable, and as a result, you see all walks of life. Brown people, white and black. It's the opposite of the dugout seats themselves, it's the opposite of today's striated society, we were all in it together, and it felt good.
Today it's all about separating yourself from the masses and the classes. You don't want to be with everybody. But the real story is we're all equal, and to be amongst your brethren feels good, inspiring. And that's the mood at the baseball stadium anyway, upbeat. Then again, if you take anything inside it's got to be in a clear bag, because you never know who might take offense and beat you up, especially when the Dodgers are playing the Giants.
And the next thing you notice is the food. Not only are there a zillion outlets, there are so many varieties, and some upscale. Used to be baseball park food was hot dogs, peanuts and beer. Really, you couldn't get much more than that. But now you go to the park to fress, kind of like the airport. If your venue has lame food, it reflects upon you.
So ultimately we go downstairs to the buffet, a dugout seat perk.
You've got to know, not only do they have hot dogs and sausages, but prime rib and BBQ ribs too. And salads. And grilled vegetables. It's a veritable cornucopia of offerings. As for the desserts: cookies, soft serve ice cream, cake... I'm really not doing it justice.
But before we can make it to the food I run into Larry.
What is he doing down here? I know he's got season tickets, but they're not in the dugout area.
He knows Peter Guber. It's all about who you know.
And eventually Guber showed up, looking like a guy in from the suburbs, sans airs, with no special seat, looking just like the rest of us. Got to give him kudos for that.
And then on the way to our seats we ran into Kevin Weaver.
And then when we got outside and the game was yet to begin, Felice insisted we go say hi to Burt Sugarman and Mary Hart, who legendarily have seats right behind home plate.
And that's when it occurred to me, I was seeing more people, doing more business, than I do backstage at a gig. It's about the boomers, they remember baseball, it's in their hearts, they never really outgrew the game, they need to be there.
Not the young 'uns, but the oldsters.
Oh, a lot of families brought kids, but really... It's less of a day in the park than a pilgrimage for the fans. Baseball is a game we all once played, like soccer today. We can identify, we can relate, and we want to be reminded of who we once were as we begin the long fade into darkness.
4
Now it used to be Peter's seats had a clear shot to the field. But they put up netting, the Dodgers don't want to get sued as a result of foul balls.
Also, you're essentially at field level.
Larry is just above, in the second deck, he said you get a better view of the field. And this is true. But it's a different experience. Down close and personal...
You're in the game.
It becomes like Little League. They're just players, not stars.
And then you remember, they're rich! Playing a boys' game.
These are not the techies. This isn't about education. This is about raw physical skill. That's enough. It's a one-dimensional effort, but the star players make as much, if not more, than most musicians. Let's remember, other than your agent, there's essentially no costs, those are picked up by the team.
Then you think about the travel. That would get old.
But there's almost no contact, this is not football, it's more of a slog than an adventure fraught with danger.
So Aaron Judge comes into the on-deck circle. He's got the sleeve over his bat, he's warming up. And all I can think is how tall he is.
It's cognitive dissonance. I mean you can be this close at a concert, but the people are rarely humanized, they're still the other, maybe dancing or in a trance playing, it's a performance, which is different from baseball. Sure, you perform at the plate, then again, usually you don't.
Most people fail to hit.
And the funny thing at that level is... How the ball really doesn't go that far. How it's an effort to hit it. It's not quite like someone putting the shot, but you've got to slug it to make it go.
And on some level it's the same as it ever was, but really not, because of the clock.
I'd read about the changes. About the shorter games. And believe me, it's palpable. There are two clocks in the outfield, another two near the plate. And the amazing thing is there's no violation. Just when you think he's going to get caught, the pitcher begins his motion.
So the pace is...
Regular baseball.
And this is so different from the recent game. The endless steps away from the mound, away from the plate. The rhythm is no longer disrupted. And I start to wonder, can you bring the kids back?
At first I thought yes. Baseball is different, everybody gets to play, everybody has a chance of touching the ball. This not an offensive lineman. There's no quarterback head and shoulders above the rest, winning the MVP if his team succeeds. Baseball is more democratized. And sure, the players are in much better shape today, and I miss the days of yore, when the gym was anathema, but in truth if you can hit and field the ball, they don't care how big or small you are. This is not basketball where your height is everything. The door is open to everybody.
Then again, the odds of making the big leagues are hard in every sport.
5
Now in truth, as you get older, the game becomes a social experience. Instead of watching every pitch, you end up b.s.'ing. You haven't seen these people for a while, you want to catch up.
And Fred Rosen was a couple of seats away, you end up talking business.
Really, it's a unique experience. You're far from the studio, from the theatre, but you're in the heart of the business. It's golf but even better, because there's no competition, you're neither winning nor losing. And you all love the game. It's in your roots. You can remember. You can talk history. And it's less about stats and more about what was happening with your home team, wherever it was in the nation.
And this was the day that the aforementioned Judge not only hit a home run, but ran into the bullpen fence, and stepped onto the concrete beyond. He said he was fine at the time, now he realizes his toe is hurt, but in truth it changed the whole pace of the game.
The Yankee manager Aaron Boone came out to see if Judge was all right. But the game did not continue. What was going on?
Well it turns out there's a rule that if you step out of bounds, the runners advance a base. And there was a man at first. And this was when the contest was still close.
They went to instant replay. Some guy ran out on the field and handed the ump a tablet, he watched the video, and ultimately let the runner advance. It was not like a football game, where there are questionable calls all the time, did someone cross the line, where were their feet... Baseball has few questions along the way, this was unique.
And then it seemed certain that the Dodgers were going to lose. And the stadium started to empty out. People needed to beat the traffic. This is one of the main difference between the east and the west, between New York in L.A., in New York you stay until the end.
And I'm sitting there thinking about the famous George Carlin routine, how baseball can go on forever. I remembered being in bed and my mother waking me up because the game was in the sixteenth or seventeenth inning, even twenty two. And once you got to this point, the bullpen was depleted, and the players were tired and runs were rare. You'd watch to see how long it would last.
But now when you get to extra innings there's a runner on second base. Extra innings weren't a bug, they were a feature, they made the game special.
As for the rule against the shift... Come on, hit it to the opposite field, it's wide open.
And I've got a problem with the designated hitter. And the playoffs. Really, if you win the season you should be allowed to go to the World Series. I know there are now more teams and more divisions, but really, you shouldn't be able to barely get into the playoffs and win the Series, no way. If you play well during the regular season, you're entitled.
Yes, I've got opinions, even though I don't watch the game on TV anymore. I mean life's too short.
But I don't watch any games on TV anymore. Football? Only the Super Bowl, it's my protest against the injuries, I mean really?
And basketball... L.A. is an NBA town. The Lakers are godhead, but in the nineties I spent so much time watching basketball, in the Jordan era, that I used up my lifetime allotment. And the dirty little secret of the NBA playoffs is once you start watching, you can't stop. So if you're in in April, you're in until June. You can't walk away, you're too invested.
And I've played all these sports. We all did growing up. It was a rare kid who did not, who stayed at home during the afternoon. There were no video games, it was all about being outside, experiencing the camaraderie. And if you could play, it didn't matter how old or young you were, tall or short, what religion you were, you were included. Of course if you sucked, you were picked last, and that hurt. But those people stopped showing up. And I can understand everybody playing, no cuts in soccer. I mean you can stand on the field in your own space, away from the action, but even though we put the unskilled in right field, every once in a while, a ball would go there and...
Baseball was competition. But we all competed. And we all practiced. Throwing the ball in the backyard. We'd play with only two, one pitching, the other hitting, and the pitcher would run to where the ball was hit, not to catch it, but to pick it up.
But the days were slower then. And obesity was rare. And being in shape didn't mean that you went to the gym, that barely existed and it was boring and who wanted to lift weights anyway, but that you were active. Out there. Playing. That was enough to keep you in shape.
Those days are long gone.
But it seems all baby boomers are boys of summer. Sure, the super-addicted drive me wild, with their fantasy leagues, they take it more seriously than the players.
But the game remains almost the same. Most of the rule changes this year are about returning it to what it once was.
And that was everything.
6
And on the way out I couldn't stop looking at the souvenirs. That was a feature when you were a young kid. A hat, one of those mini-bats, a ball. You wanted to be part of the game.
And on Saturday a bunch of us still were.
7
Cracker Jill? Felice said it was Cracker Jack sans peanuts.
My research tells me it's the same, just under the moniker of a different gender. Then again, the bag I pulled as a test had no nuts, and I finished it, I mean how can you stop?
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What is Cracker Jill?
2
I went to three baseball games in 1961. The first time was a double-header in May, maybe June, wherein Yogi Berra hit an extra-inning single to end the game. The second time was Old-Timers Day in July. Tickets were tight and we sat in the upper deck. I cried as we climbed the ramps to the top, because from down below it looked like the seats in the upper deck were bolted to the wall and your legs swung free. That did not turn out to be the case, but it is really steep up there. As for being familiar with the old-timers... This was a different era, we were steeped in baseball history, at least I was. We not only had our cards, we had annuals, we bought paperbacks, baseball was the music of its day, at least before the Beatles. The third was on October 1st, when Roger Maris hit his 61st.
Not that I went to three baseball games every year thereafter, but at least two. After all, I had to convince my parents to take me. I was not a city kid, riding the subway to sit in the bleachers for a dollar fifty, actually I remember it being seventy five cents. I lived in the suburbs, I watched the Yankees on channel 11, to go to the game was not a casual experience... You entered the stadium, climbed through the labyrinth and ultimately you could see the pristine green field, it was like going to Mecca, or the Vatican, it was a religious experience.
When the Mets came along in '62, my parents took me to the Polo Grounds. Center field was so deep, you have no idea. That's where Willie Mays made his famous catch. But what I remember most about that game was a line drive foul ball, screaming right over our heads, and a guy in one of the last rows stood up and caught it bare-handed. How much did his hand hurt?
It probably still hurts.
And we went to Shea, most famously for the '69 playoffs, where the Mets eliminated Atlanta. But this time sans parents. We took the train in and ran out on the field after the victory, brought home pieces of turf. But the weird thing is the friend I went with, Judd, whose idea it was to skip school and go, died of a heart attack a couple of years back. Weird, now I think about him constantly.
But then the Yankees got bad, and they were sold to Steinbrenner, and by that time I was living in L.A. I know people love the Dodgers, but I was an American League guy, still am. I was more partial to the Angels, not that you could really identify with them. The Dodgers played small ball, they had incredible pitchers, Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale, and they'd beat you with stolen bases... I'm still not a Dodger fan.
Not that I was not caught up in Fernandomania. And I certainly watched as Kirk Gibson strode to the plate, hit it over the fence and gimped around the bases, putting a stake in the heart of the Oakland Athletics.
And since then...
I go when someone invites me. When they've got tickets.
When I was a young 'un, nobody I knew had season tickets. Today, many friends do. Some go to every game, most do not, so there are tickets available. But I hate to ask, I hate to be a schnorrer, but at least a couple of times a year someone offers, and I partake.
Not that I'd been in a couple of years, because of Covid. I turned down offers, but now, fully-vaxed, I was ready to go.
3
Now one thing you've got to know about going to the game in L.A. is...the traffic. You can ride public transportation in most cities, and I have no problem being packed in tight with the hoi polloi, but said public transportation doesn't exist in Los Angeles. You've got to get in your car and budget an hour, or more. And I wanted to get there early, for the buffet.
Yes, these were dugout seats. The equivalent of courtside seats in basketball, but there are more of them and there's privacy, you can't reach them from any other seat, they're separated from the riff-raff. And I know, it seems kind of elitist, but when you get old enough...
Well, I'm not going to rationalize it. Furthermore, Peter works 'round the clock, it's a deserved perk from the firm.
So it's a sunny day, and the traffic is bad, but we go through the checkpoint and steer to our anointed spot.
Did I tell you everything is digital these days? No paper, no cash. You show your phone at the toll booth, and when you go to enter, you don't even have to show the ticket in your smartphone wallet, there's an NFC chip reader, pretty cool.
And then you enter the stadium, at the far end of right field. And that's when you realize, this is not your average concert crowd. Tickets are not as cheap as they once were, but they're relatively affordable, and as a result, you see all walks of life. Brown people, white and black. It's the opposite of the dugout seats themselves, it's the opposite of today's striated society, we were all in it together, and it felt good.
Today it's all about separating yourself from the masses and the classes. You don't want to be with everybody. But the real story is we're all equal, and to be amongst your brethren feels good, inspiring. And that's the mood at the baseball stadium anyway, upbeat. Then again, if you take anything inside it's got to be in a clear bag, because you never know who might take offense and beat you up, especially when the Dodgers are playing the Giants.
And the next thing you notice is the food. Not only are there a zillion outlets, there are so many varieties, and some upscale. Used to be baseball park food was hot dogs, peanuts and beer. Really, you couldn't get much more than that. But now you go to the park to fress, kind of like the airport. If your venue has lame food, it reflects upon you.
So ultimately we go downstairs to the buffet, a dugout seat perk.
You've got to know, not only do they have hot dogs and sausages, but prime rib and BBQ ribs too. And salads. And grilled vegetables. It's a veritable cornucopia of offerings. As for the desserts: cookies, soft serve ice cream, cake... I'm really not doing it justice.
But before we can make it to the food I run into Larry.
What is he doing down here? I know he's got season tickets, but they're not in the dugout area.
He knows Peter Guber. It's all about who you know.
And eventually Guber showed up, looking like a guy in from the suburbs, sans airs, with no special seat, looking just like the rest of us. Got to give him kudos for that.
And then on the way to our seats we ran into Kevin Weaver.
And then when we got outside and the game was yet to begin, Felice insisted we go say hi to Burt Sugarman and Mary Hart, who legendarily have seats right behind home plate.
And that's when it occurred to me, I was seeing more people, doing more business, than I do backstage at a gig. It's about the boomers, they remember baseball, it's in their hearts, they never really outgrew the game, they need to be there.
Not the young 'uns, but the oldsters.
Oh, a lot of families brought kids, but really... It's less of a day in the park than a pilgrimage for the fans. Baseball is a game we all once played, like soccer today. We can identify, we can relate, and we want to be reminded of who we once were as we begin the long fade into darkness.
4
Now it used to be Peter's seats had a clear shot to the field. But they put up netting, the Dodgers don't want to get sued as a result of foul balls.
Also, you're essentially at field level.
Larry is just above, in the second deck, he said you get a better view of the field. And this is true. But it's a different experience. Down close and personal...
You're in the game.
It becomes like Little League. They're just players, not stars.
And then you remember, they're rich! Playing a boys' game.
These are not the techies. This isn't about education. This is about raw physical skill. That's enough. It's a one-dimensional effort, but the star players make as much, if not more, than most musicians. Let's remember, other than your agent, there's essentially no costs, those are picked up by the team.
Then you think about the travel. That would get old.
But there's almost no contact, this is not football, it's more of a slog than an adventure fraught with danger.
So Aaron Judge comes into the on-deck circle. He's got the sleeve over his bat, he's warming up. And all I can think is how tall he is.
It's cognitive dissonance. I mean you can be this close at a concert, but the people are rarely humanized, they're still the other, maybe dancing or in a trance playing, it's a performance, which is different from baseball. Sure, you perform at the plate, then again, usually you don't.
Most people fail to hit.
And the funny thing at that level is... How the ball really doesn't go that far. How it's an effort to hit it. It's not quite like someone putting the shot, but you've got to slug it to make it go.
And on some level it's the same as it ever was, but really not, because of the clock.
I'd read about the changes. About the shorter games. And believe me, it's palpable. There are two clocks in the outfield, another two near the plate. And the amazing thing is there's no violation. Just when you think he's going to get caught, the pitcher begins his motion.
So the pace is...
Regular baseball.
And this is so different from the recent game. The endless steps away from the mound, away from the plate. The rhythm is no longer disrupted. And I start to wonder, can you bring the kids back?
At first I thought yes. Baseball is different, everybody gets to play, everybody has a chance of touching the ball. This not an offensive lineman. There's no quarterback head and shoulders above the rest, winning the MVP if his team succeeds. Baseball is more democratized. And sure, the players are in much better shape today, and I miss the days of yore, when the gym was anathema, but in truth if you can hit and field the ball, they don't care how big or small you are. This is not basketball where your height is everything. The door is open to everybody.
Then again, the odds of making the big leagues are hard in every sport.
5
Now in truth, as you get older, the game becomes a social experience. Instead of watching every pitch, you end up b.s.'ing. You haven't seen these people for a while, you want to catch up.
And Fred Rosen was a couple of seats away, you end up talking business.
Really, it's a unique experience. You're far from the studio, from the theatre, but you're in the heart of the business. It's golf but even better, because there's no competition, you're neither winning nor losing. And you all love the game. It's in your roots. You can remember. You can talk history. And it's less about stats and more about what was happening with your home team, wherever it was in the nation.
And this was the day that the aforementioned Judge not only hit a home run, but ran into the bullpen fence, and stepped onto the concrete beyond. He said he was fine at the time, now he realizes his toe is hurt, but in truth it changed the whole pace of the game.
The Yankee manager Aaron Boone came out to see if Judge was all right. But the game did not continue. What was going on?
Well it turns out there's a rule that if you step out of bounds, the runners advance a base. And there was a man at first. And this was when the contest was still close.
They went to instant replay. Some guy ran out on the field and handed the ump a tablet, he watched the video, and ultimately let the runner advance. It was not like a football game, where there are questionable calls all the time, did someone cross the line, where were their feet... Baseball has few questions along the way, this was unique.
And then it seemed certain that the Dodgers were going to lose. And the stadium started to empty out. People needed to beat the traffic. This is one of the main difference between the east and the west, between New York in L.A., in New York you stay until the end.
And I'm sitting there thinking about the famous George Carlin routine, how baseball can go on forever. I remembered being in bed and my mother waking me up because the game was in the sixteenth or seventeenth inning, even twenty two. And once you got to this point, the bullpen was depleted, and the players were tired and runs were rare. You'd watch to see how long it would last.
But now when you get to extra innings there's a runner on second base. Extra innings weren't a bug, they were a feature, they made the game special.
As for the rule against the shift... Come on, hit it to the opposite field, it's wide open.
And I've got a problem with the designated hitter. And the playoffs. Really, if you win the season you should be allowed to go to the World Series. I know there are now more teams and more divisions, but really, you shouldn't be able to barely get into the playoffs and win the Series, no way. If you play well during the regular season, you're entitled.
Yes, I've got opinions, even though I don't watch the game on TV anymore. I mean life's too short.
But I don't watch any games on TV anymore. Football? Only the Super Bowl, it's my protest against the injuries, I mean really?
And basketball... L.A. is an NBA town. The Lakers are godhead, but in the nineties I spent so much time watching basketball, in the Jordan era, that I used up my lifetime allotment. And the dirty little secret of the NBA playoffs is once you start watching, you can't stop. So if you're in in April, you're in until June. You can't walk away, you're too invested.
And I've played all these sports. We all did growing up. It was a rare kid who did not, who stayed at home during the afternoon. There were no video games, it was all about being outside, experiencing the camaraderie. And if you could play, it didn't matter how old or young you were, tall or short, what religion you were, you were included. Of course if you sucked, you were picked last, and that hurt. But those people stopped showing up. And I can understand everybody playing, no cuts in soccer. I mean you can stand on the field in your own space, away from the action, but even though we put the unskilled in right field, every once in a while, a ball would go there and...
Baseball was competition. But we all competed. And we all practiced. Throwing the ball in the backyard. We'd play with only two, one pitching, the other hitting, and the pitcher would run to where the ball was hit, not to catch it, but to pick it up.
But the days were slower then. And obesity was rare. And being in shape didn't mean that you went to the gym, that barely existed and it was boring and who wanted to lift weights anyway, but that you were active. Out there. Playing. That was enough to keep you in shape.
Those days are long gone.
But it seems all baby boomers are boys of summer. Sure, the super-addicted drive me wild, with their fantasy leagues, they take it more seriously than the players.
But the game remains almost the same. Most of the rule changes this year are about returning it to what it once was.
And that was everything.
6
And on the way out I couldn't stop looking at the souvenirs. That was a feature when you were a young kid. A hat, one of those mini-bats, a ball. You wanted to be part of the game.
And on Saturday a bunch of us still were.
7
Cracker Jill? Felice said it was Cracker Jack sans peanuts.
My research tells me it's the same, just under the moniker of a different gender. Then again, the bag I pulled as a test had no nuts, and I finished it, I mean how can you stop?
--
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David Bromberg-This Week's Podcast
Legendary guitarist David Bromberg is performing his last concert at the Beacon on June 10th. Bromberg speaks slowly, but has a dry sense of humor underpinning his words, as well as a distinct honesty. If you hang in there, the podcast will pay dividends, you'll hear how David played on four albums with Bob Dylan and on Jerry Jeff Walker's original "Mr. Bojangles," made records for Columbia and Fantasy and then gave it all up to go to violin making school and open a violin shop in Wilmington, Delaware, taking a twenty two year sabbatical before returning to the stage. Bromberg is a musician, don't confuse him with the self-promoting entrepreneurs of today. He's different, he's an artist, he succeeded on his playing, not hype. This is his story.
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-30806836/episode/david-bromberg-116832107/
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/david-bromberg/id1316200737?i=1000616127172
https://open.spotify.com/episode/2MMKActm7bXcaRCTuPPSqK?si=ikIJGSEwSVeFavjLlwZpDg
https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9ff4fb19-54d4-41ae-ae7a-8a6f8d3dafa8/episodes/4c5e7448-0d3e-4dac-8b84-af5e77efb5d2/the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-david-bromberg
https://www.stitcher.com/show/the-bob-lefsetz-podcast/episode/david-bromberg-304254057
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https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-30806836/episode/david-bromberg-116832107/
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/david-bromberg/id1316200737?i=1000616127172
https://open.spotify.com/episode/2MMKActm7bXcaRCTuPPSqK?si=ikIJGSEwSVeFavjLlwZpDg
https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9ff4fb19-54d4-41ae-ae7a-8a6f8d3dafa8/episodes/4c5e7448-0d3e-4dac-8b84-af5e77efb5d2/the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-david-bromberg
https://www.stitcher.com/show/the-bob-lefsetz-podcast/episode/david-bromberg-304254057
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Wednesday, 7 June 2023
Chris Licht/CNN
Hubris.
The reason Zaslav changed the name to Max from HBO Max is because he wants all the credit if it succeeds, and if it doesn't...he's been paid more than $247 million since 2018: https://tinyurl.com/mr399yh3 Quick, name the previous head of Discovery, never mind the top exec at a movie studio. You can't. They're not the titans they once were. So when they're gone, they live the life of kings, they're almost all male, and who cares if anybody knows their name, they're a permanent member of the U.S. elite, always flying private, living behind gates, vacationing at not only hotels, but locations you've never heard of. As for those still with their knickers in a twist about what I said about the outsized press fascination with "Succession":
"The data found that 'Succession' was covered six times more than any other show analyzed, but saw the second lowest average readership of that coverage."
"Media's 'Succession' obsession": https://tinyurl.com/4pevp9ht
Read this Axios article, it won't even take you a minute. It's got charts and everything. I know, it doesn't feel right, but feel is what got us into this mess. The data doesn't lie.
Then again, it can be manipulated.
Cable news... One can argue whether it's even news anymore. But Zaslav and Malone, distanced from reality, the former knowing power, the latter knowing how to never pay taxes, decided we needed a news outlet in the middle, that was not perceived as biased, you know, facts only so that most of America will be happy watching it.
But this theorized middle doesn't exist.
Perry Bacon, Jr. wrote a great piece about this in the "Washington Post":
"CNN's Chris Licht showed the problem with anti-woke centrism": https://wapo.st/3oOjFbL
That's a free link, check it out.
"Licht and Elon Musk, who has expressed similar sentiments, control two hugely important media platforms. Their views matter. That they have become consumed by this anti-wokeism has meant that great journalists were fired at CNN for being too anti-Trump and that Twitter's verification system was disabled it seemed because Musk felt it gave too much prominence to left-wing people."
The old white guys in power see their power being eroded, that's the reason they're so anti-woke.
Then again, the meaning of woke has been twisted, and most people have no idea what it means anyway. And just like Antifa, woke extremists...are miniscule in number, nowhere near the number of white nationalists, but the right has fought back and Zaslav and Malone therefore want to shift CNN to a theoretical middle. This is like saying the Nuggets are better than the Knicks, so in contests the Knicks should be spotted twenty points. But that's not how the game works. Then again, we've got Trump losing by millions of votes and saying he won. And even though Fox News paid nearly a billion dollars as a result of fanning the flames of this false narrative, those who believed it still do.
There is no middle, it's us vs. them. Those in the middle... Are almost always trying to protect their assets. They're people who made money and want to keep it, don't want their taxes raised. Or are fearful of a left wing extremism that barely exists. But if you say something long enough, the public believes it. Like the abrasiveness and incompetence of Kamala Harris. In truth, Harris is nearly a cipher, as most VPs are. She's had very little to do and we don't know what she does. But the right has lambasted and defined her, and the left...is silent.
Then again, it's hard to win by playing it safe. Want to be scared, read this analysis of Biden's frailties from the front page of the "New York Times":
"Inside the Complicated Reality of Being America's Oldest President - President Biden is asking voters to keep him in the White House until age 86, renewing attention to an issue that polls show troubles most Americans.": https://tinyurl.com/bdzzjexp (This too is a free link.)
"Like many his age, Mr. Biden repeats phrases and retells the same hoary, often fact-challenged stories again and again."
My mother started repeating herself in her eighties. Many people do. I speak to a lot of octogenarians... You'd be surprised how many have lost a step, even musicians in their seventies. Of course I know sharp eightysomethings, but do I want to make this bet, when Biden is already showing signs of age? Of course not, most people don't. But the same people who are convinced that "Succession" was great and the most popular show on TV will e-mail me and tell me to STFU and just vote for Biden, what he's done is great and he can beat Trump, since he did it before. Past is prologue, but the contest doesn't always play out the same way. Back to sports analogies, how often does one team beat the other four straight in the finals? It happens, but it's a minority of the time.
But one can't even talk about a Biden replacement, the inept Democratic brass has kept everybody on the sidelines as the mass of candidates fight for attention on the right, Trump in the news every day. You think this is a winning strategy? As for Biden taking the stage with Trump... Eegads, one misstep and... And speaking of missteps, how much is Biden going to deteriorate in the next eighteen months? One faux pas will kill his chances, believe me.
But I guess I'm too woke. Anybody to the left of you who doesn't agree with you is considered woke. We've got to reset the balance. We've got to go back to an era in history when politics wasn't such a blood sport. But that was eons ago, before many voters were even born.
And speaking of faux pas, Chris Licht would probably still have his job if it weren't for the CNN town hall with Trump. Yes, one event put the knife in him. And he didn't even realize the tragedy until long after the Thrilla in New Hampsha was over, that's how out of touch and delusional he was. And still is.
Yes, one of the first things he did was to move his office downstairs from the bullpen, unlike his predecessor Jeff Zucker who was in on the action. It'd be like the lead singer living in a different town and never showing up in the studio when the rest of the band was there. How long would that group stay together?
And the reason CNN hosted Trump was for ratings. It's all about the Benjamins, always. A lot of people would tune in and CNN would be back in the game. Completely overlooking the content of said town hall.
It's like Zaslav removing content from HBO Max, er Max, to make the numbers work. It'd be like going into Bloomingdale's or Walmart and seeing a third of the merchandise gone. Maybe it wasn't merchandise you bought, but someone did, otherwise it wouldn't appear. So the store gets smaller and... This is how Eddie Lampert put Sears out of business, self-dealing all the while. He stayed rich, the employees of the retailer? They're with the workers from Toys "R" Us, out on the street. And god forbid they hit rock bottom. To get assistance they've got to work, talk about a conundrum.
Jamelle Bouie wrote a great column on this:
"The Republican Obsession With 'Work Requirements' Is Telling": https://tinyurl.com/yckhcva3
That's another free link, but you won't read the article, you don't have time, you know the truth anyway.
But you don't. The bottom line is work requirements just reduce enrollment. People stop applying for assistance. Meanwhile, the cost of policing work oftentimes exceeds the financial benefit.
Doesn't feel right, but that's the truth.
Which begs the question, what else don't you know?
Then again, you've got a life, most probably didn't get this far in this screed, they don't want to read about politics, More Music! But you should be paying attention, because in truth the ticket brokers are trying to pass bills that supposedly benefit the public but actually hurts people, to protect the brokers' business. And Live Nation is on the right side of this. But don't we hate Live Nation? But you'd rather complain ignorantly why you can't get a good ticket at a low price. When in truth the acts are in control of pricing and Ticketmaster is paid to take the heat. Once again, what feels right is not.
So CNN comes up with this cockamamie theory that by driving down a theoretical middle it will be triumphant. Isn't this what killed broadcast television? Turns out the masses want more edge, and more nuggets of truth. A news outlet with no edge that fits the agenda of fat cat Republicans like John Malone... Yes, these media outlets are owned by white men, not only fattening their wallets, look at the insane Gannett situation, but furthering their agendas.
But the problem is with the failing "New York Times." Which is not failing, but burgeoning, and the owners of the paper have a fraction of the cash of those purchasing media outlets to have their voices heard. News is not about making money, it's about power, plain and simple. That's why you become a writer. That's why you become an artist. And once you lose that vision you're neither a writer nor an artist. Once the money comes first. The chart manipulations, the trumpeting of sold out shows, that becomes the message, not the underlying music. Believe me, the truth can stand by itself. But everybody is convinced this isn't the case, they want an edge.
And the public is sitting by the wayside, scratching its head.
As soon as CNN announced its new "centrist" policy, viewers left. Go to the website, it's trying to catch your eye, like Fox, it's not focused first and foremost on the news, that's not good enough.
And this full scale discrimination against the talent. That's who people see on TV! And enough with the lauding of Kaitlin Collins. She started at the "Daily Caller," Tucker Carlson's outlet, and she has a long history of Republicanism. Do Zaslav and Licht think the public doesn't know this? That everybody watching cable news is ignorant and uninformed? If I want my news from this kind of person, I'll go to Fox and get the real thing. As for something more honest and down to earth, I'll watch Rachel Maddow, who went to Stanford and got a Rhodes scholarship and went to Oxford as opposed to the beautiful young graduate of the University of Alabama. But wait, isn't that discriminatory? Of course it is! But we're talking about those who actually watch cable news, and there's a good chance you do not, very few do. You may hate Maddow, but her acolytes love her, because she evidences intelligence, sets the day's news in the context of history, she explains it all. That's a star, not a pretty face.
But Zaslav and Licht believe news is show business. Then why is the CNN reporter with the most gravitas, the most respect, Christine Amanpour? She might evidence less showbiz than any other person on cable news, but viewers don't care, Amanpour stands for incisiveness, for truth. She had the balls to testify as to Licht's mistake with the Trump town hall. That turned the screw. Licht didn't see it coming. I mean if you work for the organization, you're loyal. Organization first, right?
This is the problem across the board in America. How dare you complain about your job at Amazon, Starbucks or Apple. Why would you form a union for more? And why are these executives fighting unions? Primarily to keep their stock price up. But really, they don't want to cede an iota of control, they want to continue to be the boss.
And if you are the boss, you keep your head down, out of the news. What was Chris Licht thinking by allowing an "Atlantic" reporter to follow him around. I'll argue quite strongly that the book "The Operator" put a dent in David Geffen's image and power. He already didn't have enough? He wanted even more?
These people are myopic and money-hungry. These people who position themselves as seers frequently know less than the person on the street, because it's been a long time since they've been on the street, if they ever were.
And they want respect amongst their peers. That's what the private jet is all about, it's a dick thing. It's rarefied air, it's a club, and you're not in it. Entertainers, who make their living being in the public eye? That's a different thing. You put your rented mansion on "Cribs" and move down the line, the public too stupid to understand what is really going on.
And at the end of the day entertainment is always about the money. Whereas with art...the truth comes first.
Leonard Cohen's "Everybody Knows" has many covers, you can check them out here: https://secondhandsongs.com/performance/1880/all But in truth, Cohen's version was never a hit, never close, not even in the league of the Top Forty. But that hit written just a few years ago was never covered and is already forgotten, but the truth in Cohen's song...
"Everybody knows that the dice are loaded
Everybody rolls with their fingers crossed
Everybody knows the war is over
Everybody knows the good guys lost
Everybody knows the fight was fixed
The poor stay poor, the rich get rich
That's how it goes
Everybody knows"
Everybody knows the redo of CNN wasn't about truth, but an effort to appease those on the right. But somehow, Licht and Zaslav thought their machinations were unviewable.
And Licht's main goal was to satisfy Zaslav. Forget his team, forget what was actually on the screen, if it made money... This loyalty is the scourge of modern business, talk about me-too. And the news has no side, doesn't come with money, it just is. You can't adjust it, you can just report it. And hasn't there been enough analysis of false equivalencies? Some things don't have another side, there is not another opinion. Gravity exists. Why try and tell us otherwise.
But ultimately this is a big win for the press. We haven't seen the press evidence this power in media since "New York Times" reporter David Carr took down Sam Zell's adventure in the news, having purchased the Tribune Company, handing power over the news to radio guys. That's never going to work, never has. Remember newsman Andy Lack being brought into Sony Music? His masterstroke? The rootkit and the ensuing fiasco. By bringing in outsiders you show no respect to the people who've been doing the work for decades. News is a professional business. Just because you've got a theory, an opinion, that does not mean you can run it.
Kinda like Licht.
I mean look at the reputation of "The Atlantic." Laurene Powell Jobs pouring in all that money. Do you think it was about making a ton of money? Of course not, it was about truth. Anybody who reads the "Atlantic" knows this. And with the right story, it doesn't matter how big the outlet is, especially in the internet age, it spreads.
Chris Licht will go back to entertainment. Zaslav will hand the reins off to others until he too loses his job. Man, look at his record, talk about destroying value.
What are these guys thinking?
They're not. These are not doctors, even engineers. These businesses are run by personalities, bullies, who believe their crap doesn't stink.
But it does.
And everybody knows.
The reason Zaslav changed the name to Max from HBO Max is because he wants all the credit if it succeeds, and if it doesn't...he's been paid more than $247 million since 2018: https://tinyurl.com/mr399yh3 Quick, name the previous head of Discovery, never mind the top exec at a movie studio. You can't. They're not the titans they once were. So when they're gone, they live the life of kings, they're almost all male, and who cares if anybody knows their name, they're a permanent member of the U.S. elite, always flying private, living behind gates, vacationing at not only hotels, but locations you've never heard of. As for those still with their knickers in a twist about what I said about the outsized press fascination with "Succession":
"The data found that 'Succession' was covered six times more than any other show analyzed, but saw the second lowest average readership of that coverage."
"Media's 'Succession' obsession": https://tinyurl.com/4pevp9ht
Read this Axios article, it won't even take you a minute. It's got charts and everything. I know, it doesn't feel right, but feel is what got us into this mess. The data doesn't lie.
Then again, it can be manipulated.
Cable news... One can argue whether it's even news anymore. But Zaslav and Malone, distanced from reality, the former knowing power, the latter knowing how to never pay taxes, decided we needed a news outlet in the middle, that was not perceived as biased, you know, facts only so that most of America will be happy watching it.
But this theorized middle doesn't exist.
Perry Bacon, Jr. wrote a great piece about this in the "Washington Post":
"CNN's Chris Licht showed the problem with anti-woke centrism": https://wapo.st/3oOjFbL
That's a free link, check it out.
"Licht and Elon Musk, who has expressed similar sentiments, control two hugely important media platforms. Their views matter. That they have become consumed by this anti-wokeism has meant that great journalists were fired at CNN for being too anti-Trump and that Twitter's verification system was disabled it seemed because Musk felt it gave too much prominence to left-wing people."
The old white guys in power see their power being eroded, that's the reason they're so anti-woke.
Then again, the meaning of woke has been twisted, and most people have no idea what it means anyway. And just like Antifa, woke extremists...are miniscule in number, nowhere near the number of white nationalists, but the right has fought back and Zaslav and Malone therefore want to shift CNN to a theoretical middle. This is like saying the Nuggets are better than the Knicks, so in contests the Knicks should be spotted twenty points. But that's not how the game works. Then again, we've got Trump losing by millions of votes and saying he won. And even though Fox News paid nearly a billion dollars as a result of fanning the flames of this false narrative, those who believed it still do.
There is no middle, it's us vs. them. Those in the middle... Are almost always trying to protect their assets. They're people who made money and want to keep it, don't want their taxes raised. Or are fearful of a left wing extremism that barely exists. But if you say something long enough, the public believes it. Like the abrasiveness and incompetence of Kamala Harris. In truth, Harris is nearly a cipher, as most VPs are. She's had very little to do and we don't know what she does. But the right has lambasted and defined her, and the left...is silent.
Then again, it's hard to win by playing it safe. Want to be scared, read this analysis of Biden's frailties from the front page of the "New York Times":
"Inside the Complicated Reality of Being America's Oldest President - President Biden is asking voters to keep him in the White House until age 86, renewing attention to an issue that polls show troubles most Americans.": https://tinyurl.com/bdzzjexp (This too is a free link.)
"Like many his age, Mr. Biden repeats phrases and retells the same hoary, often fact-challenged stories again and again."
My mother started repeating herself in her eighties. Many people do. I speak to a lot of octogenarians... You'd be surprised how many have lost a step, even musicians in their seventies. Of course I know sharp eightysomethings, but do I want to make this bet, when Biden is already showing signs of age? Of course not, most people don't. But the same people who are convinced that "Succession" was great and the most popular show on TV will e-mail me and tell me to STFU and just vote for Biden, what he's done is great and he can beat Trump, since he did it before. Past is prologue, but the contest doesn't always play out the same way. Back to sports analogies, how often does one team beat the other four straight in the finals? It happens, but it's a minority of the time.
But one can't even talk about a Biden replacement, the inept Democratic brass has kept everybody on the sidelines as the mass of candidates fight for attention on the right, Trump in the news every day. You think this is a winning strategy? As for Biden taking the stage with Trump... Eegads, one misstep and... And speaking of missteps, how much is Biden going to deteriorate in the next eighteen months? One faux pas will kill his chances, believe me.
But I guess I'm too woke. Anybody to the left of you who doesn't agree with you is considered woke. We've got to reset the balance. We've got to go back to an era in history when politics wasn't such a blood sport. But that was eons ago, before many voters were even born.
And speaking of faux pas, Chris Licht would probably still have his job if it weren't for the CNN town hall with Trump. Yes, one event put the knife in him. And he didn't even realize the tragedy until long after the Thrilla in New Hampsha was over, that's how out of touch and delusional he was. And still is.
Yes, one of the first things he did was to move his office downstairs from the bullpen, unlike his predecessor Jeff Zucker who was in on the action. It'd be like the lead singer living in a different town and never showing up in the studio when the rest of the band was there. How long would that group stay together?
And the reason CNN hosted Trump was for ratings. It's all about the Benjamins, always. A lot of people would tune in and CNN would be back in the game. Completely overlooking the content of said town hall.
It's like Zaslav removing content from HBO Max, er Max, to make the numbers work. It'd be like going into Bloomingdale's or Walmart and seeing a third of the merchandise gone. Maybe it wasn't merchandise you bought, but someone did, otherwise it wouldn't appear. So the store gets smaller and... This is how Eddie Lampert put Sears out of business, self-dealing all the while. He stayed rich, the employees of the retailer? They're with the workers from Toys "R" Us, out on the street. And god forbid they hit rock bottom. To get assistance they've got to work, talk about a conundrum.
Jamelle Bouie wrote a great column on this:
"The Republican Obsession With 'Work Requirements' Is Telling": https://tinyurl.com/yckhcva3
That's another free link, but you won't read the article, you don't have time, you know the truth anyway.
But you don't. The bottom line is work requirements just reduce enrollment. People stop applying for assistance. Meanwhile, the cost of policing work oftentimes exceeds the financial benefit.
Doesn't feel right, but that's the truth.
Which begs the question, what else don't you know?
Then again, you've got a life, most probably didn't get this far in this screed, they don't want to read about politics, More Music! But you should be paying attention, because in truth the ticket brokers are trying to pass bills that supposedly benefit the public but actually hurts people, to protect the brokers' business. And Live Nation is on the right side of this. But don't we hate Live Nation? But you'd rather complain ignorantly why you can't get a good ticket at a low price. When in truth the acts are in control of pricing and Ticketmaster is paid to take the heat. Once again, what feels right is not.
So CNN comes up with this cockamamie theory that by driving down a theoretical middle it will be triumphant. Isn't this what killed broadcast television? Turns out the masses want more edge, and more nuggets of truth. A news outlet with no edge that fits the agenda of fat cat Republicans like John Malone... Yes, these media outlets are owned by white men, not only fattening their wallets, look at the insane Gannett situation, but furthering their agendas.
But the problem is with the failing "New York Times." Which is not failing, but burgeoning, and the owners of the paper have a fraction of the cash of those purchasing media outlets to have their voices heard. News is not about making money, it's about power, plain and simple. That's why you become a writer. That's why you become an artist. And once you lose that vision you're neither a writer nor an artist. Once the money comes first. The chart manipulations, the trumpeting of sold out shows, that becomes the message, not the underlying music. Believe me, the truth can stand by itself. But everybody is convinced this isn't the case, they want an edge.
And the public is sitting by the wayside, scratching its head.
As soon as CNN announced its new "centrist" policy, viewers left. Go to the website, it's trying to catch your eye, like Fox, it's not focused first and foremost on the news, that's not good enough.
And this full scale discrimination against the talent. That's who people see on TV! And enough with the lauding of Kaitlin Collins. She started at the "Daily Caller," Tucker Carlson's outlet, and she has a long history of Republicanism. Do Zaslav and Licht think the public doesn't know this? That everybody watching cable news is ignorant and uninformed? If I want my news from this kind of person, I'll go to Fox and get the real thing. As for something more honest and down to earth, I'll watch Rachel Maddow, who went to Stanford and got a Rhodes scholarship and went to Oxford as opposed to the beautiful young graduate of the University of Alabama. But wait, isn't that discriminatory? Of course it is! But we're talking about those who actually watch cable news, and there's a good chance you do not, very few do. You may hate Maddow, but her acolytes love her, because she evidences intelligence, sets the day's news in the context of history, she explains it all. That's a star, not a pretty face.
But Zaslav and Licht believe news is show business. Then why is the CNN reporter with the most gravitas, the most respect, Christine Amanpour? She might evidence less showbiz than any other person on cable news, but viewers don't care, Amanpour stands for incisiveness, for truth. She had the balls to testify as to Licht's mistake with the Trump town hall. That turned the screw. Licht didn't see it coming. I mean if you work for the organization, you're loyal. Organization first, right?
This is the problem across the board in America. How dare you complain about your job at Amazon, Starbucks or Apple. Why would you form a union for more? And why are these executives fighting unions? Primarily to keep their stock price up. But really, they don't want to cede an iota of control, they want to continue to be the boss.
And if you are the boss, you keep your head down, out of the news. What was Chris Licht thinking by allowing an "Atlantic" reporter to follow him around. I'll argue quite strongly that the book "The Operator" put a dent in David Geffen's image and power. He already didn't have enough? He wanted even more?
These people are myopic and money-hungry. These people who position themselves as seers frequently know less than the person on the street, because it's been a long time since they've been on the street, if they ever were.
And they want respect amongst their peers. That's what the private jet is all about, it's a dick thing. It's rarefied air, it's a club, and you're not in it. Entertainers, who make their living being in the public eye? That's a different thing. You put your rented mansion on "Cribs" and move down the line, the public too stupid to understand what is really going on.
And at the end of the day entertainment is always about the money. Whereas with art...the truth comes first.
Leonard Cohen's "Everybody Knows" has many covers, you can check them out here: https://secondhandsongs.com/performance/1880/all But in truth, Cohen's version was never a hit, never close, not even in the league of the Top Forty. But that hit written just a few years ago was never covered and is already forgotten, but the truth in Cohen's song...
"Everybody knows that the dice are loaded
Everybody rolls with their fingers crossed
Everybody knows the war is over
Everybody knows the good guys lost
Everybody knows the fight was fixed
The poor stay poor, the rich get rich
That's how it goes
Everybody knows"
Everybody knows the redo of CNN wasn't about truth, but an effort to appease those on the right. But somehow, Licht and Zaslav thought their machinations were unviewable.
And Licht's main goal was to satisfy Zaslav. Forget his team, forget what was actually on the screen, if it made money... This loyalty is the scourge of modern business, talk about me-too. And the news has no side, doesn't come with money, it just is. You can't adjust it, you can just report it. And hasn't there been enough analysis of false equivalencies? Some things don't have another side, there is not another opinion. Gravity exists. Why try and tell us otherwise.
But ultimately this is a big win for the press. We haven't seen the press evidence this power in media since "New York Times" reporter David Carr took down Sam Zell's adventure in the news, having purchased the Tribune Company, handing power over the news to radio guys. That's never going to work, never has. Remember newsman Andy Lack being brought into Sony Music? His masterstroke? The rootkit and the ensuing fiasco. By bringing in outsiders you show no respect to the people who've been doing the work for decades. News is a professional business. Just because you've got a theory, an opinion, that does not mean you can run it.
Kinda like Licht.
I mean look at the reputation of "The Atlantic." Laurene Powell Jobs pouring in all that money. Do you think it was about making a ton of money? Of course not, it was about truth. Anybody who reads the "Atlantic" knows this. And with the right story, it doesn't matter how big the outlet is, especially in the internet age, it spreads.
Chris Licht will go back to entertainment. Zaslav will hand the reins off to others until he too loses his job. Man, look at his record, talk about destroying value.
What are these guys thinking?
They're not. These are not doctors, even engineers. These businesses are run by personalities, bullies, who believe their crap doesn't stink.
But it does.
And everybody knows.
--
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Monday, 5 June 2023
Mailbag
From: Kevin Cronin
Subject: Re: Sugar Babe (Live at Berkeley 1971)
Yo Bob,
Stephen Stills is my musical hero. Supremely gifted on acoustic and electric, genius songwriter, (I wrote one with him, so I witnessed it in real time), and that voice. I had the honor and pleasure of singing a live duet with Stephen on "Almost Cut My Hair" shortly after David Crosby's passing …a career/life highlight for me. And Stephen is more at peace now than at any other time our paths have crossed. Good on you for singing Stephen's praises here. When I release my little memoir, Stephen's praises will be sung once again, in long form, from the rooftop of my soul, and deservedly so. … kc
___________________________________
From: TS Bitterman
Subject: Re: Sugar Babe (Live at Berkeley 1971)
Hi Bob,
Crew guy here
I became a bigger fan of Stephen Stills after working for him.
"Never meet your heroes"…
hmmph, then pick better heroes
Cheers, TS
___________________________________
From: Fay Morgan Hine
Subject: Tina article
was a great read/tribute, fab … Roop produced better be good to me as you probably know … grammy winner 1985 … he was proud of that.
bests fay hine
___________________________________
From: Paul Ill
Subject: RE: Tina Turner
Long ago and far away at the beginning of this century, Guy Chambers flew the great drummer Brian McLeod, exemplary guitarist Eric Schermerhorn and me first class to London on Capitol Records' dime. Our calling was to record four songs with Tina Turner at his studio in Primrose Hill. Tina and Guy had written the tunes with the singer from Train. The label put us up at the Ritz Carlton. Those were the days, man…
Upon arrival, Guy told us, "Come to the studio tomorrow. We will track the four tunes to Tina's guide vocal. She's still here in London. She will come to the studio the day after and have a listen. We'll see what happens from there."
Day two, the four of us were in audio Heaven, tracking to Tina's guide vocal. It was amazing… After a really good day in the studio Guy said, "Stick close tomorrow, who knows what's going to happen…"
Day three I was having lunch in Primrose Hill with an amicable ex girlfriend when my phone rang. Those were the flip phone days. Guy said, "Come by the studio." Five minutes over to Guy's studio, I walked in the front lounge and there's Tina Turner with her impeccable husband. The room was vibrant with her presence. It was like that of an Ascended Master's. She greeted me, saying "Hello," to which I replied, "Lifetime debt of gratitude, Miss Turner, for your music and your artistry, She replied, "Well thank you. Guy is in his control room."
I went through the door, Guy said with a smile, "Stay in here. Tina likes the vibe so much, she wants to track the four songs live with us. Brian and Eric will be here any minute." Richard Flack, Guy's brilliant engineer was placing a packing blanket out in the main room of the studio for Tina to stand on while she sang. That way should could move and groove with no extraneous noise.
We did the three passes of the four songs, Tina in the room with us, singing live, as if she were at Wembley or Yankee Stadium. Absolute heaven. For all intents and purposes, one of the best, if not the best musical day of my life. The masters remain unreleased, presumably safe, but sadly unheard, languishing gems, collecting dust in the Capitol vaults.
A few years later Guy let me know that Tina had come to LA by herself without a bodyguard or a personal assistant to pack up her musical director's condo in West Hollywood. Sadly, he had passed away. As Guy explained it to me, Tina's actions were part of her Buddhist practice. Tina Turner - impeccable and every way. Simply the Best.
Peace and Love,
Paul ILL
___________________________________
From: Jean Sievers
Subject: Re: Tina Turner
Brian Wilson LOVED Tina Turner more than anyone… well more than most he ever spoke about.. . She was a unique talent.. Brian never saw gender or color he only saw TALENT, vibes… and he hears it all. He observes.. and he always talked about Tina Turner.
For the almost 3 decades I've worked with him her name has always been present in one way or another.
As a producer, songwriter and vocalist he loved and respected "River Deep Mountain High" .. of course .. Always watching what Phil Spector was putting out he was blown away by that track and talked about it often. But Tina and Ike's cover of the brilliant John Fogerty.. Creedence Clearwater song "Proud Mary" was a song he was in awe of.. Its still a reoccurrence in his playlist. To this day he still wants to do another version of it.
He loved Tina.. her voice, her energy and her spirit.. She was a survivor of abuse just like he was.. Having someone who was supposed to love them.. tell then they were pieces of shit.. unworthy.. Gosh can you imagine? Then succeeding to the point they did…
One of the last times we were on tour in New York he went to see TINA: The Tina Turner Musical.. He LOVED it!! Was Blown away by it.
When I saw him a few weeks ago.. We talked about him going to see some theater and he asked to go see that show again..
Well now he will see it again as a tribute to a woman, artist and colleague that he so admired and respected.
RIP Tina Turner..Brian Wilson will always love you.
___________________________________
From: Chuck Woodford
Subject: Re: Succession Finale
Hey Bob,
You reference to Eslabon Armado and Peso Pluma's "Ella Baila Sola." really hit home with me as i recently DJ'd a 'Kick Off The Summer Party' Memorial Day weekend at a local country club here in Denver. Over the course of an hour this is just a small sampling of the requests I received, primarily from 7-17 year olds.
Eslabon Armado and Peso Pluma-Ella Baila Sola.
Morgan Wallen-Last Night
Bebe Rexha-I 'm Good
Aqua-Barbie Girl
Johnny Cash-Ring of Fire
Quinn XCII-Another Day in Paradise
Miley Cyrus-Party in the USA
Marshmello-Shockwave
Ozzy-Crazy Train
Jack Black (from Super Mario Bros)-Peaches
Shakira-Waka Waka
Weezer-Buddy Holly
Alan Walker-Faded
Abba-Dancing Queen
Pinkfong-Baby Shark
Taylor Swift-Paris/Anti Hero
Lil Dickie-Earth
Alice Cooper-School's Out
Great Caesar's Ghost, you wanna talk about eclectic!! We oldsters might want to think that our kids are just slaves to pop music but TikTok and Youtube are completely upending the delivery system for our kids when it comes to every form of entertainment, especially music.
As someone who works in radio, I appreciate how finite my career is going to be. Ask anyone under the age of 40 how relevant radio or corporate curation is to them and you'll get blank stares. Ask the same demo if they even have a radio in their home! Hell, I don't even have a functioning radio in my home and I've been in this industry for almost 35 years.
We oldsters can continue to clutch furiously onto the ways of the past but to denigrate and ignore the impact of social media and word of mouth is to bury your head in the sand.
I have two teenage boys and I'm constantly amazed at the diversity of artists they want to share with me. "Dad, you gotta hear this" has quickly become my new favorite phrase in my house.
Be well and Go Nuggets!!
Chuck Woodford
Denver
___________________________________
Hi Bob,
Just saw your article about Apple using Dreamer in the VisionPro Ad. I really appreciate it and you made a lot of great points. This is a Roger Hodgson song he wrote before Supertramp. He brought his demo to the band so they could learn it. Wanted you to know that the Dreamer version Apple used is actually from two different rerecordings from Roger Hodgson. Apple put together parts from Roger's orchestra and band performances and did a really great job.
Could you please post links to his versions of his song and let your readers know that this song is performed by Roger Hodgson? It's not with the band Supertramp.
YouTube Links below
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCqs7LF9nk4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ju_JxXC0WO8
Also, I noted that your Spotify and iTunes links go to a Supertramp version of Dreamer. Here are links to Roger Hodgson's Dreamer on Spotify and iTunes.
https://open.spotify.com/track/0gHDyTISdHGoycw1glA9Zu
https://music.apple.com/us/album/classics-live/502038005
Thanks for your support of artists all these years.
My best,
Linda Tyler
Harmonic Management
___________________________________
From: Kevin Cronin
Subject: Re: Stolen Moments
Hey Bob,
Okay, "Stolen Moments", this is my first listen, and I like it a lot. Very Tom Petty…same chords in both verse and chorus. The whole song is one simple chord pattern, just like "Free Falling". In 1976, I brought my "Time For Me To Fly" into the studio for consideration, and a famous producer, (who shall remain nameless to protect the guilty), turned it down. His reason: it only had three chords. I knew that was the lamest reasoning ever, but I was the new guy in the band so I sucked it up.
It's easier to write songs with a ton of chords. Try writing one with only three. Lucinda and Tom know how. Okay now Joni Mitchell is singing about how she wishes she had a river so she could sail away…beauty.
I was listening to Chris Stapleton Radio on Spotify yesterday. I had to stop my workout four times in a row to check my phone and see the song/artists I was hearing. I have no idea if these are new or older songs, and I don't give a shit. Good songs are good songs. They never get old …once they are good, they are always good!
1. Chris Stapleton, "Millionaire"
2. Cody Johnson, "Nuthin' on You"
3. Luke Grimes, I missed the title, but the line: "I'm a falling star without a midnight sky" stuck with me. And the song was great
4. Brandi Carlisle, "Most of All" … this song stops me in my tracks no matter what I'm doing.
Good songs do that. They put your life on pause for three and a half minutes, maybe even longer. You have been echoing my thoughts a lot lately. Looking forward to the podcast … kc
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Subject: Re: Sugar Babe (Live at Berkeley 1971)
Yo Bob,
Stephen Stills is my musical hero. Supremely gifted on acoustic and electric, genius songwriter, (I wrote one with him, so I witnessed it in real time), and that voice. I had the honor and pleasure of singing a live duet with Stephen on "Almost Cut My Hair" shortly after David Crosby's passing …a career/life highlight for me. And Stephen is more at peace now than at any other time our paths have crossed. Good on you for singing Stephen's praises here. When I release my little memoir, Stephen's praises will be sung once again, in long form, from the rooftop of my soul, and deservedly so. … kc
___________________________________
From: TS Bitterman
Subject: Re: Sugar Babe (Live at Berkeley 1971)
Hi Bob,
Crew guy here
I became a bigger fan of Stephen Stills after working for him.
"Never meet your heroes"…
hmmph, then pick better heroes
Cheers, TS
___________________________________
From: Fay Morgan Hine
Subject: Tina article
was a great read/tribute, fab … Roop produced better be good to me as you probably know … grammy winner 1985 … he was proud of that.
bests fay hine
___________________________________
From: Paul Ill
Subject: RE: Tina Turner
Long ago and far away at the beginning of this century, Guy Chambers flew the great drummer Brian McLeod, exemplary guitarist Eric Schermerhorn and me first class to London on Capitol Records' dime. Our calling was to record four songs with Tina Turner at his studio in Primrose Hill. Tina and Guy had written the tunes with the singer from Train. The label put us up at the Ritz Carlton. Those were the days, man…
Upon arrival, Guy told us, "Come to the studio tomorrow. We will track the four tunes to Tina's guide vocal. She's still here in London. She will come to the studio the day after and have a listen. We'll see what happens from there."
Day two, the four of us were in audio Heaven, tracking to Tina's guide vocal. It was amazing… After a really good day in the studio Guy said, "Stick close tomorrow, who knows what's going to happen…"
Day three I was having lunch in Primrose Hill with an amicable ex girlfriend when my phone rang. Those were the flip phone days. Guy said, "Come by the studio." Five minutes over to Guy's studio, I walked in the front lounge and there's Tina Turner with her impeccable husband. The room was vibrant with her presence. It was like that of an Ascended Master's. She greeted me, saying "Hello," to which I replied, "Lifetime debt of gratitude, Miss Turner, for your music and your artistry, She replied, "Well thank you. Guy is in his control room."
I went through the door, Guy said with a smile, "Stay in here. Tina likes the vibe so much, she wants to track the four songs live with us. Brian and Eric will be here any minute." Richard Flack, Guy's brilliant engineer was placing a packing blanket out in the main room of the studio for Tina to stand on while she sang. That way should could move and groove with no extraneous noise.
We did the three passes of the four songs, Tina in the room with us, singing live, as if she were at Wembley or Yankee Stadium. Absolute heaven. For all intents and purposes, one of the best, if not the best musical day of my life. The masters remain unreleased, presumably safe, but sadly unheard, languishing gems, collecting dust in the Capitol vaults.
A few years later Guy let me know that Tina had come to LA by herself without a bodyguard or a personal assistant to pack up her musical director's condo in West Hollywood. Sadly, he had passed away. As Guy explained it to me, Tina's actions were part of her Buddhist practice. Tina Turner - impeccable and every way. Simply the Best.
Peace and Love,
Paul ILL
___________________________________
From: Jean Sievers
Subject: Re: Tina Turner
Brian Wilson LOVED Tina Turner more than anyone… well more than most he ever spoke about.. . She was a unique talent.. Brian never saw gender or color he only saw TALENT, vibes… and he hears it all. He observes.. and he always talked about Tina Turner.
For the almost 3 decades I've worked with him her name has always been present in one way or another.
As a producer, songwriter and vocalist he loved and respected "River Deep Mountain High" .. of course .. Always watching what Phil Spector was putting out he was blown away by that track and talked about it often. But Tina and Ike's cover of the brilliant John Fogerty.. Creedence Clearwater song "Proud Mary" was a song he was in awe of.. Its still a reoccurrence in his playlist. To this day he still wants to do another version of it.
He loved Tina.. her voice, her energy and her spirit.. She was a survivor of abuse just like he was.. Having someone who was supposed to love them.. tell then they were pieces of shit.. unworthy.. Gosh can you imagine? Then succeeding to the point they did…
One of the last times we were on tour in New York he went to see TINA: The Tina Turner Musical.. He LOVED it!! Was Blown away by it.
When I saw him a few weeks ago.. We talked about him going to see some theater and he asked to go see that show again..
Well now he will see it again as a tribute to a woman, artist and colleague that he so admired and respected.
RIP Tina Turner..Brian Wilson will always love you.
___________________________________
From: Chuck Woodford
Subject: Re: Succession Finale
Hey Bob,
You reference to Eslabon Armado and Peso Pluma's "Ella Baila Sola." really hit home with me as i recently DJ'd a 'Kick Off The Summer Party' Memorial Day weekend at a local country club here in Denver. Over the course of an hour this is just a small sampling of the requests I received, primarily from 7-17 year olds.
Eslabon Armado and Peso Pluma-Ella Baila Sola.
Morgan Wallen-Last Night
Bebe Rexha-I 'm Good
Aqua-Barbie Girl
Johnny Cash-Ring of Fire
Quinn XCII-Another Day in Paradise
Miley Cyrus-Party in the USA
Marshmello-Shockwave
Ozzy-Crazy Train
Jack Black (from Super Mario Bros)-Peaches
Shakira-Waka Waka
Weezer-Buddy Holly
Alan Walker-Faded
Abba-Dancing Queen
Pinkfong-Baby Shark
Taylor Swift-Paris/Anti Hero
Lil Dickie-Earth
Alice Cooper-School's Out
Great Caesar's Ghost, you wanna talk about eclectic!! We oldsters might want to think that our kids are just slaves to pop music but TikTok and Youtube are completely upending the delivery system for our kids when it comes to every form of entertainment, especially music.
As someone who works in radio, I appreciate how finite my career is going to be. Ask anyone under the age of 40 how relevant radio or corporate curation is to them and you'll get blank stares. Ask the same demo if they even have a radio in their home! Hell, I don't even have a functioning radio in my home and I've been in this industry for almost 35 years.
We oldsters can continue to clutch furiously onto the ways of the past but to denigrate and ignore the impact of social media and word of mouth is to bury your head in the sand.
I have two teenage boys and I'm constantly amazed at the diversity of artists they want to share with me. "Dad, you gotta hear this" has quickly become my new favorite phrase in my house.
Be well and Go Nuggets!!
Chuck Woodford
Denver
___________________________________
Hi Bob,
Just saw your article about Apple using Dreamer in the VisionPro Ad. I really appreciate it and you made a lot of great points. This is a Roger Hodgson song he wrote before Supertramp. He brought his demo to the band so they could learn it. Wanted you to know that the Dreamer version Apple used is actually from two different rerecordings from Roger Hodgson. Apple put together parts from Roger's orchestra and band performances and did a really great job.
Could you please post links to his versions of his song and let your readers know that this song is performed by Roger Hodgson? It's not with the band Supertramp.
YouTube Links below
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCqs7LF9nk4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ju_JxXC0WO8
Also, I noted that your Spotify and iTunes links go to a Supertramp version of Dreamer. Here are links to Roger Hodgson's Dreamer on Spotify and iTunes.
https://open.spotify.com/track/0gHDyTISdHGoycw1glA9Zu
https://music.apple.com/us/album/classics-live/502038005
Thanks for your support of artists all these years.
My best,
Linda Tyler
Harmonic Management
___________________________________
From: Kevin Cronin
Subject: Re: Stolen Moments
Hey Bob,
Okay, "Stolen Moments", this is my first listen, and I like it a lot. Very Tom Petty…same chords in both verse and chorus. The whole song is one simple chord pattern, just like "Free Falling". In 1976, I brought my "Time For Me To Fly" into the studio for consideration, and a famous producer, (who shall remain nameless to protect the guilty), turned it down. His reason: it only had three chords. I knew that was the lamest reasoning ever, but I was the new guy in the band so I sucked it up.
It's easier to write songs with a ton of chords. Try writing one with only three. Lucinda and Tom know how. Okay now Joni Mitchell is singing about how she wishes she had a river so she could sail away…beauty.
I was listening to Chris Stapleton Radio on Spotify yesterday. I had to stop my workout four times in a row to check my phone and see the song/artists I was hearing. I have no idea if these are new or older songs, and I don't give a shit. Good songs are good songs. They never get old …once they are good, they are always good!
1. Chris Stapleton, "Millionaire"
2. Cody Johnson, "Nuthin' on You"
3. Luke Grimes, I missed the title, but the line: "I'm a falling star without a midnight sky" stuck with me. And the song was great
4. Brandi Carlisle, "Most of All" … this song stops me in my tracks no matter what I'm doing.
Good songs do that. They put your life on pause for three and a half minutes, maybe even longer. You have been echoing my thoughts a lot lately. Looking forward to the podcast … kc
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Dreamer
Apple VisionPro ad: https://tinyurl.com/2a2wsxxr
_____________
Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/42638p7s
YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/mrsbadd9
"I said dreamer, you're nothing but a dreamer
Well can you put your hands in your head, oh no!"
Well, yes. With the Apple VisionPro.
If you watched today's presentation you weren't quite sure whether it was one giant step for mankind or a Saturday Night Live skit. I mean the people smiling wearing ski goggles...
Then again, it's like "Minority Report" come alive, but better. Funny when engineers can come up with a better future than the creators, who have a completely clean slate.
In any event, you'll hear a lot about the VisionPro in the coming months. Will you buy one?
Doubtful.
Then again...
We have very few signifiers of cool anymore. And if you've got an Apple VisionPro...for a while there, you're going to be unique, with a status item on your head. Or will you just look like a geek?
There is no denying the VisionPro is cool. And using your hands as a mouse, clicking your fingers instead of tapping or clicking. To be able to see your entire computer, with a huge canvas/screen, in space. Amazing.
And movies... Gonna be better than any theatre. And the floor will be a lot cleaner.
But will we be further isolated? Never to encounter each other in real life?
Well, the conundrum is as a result of the internet I know and interact with many more people than I did before. And you might deny this, but you do too. Do I reach out and touch them? No, but with Zoom and other software it's a good facsimile.
Speaking of facsimile, that's where the VisionPro will shine, with pornography. That's a breakthrough app, makes people buy the hardware just to experience the software. You used to have to go to the theatre to experience what became known as XXX, now you've got a cornucopia of clips right in front of your very eyes, on demand, and you never have to pay a dime.
So expect some amazing sex apps for the VisionPro. Which will drive adoption. But what we're really in search of is the killer app, and it's not there yet. But it just might come.
The Apple Watch didn't blow up until it was used for health.
What broke the personal computer wide the first time was word processing, and then the spreadsheet. Lotus 1-2-3 was the Tesla of its day, and Mitch Kapor was Elon Musk, albeit much more down to earth.
And then came the internet. People who pooh-poohed computers from day one suddenly went out and bought one, they needed to play online. The mission was driven by AOL, another company that's faded in the rearview mirror. Unlike Apple, which gets more and more powerful. Now it's a bank? With a better interest rate than all the name brand banks?
But what it really comes down to is R&D. To dominate in the future, to even play in the future, you've got to spend prodigiously, which many CEOs and boards refuse to do, busy buying back stock to try and prop up the share price, so the execs can get huge bonuses.
But if you put that money into R&D, and you've got vision...
This is what was lost in the music business, vision. You don't want to hold people in the past, you want to get ahead of them, and lead them into the future.
But speaking of the past...
At some point today, Apple itself will post the ad for the VisionPro. And you'll be stunned to find out the accompanying music is nearly fifty years old, but fits perfectly. It's "Dreamer," from the truly legendary Supertramp album "Crime of the Century."
What a sync! The question is, does "Dreamer" become the new "Running Up That Hill" or "Bohemian Rhapsody," both of which were jetted into the stratosphere with syncs, the former "Stranger Things," the latter "Wayne's World." "Running Up That Hill" was completely dormant, never a hit to begin with. And as big as Queen is today, without that sync, they'd be a fraction as large. Believe me, everybody was not listening to and talking about Queen prior to "Wayne's World." You might hear "We Are the Champions" at a sporting event, but you didn't read umpteen analyses of it, it wasn't the most streamed song from the twentieth century...
So now it's Supertramp's turn.
Well, probably not. But there's been a bounce for every track that's been involved in Apple advertising. But most of them were new. As far as using a classic...
In case you don't know, "Crime of the Century" is not only one of the best albums of the twentieth century, it's one of the best sounding. Listen to it in hi-res, even better in the original Mobile Fidelity half-speed mastered version from the seventies. That's the record I used to test stereo equipment, and I'm not the only one.
But unlike today, "Crime of the Century" was not a pure dash for cash, it was about our educational system, our society, how you're forced to conform, to your detriment. Be yourself, let your freak flag fly! That was the message of the sixties, put forth by our musical artists. Today it's just narcissism on parade. Me, me, me! 24/7. Money trumps art. We seem to talk about ticket prices more than the music. I mean what's the value of a classic concert? Priceless! If prices are high, that's because people want to go, but no one can seem to wrap their head around that. As if an Apple product should be cheap because everybody wants it.
And everybody didn't want "Crime of the Century." It wasn't until 1979 and "Breakfast in America" that Supertramp had a Top Ten hit with "The Logical Song." "Give a Little Bit" from 1977's "Even in the Quietest Moments" went to number 15 in the U.S. and number 8 in Canada, but around the world...it was number 29 in the U.K., the band's home.
And before "Even in the Quietest Moments" came "Crisis? What Crisis?," which wasn't quite as good as "Crime of the Century," nor as commercially successful. Not that "Crime of the Century" was so successful. You occasionally heard the magical "Bloody Well Right" on FM radio, but that was about it. "Crime of the Century" was for a club of people who listened at home, they didn't need no machine to tell them what to listen to, they found it themselves, and were dedicated to it.
And Supertramp's long gone. Rodger Hodgson, of the high voice, writer and singer of "Dreamer" left the band after the peak of "Breakfast in America." The subsequent Supertramp albums had a fraction of the success of what had come before and as for Hodgson... He had one played song, "Had a Dream (Sleeping With the Enemy)," and then he essentially disappeared.
Kinda like Kate Bush, kinda like Queen, but even worse. Supertramp is not top of mind, but when you hear "Dreamer" in the VisionPro ad...
Used to be hits were made on the radio. Blockbusters. But today you can have a number one record on Top Forty and the majority of America has never even heard it. Streaming rules. But even the Spotify Top 50 doesn't reach everybody. If you want to reach the masses, you've got to have a sync.
Usually with a streaming show. A hit streaming show. Just getting in some TV show might get you a fee, but it won't boost your career. But if you're in a series that penetrates the culture... Yes, don't listen to the bozos telling you music is as good and powerful as ever, that's complete hogwash. If that was so, new tracks would penetrate the public consciousness, but they don't. They're all niche products. Even though the music business hates to hear this. But a hit streaming TV show? It often cuts across demos, both in age and wealth. You don't need to hear a record, you can live without that experience. But if you hear about a streaming program from enough people you have to tune in, to be a part of the conversation if nothing else. You can live quite happily without knowing a single track by the Weeknd, and you won't feel left out either. Same deal with Taylor Swift. But Jimmy Butler of the Miami Heat spins Morgan Wallen's "Somebody's Problem" in the locker room. Because it resonates. Most of today's music doesn't resonate, it doesn't have that kind of message, most acts are boasting, issuing platitudes or defensive...it's hard to relate to that.
Not that I want to say Wallen's tracks are ubiquitous either. But they're closer to what Queen was selling than most of the hit parade. We're looking for that which we can identify with, because after all we're human.
Humanity, what a concept. That's the essence of life. It's not hardware, but software. It's not the computer, but what you use it for.
"Dreamer" stands alone. As do "Running Up That Hill" and "Bohemian Rhapsody." They don't need the sync to complete them. But when used with the visual image...
This is a new paradigm. This will keep the classics alive. That's why they call it "classic rock." This rock of yore contains something that today's music does not. If nothing else, more people know it! And when newbies are exposed to it, they resonate.
Will the public resonate with "Dreamer"?
I wouldn't bet on it being ubiquitous, but more classic rock tracks will be. And this success won't be driven by radio or Spotify, but syncs.
Today everybody's depressed, pessimistic, not optimistic. Oh, don't talk to me about putting on a false attitude, convincing yourself you're a winner, I'm talking about your essence, the vibe around you... That's what the sixties were about. Sure, there were riots in the street, but everybody was thinking about possibilities, what they could become. They weren't playing it safe, they were going for the gusto. And people listened to and were inspired by the music, it helped foment change.
Today we depend on Apple for that. And looking at the VisionPro, all you can say is...
"Far out, what a day, a year, a life it is!"
_____________
Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/42638p7s
YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/mrsbadd9
"I said dreamer, you're nothing but a dreamer
Well can you put your hands in your head, oh no!"
Well, yes. With the Apple VisionPro.
If you watched today's presentation you weren't quite sure whether it was one giant step for mankind or a Saturday Night Live skit. I mean the people smiling wearing ski goggles...
Then again, it's like "Minority Report" come alive, but better. Funny when engineers can come up with a better future than the creators, who have a completely clean slate.
In any event, you'll hear a lot about the VisionPro in the coming months. Will you buy one?
Doubtful.
Then again...
We have very few signifiers of cool anymore. And if you've got an Apple VisionPro...for a while there, you're going to be unique, with a status item on your head. Or will you just look like a geek?
There is no denying the VisionPro is cool. And using your hands as a mouse, clicking your fingers instead of tapping or clicking. To be able to see your entire computer, with a huge canvas/screen, in space. Amazing.
And movies... Gonna be better than any theatre. And the floor will be a lot cleaner.
But will we be further isolated? Never to encounter each other in real life?
Well, the conundrum is as a result of the internet I know and interact with many more people than I did before. And you might deny this, but you do too. Do I reach out and touch them? No, but with Zoom and other software it's a good facsimile.
Speaking of facsimile, that's where the VisionPro will shine, with pornography. That's a breakthrough app, makes people buy the hardware just to experience the software. You used to have to go to the theatre to experience what became known as XXX, now you've got a cornucopia of clips right in front of your very eyes, on demand, and you never have to pay a dime.
So expect some amazing sex apps for the VisionPro. Which will drive adoption. But what we're really in search of is the killer app, and it's not there yet. But it just might come.
The Apple Watch didn't blow up until it was used for health.
What broke the personal computer wide the first time was word processing, and then the spreadsheet. Lotus 1-2-3 was the Tesla of its day, and Mitch Kapor was Elon Musk, albeit much more down to earth.
And then came the internet. People who pooh-poohed computers from day one suddenly went out and bought one, they needed to play online. The mission was driven by AOL, another company that's faded in the rearview mirror. Unlike Apple, which gets more and more powerful. Now it's a bank? With a better interest rate than all the name brand banks?
But what it really comes down to is R&D. To dominate in the future, to even play in the future, you've got to spend prodigiously, which many CEOs and boards refuse to do, busy buying back stock to try and prop up the share price, so the execs can get huge bonuses.
But if you put that money into R&D, and you've got vision...
This is what was lost in the music business, vision. You don't want to hold people in the past, you want to get ahead of them, and lead them into the future.
But speaking of the past...
At some point today, Apple itself will post the ad for the VisionPro. And you'll be stunned to find out the accompanying music is nearly fifty years old, but fits perfectly. It's "Dreamer," from the truly legendary Supertramp album "Crime of the Century."
What a sync! The question is, does "Dreamer" become the new "Running Up That Hill" or "Bohemian Rhapsody," both of which were jetted into the stratosphere with syncs, the former "Stranger Things," the latter "Wayne's World." "Running Up That Hill" was completely dormant, never a hit to begin with. And as big as Queen is today, without that sync, they'd be a fraction as large. Believe me, everybody was not listening to and talking about Queen prior to "Wayne's World." You might hear "We Are the Champions" at a sporting event, but you didn't read umpteen analyses of it, it wasn't the most streamed song from the twentieth century...
So now it's Supertramp's turn.
Well, probably not. But there's been a bounce for every track that's been involved in Apple advertising. But most of them were new. As far as using a classic...
In case you don't know, "Crime of the Century" is not only one of the best albums of the twentieth century, it's one of the best sounding. Listen to it in hi-res, even better in the original Mobile Fidelity half-speed mastered version from the seventies. That's the record I used to test stereo equipment, and I'm not the only one.
But unlike today, "Crime of the Century" was not a pure dash for cash, it was about our educational system, our society, how you're forced to conform, to your detriment. Be yourself, let your freak flag fly! That was the message of the sixties, put forth by our musical artists. Today it's just narcissism on parade. Me, me, me! 24/7. Money trumps art. We seem to talk about ticket prices more than the music. I mean what's the value of a classic concert? Priceless! If prices are high, that's because people want to go, but no one can seem to wrap their head around that. As if an Apple product should be cheap because everybody wants it.
And everybody didn't want "Crime of the Century." It wasn't until 1979 and "Breakfast in America" that Supertramp had a Top Ten hit with "The Logical Song." "Give a Little Bit" from 1977's "Even in the Quietest Moments" went to number 15 in the U.S. and number 8 in Canada, but around the world...it was number 29 in the U.K., the band's home.
And before "Even in the Quietest Moments" came "Crisis? What Crisis?," which wasn't quite as good as "Crime of the Century," nor as commercially successful. Not that "Crime of the Century" was so successful. You occasionally heard the magical "Bloody Well Right" on FM radio, but that was about it. "Crime of the Century" was for a club of people who listened at home, they didn't need no machine to tell them what to listen to, they found it themselves, and were dedicated to it.
And Supertramp's long gone. Rodger Hodgson, of the high voice, writer and singer of "Dreamer" left the band after the peak of "Breakfast in America." The subsequent Supertramp albums had a fraction of the success of what had come before and as for Hodgson... He had one played song, "Had a Dream (Sleeping With the Enemy)," and then he essentially disappeared.
Kinda like Kate Bush, kinda like Queen, but even worse. Supertramp is not top of mind, but when you hear "Dreamer" in the VisionPro ad...
Used to be hits were made on the radio. Blockbusters. But today you can have a number one record on Top Forty and the majority of America has never even heard it. Streaming rules. But even the Spotify Top 50 doesn't reach everybody. If you want to reach the masses, you've got to have a sync.
Usually with a streaming show. A hit streaming show. Just getting in some TV show might get you a fee, but it won't boost your career. But if you're in a series that penetrates the culture... Yes, don't listen to the bozos telling you music is as good and powerful as ever, that's complete hogwash. If that was so, new tracks would penetrate the public consciousness, but they don't. They're all niche products. Even though the music business hates to hear this. But a hit streaming TV show? It often cuts across demos, both in age and wealth. You don't need to hear a record, you can live without that experience. But if you hear about a streaming program from enough people you have to tune in, to be a part of the conversation if nothing else. You can live quite happily without knowing a single track by the Weeknd, and you won't feel left out either. Same deal with Taylor Swift. But Jimmy Butler of the Miami Heat spins Morgan Wallen's "Somebody's Problem" in the locker room. Because it resonates. Most of today's music doesn't resonate, it doesn't have that kind of message, most acts are boasting, issuing platitudes or defensive...it's hard to relate to that.
Not that I want to say Wallen's tracks are ubiquitous either. But they're closer to what Queen was selling than most of the hit parade. We're looking for that which we can identify with, because after all we're human.
Humanity, what a concept. That's the essence of life. It's not hardware, but software. It's not the computer, but what you use it for.
"Dreamer" stands alone. As do "Running Up That Hill" and "Bohemian Rhapsody." They don't need the sync to complete them. But when used with the visual image...
This is a new paradigm. This will keep the classics alive. That's why they call it "classic rock." This rock of yore contains something that today's music does not. If nothing else, more people know it! And when newbies are exposed to it, they resonate.
Will the public resonate with "Dreamer"?
I wouldn't bet on it being ubiquitous, but more classic rock tracks will be. And this success won't be driven by radio or Spotify, but syncs.
Today everybody's depressed, pessimistic, not optimistic. Oh, don't talk to me about putting on a false attitude, convincing yourself you're a winner, I'm talking about your essence, the vibe around you... That's what the sixties were about. Sure, there were riots in the street, but everybody was thinking about possibilities, what they could become. They weren't playing it safe, they were going for the gusto. And people listened to and were inspired by the music, it helped foment change.
Today we depend on Apple for that. And looking at the VisionPro, all you can say is...
"Far out, what a day, a year, a life it is!"
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
--
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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Sunday, 4 June 2023
Informer
Amazon Prime: https://tinyurl.com/2xjrjs4p
I was trying to figure out what was wrong with this series. Whether it was me or whether it was possibly not that good. And I didn't want to ask Felice her opinion, because I thought she wasn't into it, and that once she expressed her thoughts that would be it, we'd shut it down, move on, for she has veto power. And especially when you're unsure about something yourself, you're easily influenced by another's opinion.
But I wanted to keep watching it.
I'd never heard of the show, but Jake sent me an article from the "Globe and Mail" entitled "The 10 best international police series you need to stream right now," and I researched each one and wrote down those that appealed to me. You can read the article here: https://tinyurl.com/2apzd2dt
And I'm always interested in foreign recommendations, because they take effort, you have to search. And the first series listed was "Happy Valley," which is one of my absolute favorites, the third season is being dribbled out in the U.S. now. What a horrible viewing experience. There are only four episodes, why can't we binge them? It's hard to remember the details from week to week, never mind having to fast-forward through the commercials, which upends your train of thought.
So looking at the list, I decided to start with shows on services we already had subscriptions to, which brought me to Prime's "Informer."
The concept is not difficult. It's about a police informer. But it starts with one plot line and then jumps to another and you wonder how this fits in with what the show started with and you know they'll get back to it, but it takes a while.
And I can't say you get the complete feel from one episode.
But the second episode was better. And by the third...
And I'm thinking about it. What was wrong with the show...
And then it came to me, all the characters were UNLIKABLE! There was no one to root for. This doesn't bother me, but I know it drives others wild. As if there's a saint in every situation, whereas usually everybody is chiaroscuro, even yourself. And nitty-gritty reality...it's kind of like that old Jack Nicholson movie, people can't handle the truth, can't handle characters being complicated, making bad choices, crossing the line sometimes, so they stay away, they want something they can watch that doesn't stick with them.
Not that "Informer" will really stick with you, but you'll get caught up in it. It's visceral.
But it's not "Happy Valley." Or "The Bureau." Or "Spiral." Not the best cop show you've ever seen.
But it's realistic. But having said that, there are just a couple of plot points where they seem to skip over the obvious, when another character would notice some behavior and does not.
But having said that...
Paddy Considine is the star. And he is, a bona fide star. But you just can't like him. There's something about him that you just can't warm up to. And you think it's a character flaw and then you think it's his job and...
His costar is Bel Powley, who looks strange and acts strange. She's present, but she's of the other. You know, you work with people like this, they never joke around, never talk about their personal life, you end up being suspicious of them.
And then there's Jessica Raine as Considine's wife, beautiful but duped? She knows something is off, but she's not quite sure what it is.
And then there's Rachel Tucker as the barmaid Sharon... Just because someone lives in the hinterlands, that does not mean they're unintelligent. But the further you get into the hinterlands, the smaller the community, the more people run on their emotions, both positive and negative. So Sharon seems real. And it's rare to see a fortysomething woman portrayed accurately on the screen. Who is attractive, but looks her age, and is more than two-dimensional.
The informer himself, Nabhaan Rizwan... He's not a criminal yet he's not a choirboy either. And he might not have clean hands, but neither do the police.
And underneath all this is the possibility of a terrorist plot.
And then you think about all the plots that are averted by the government, all the behind-the-scenes efforts to avoid tragedy and...we only seem to care about the tragedies themselves, when it's much harder to squelch them.
So you end up being riveted by "Informer." It's gripping. It's not quite the real world, at least not the real world of most people, but the people in it are surprisingly real. Like I said, they're not black or white, but somewhere in between.
So I've been watching "Informer" and wondering whether I should recommend it. Not believing it's a slam dunk, not at first anyway.
But as it unfolded I became more and more focused, involved, sensitive to the characters' actions. Especially a world depicted where money isn't everything. Not everybody can become a billionaire, you know. Or maybe you don't.
"Informer" is darker than "Happy Valley." And you can love Sarah Lancashire, but you can't love anybody in "Informer." You're rooting for Ms. Lancashire as Sgt. Catherine Cawood, whereas you're not sure who some of the main characters in "Informer" really are. People you'd want to have a beer with, or people you'd want to run away from.
And in truth, our entire culture is based on partying. Yup, you want to become a billionaire for the perks. Drugs and alcohol are cool and...
I'm not saying that the world doesn't run on sex, because it does, but there are some people who are completely dedicated to their jobs, and that's enough. It used to be that way for most of us, before income inequality. Now the poor want lower taxes because they want to pay less when they become billionaires and many are so poorly educated they can't do anything other than manual labor, which pays poorly in today's economy, so all they've got is the pursuit of getting blitzed and having "fun."
And in America everybody takes a victory lap. Deserved or not. Remember Sully? He was just doing his job, but he became a national hero, and I don't want to take anything away from his feat, but there are people keeping this world together every day who get no props. Worse than that, they're seen as losers. How does that lead to cohesiveness, how does that lead to a society.
"Informer" is only six episodes. But they are an hour long. But it's not a huge commitment. I'd watch three before you make a judgment, then again you have to get that far.
There's something about this show that reaches me. In a way most cop shows do not. I guess it's the business of law enforcement as opposed to clear heroes and villains. Getting the job done as opposed to reaching for glory.
I recommend it.
--
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-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
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I was trying to figure out what was wrong with this series. Whether it was me or whether it was possibly not that good. And I didn't want to ask Felice her opinion, because I thought she wasn't into it, and that once she expressed her thoughts that would be it, we'd shut it down, move on, for she has veto power. And especially when you're unsure about something yourself, you're easily influenced by another's opinion.
But I wanted to keep watching it.
I'd never heard of the show, but Jake sent me an article from the "Globe and Mail" entitled "The 10 best international police series you need to stream right now," and I researched each one and wrote down those that appealed to me. You can read the article here: https://tinyurl.com/2apzd2dt
And I'm always interested in foreign recommendations, because they take effort, you have to search. And the first series listed was "Happy Valley," which is one of my absolute favorites, the third season is being dribbled out in the U.S. now. What a horrible viewing experience. There are only four episodes, why can't we binge them? It's hard to remember the details from week to week, never mind having to fast-forward through the commercials, which upends your train of thought.
So looking at the list, I decided to start with shows on services we already had subscriptions to, which brought me to Prime's "Informer."
The concept is not difficult. It's about a police informer. But it starts with one plot line and then jumps to another and you wonder how this fits in with what the show started with and you know they'll get back to it, but it takes a while.
And I can't say you get the complete feel from one episode.
But the second episode was better. And by the third...
And I'm thinking about it. What was wrong with the show...
And then it came to me, all the characters were UNLIKABLE! There was no one to root for. This doesn't bother me, but I know it drives others wild. As if there's a saint in every situation, whereas usually everybody is chiaroscuro, even yourself. And nitty-gritty reality...it's kind of like that old Jack Nicholson movie, people can't handle the truth, can't handle characters being complicated, making bad choices, crossing the line sometimes, so they stay away, they want something they can watch that doesn't stick with them.
Not that "Informer" will really stick with you, but you'll get caught up in it. It's visceral.
But it's not "Happy Valley." Or "The Bureau." Or "Spiral." Not the best cop show you've ever seen.
But it's realistic. But having said that, there are just a couple of plot points where they seem to skip over the obvious, when another character would notice some behavior and does not.
But having said that...
Paddy Considine is the star. And he is, a bona fide star. But you just can't like him. There's something about him that you just can't warm up to. And you think it's a character flaw and then you think it's his job and...
His costar is Bel Powley, who looks strange and acts strange. She's present, but she's of the other. You know, you work with people like this, they never joke around, never talk about their personal life, you end up being suspicious of them.
And then there's Jessica Raine as Considine's wife, beautiful but duped? She knows something is off, but she's not quite sure what it is.
And then there's Rachel Tucker as the barmaid Sharon... Just because someone lives in the hinterlands, that does not mean they're unintelligent. But the further you get into the hinterlands, the smaller the community, the more people run on their emotions, both positive and negative. So Sharon seems real. And it's rare to see a fortysomething woman portrayed accurately on the screen. Who is attractive, but looks her age, and is more than two-dimensional.
The informer himself, Nabhaan Rizwan... He's not a criminal yet he's not a choirboy either. And he might not have clean hands, but neither do the police.
And underneath all this is the possibility of a terrorist plot.
And then you think about all the plots that are averted by the government, all the behind-the-scenes efforts to avoid tragedy and...we only seem to care about the tragedies themselves, when it's much harder to squelch them.
So you end up being riveted by "Informer." It's gripping. It's not quite the real world, at least not the real world of most people, but the people in it are surprisingly real. Like I said, they're not black or white, but somewhere in between.
So I've been watching "Informer" and wondering whether I should recommend it. Not believing it's a slam dunk, not at first anyway.
But as it unfolded I became more and more focused, involved, sensitive to the characters' actions. Especially a world depicted where money isn't everything. Not everybody can become a billionaire, you know. Or maybe you don't.
"Informer" is darker than "Happy Valley." And you can love Sarah Lancashire, but you can't love anybody in "Informer." You're rooting for Ms. Lancashire as Sgt. Catherine Cawood, whereas you're not sure who some of the main characters in "Informer" really are. People you'd want to have a beer with, or people you'd want to run away from.
And in truth, our entire culture is based on partying. Yup, you want to become a billionaire for the perks. Drugs and alcohol are cool and...
I'm not saying that the world doesn't run on sex, because it does, but there are some people who are completely dedicated to their jobs, and that's enough. It used to be that way for most of us, before income inequality. Now the poor want lower taxes because they want to pay less when they become billionaires and many are so poorly educated they can't do anything other than manual labor, which pays poorly in today's economy, so all they've got is the pursuit of getting blitzed and having "fun."
And in America everybody takes a victory lap. Deserved or not. Remember Sully? He was just doing his job, but he became a national hero, and I don't want to take anything away from his feat, but there are people keeping this world together every day who get no props. Worse than that, they're seen as losers. How does that lead to cohesiveness, how does that lead to a society.
"Informer" is only six episodes. But they are an hour long. But it's not a huge commitment. I'd watch three before you make a judgment, then again you have to get that far.
There's something about this show that reaches me. In a way most cop shows do not. I guess it's the business of law enforcement as opposed to clear heroes and villains. Getting the job done as opposed to reaching for glory.
I recommend it.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
--
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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The Guest
https://tinyurl.com/ycxfxfye
This is one of the creepiest books I've ever read. To the point where I constantly had to stop reading it, even though I was enjoying it, it just heightened my anxiety and made me squirm.
But it's not horror, it's not a thriller. Ostensibly it's about the lives of the different classes, but what it's really about is desperation. Desperate people do desperate things.
You can live your whole life and not know this. Used to be we were all in it together, you interacted, lived with people of different classes. Now, not only do the wealthy live behind gates and fly private, they have a gravy train of education and professional life that keeps them financially secure, but separate. The truth is they've got no idea how the rest of the world lives.
You can see that as a put-down. And that's a big part of the book. How the wealthy have people who do the hard stuff for them, deliver bad news as well as clean up, but that was not news to me. I know these people.
But I also know the desperate. I must admit, at times in my life I've been desperate myself.
When you're broke you'll cross lines you would never think of stepping over previously. And then there is moral background. Your morals go out the window when you're starving, when you've got no money, no portfolio. But you'll also find everybody didn't grow up with the same background as you. Not everybody's parents stayed together and watched over your education. Not everybody has parents they can reach out to in a pinch, for money, never mind shelter. And then there are the children who burn so many bridges that their parents cut ties, wanting nothing to do with them.
And when you're a woman and you're broke...
Yes, that's how Alex earns her living. But selling your body and your soul is work, and it's not always lucrative. And then you end up owing people money, you become a pariah, and even in an overpopulated city like New York word gets around.
But there's always another mark. Assuming you can hang in there while you jump from one to another. It's like jumping from stone to stone in a fast-paced river. If it all goes according to plan, you get to the other side and forget about the journey. But if you misstep... You're caught in the maelstrom and may not survive. And you don't have the luxury of planning, you're living by your wits, you're constantly on guard.
Now Emma Cline wrote a well-regarded book entitled "The Girls." It's basically a retelling of the Manson story. Well-written, but that doesn't show a hell of a lot of innovation in my mind. But "The Guest"...
I've never read a book quite like "The Guest." Because I know people like this.
In truth, people trade on their looks and adjust their behavior to their benefit all over the world, but it's especially prevalent in Hollywood, where even if you have a portfolio it doesn't usually pay dividends. People come from across the country, the globe, to make it in Hollywood. And if you're good-looking, friendly and know how to fit in... You'll be stunned how far you can go. Maybe not as far as you want to, to become a star, but you can be in the scene, it really isn't that hard to penetrate. And you'll encounter hustlers and...
That's a lesson that takes years to learn in L.A. Who is real and who is full of sh*t. They all talk a good game. And the wayside is littered with the well-intentioned and the talented who could never figure out the game, who never needed it that bad. But there's a whole 'nother world of money and lifestyle underneath stardom that most people don't see.
I'm not saying everybody is a lying, cheating scumbag. But you'd be surprised how many are.
This is not Harvard. Where you've got to jump through hoops to get there. Occasionally you hear about duplicitous people faking it, breaking the rules to get in without almost anybody noticing. And then we've got the Varsity Blues scandal... In truth, so many of the "rich and famous" are bending the rules, especially to benefit their children, many of whom are ungrateful anyway. But above that there's a class where you know your place from birth, there's a safety net. The path is delineated. And you follow it, or become a party person living an empty life and maybe even O.D.
But those people are meanderers. Bumping into trouble. I'm talking here about people who make choices. Who lie, cheat and steal not so much to get ahead, but to stay afloat. Not the homeless person on the street, but someone with a brain, who knows how to operate, but has no portfolio.
Oftentimes there are tells. The shoes. The clothing. But that assumes you're looking. And those at the elite level are not, they're trusting and this makes them vulnerable.
Now if you go to an elite institution, marry a classmate, get a professional job and send your kid(s) to private school, you'll probably never run into someone like Alex. Or if you do, you won't get caught up in their web, you're too busy playing by the rules.
Now in truth "The Guest" is leading to...it's not quite sure, and when you get there you're so disappointed that it makes you feel bad about the whole book. Which is probably one reason it only has three and a half stars on Amazon. Just like you need more than an 80 on Rotten Tomatoes, you need four stars or more on Amazon for it to be worth your while. Of course there are exceptions... But this is how you evaluate whether a friend testifying about some artwork is credible, by matching their opinion with those of Amazon and RottenTomatoes. If they choose something with low ratings that is spectacular, you know they're one to follow. But that's very rare.
And in truth most people have lowbrow tastes. And they want entertainment.
"The Guest" is not entertainment, rather it's life. You may think it's not real but I know otherwise, because I know people like Alex. Intimately. I've been had by them. Because I could not conceive of what they would do.
They can. And you can be aware of it or...
You can watch "Ted Lasso" and think everything comes up roses.
It does not.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
--
If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter,
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This is one of the creepiest books I've ever read. To the point where I constantly had to stop reading it, even though I was enjoying it, it just heightened my anxiety and made me squirm.
But it's not horror, it's not a thriller. Ostensibly it's about the lives of the different classes, but what it's really about is desperation. Desperate people do desperate things.
You can live your whole life and not know this. Used to be we were all in it together, you interacted, lived with people of different classes. Now, not only do the wealthy live behind gates and fly private, they have a gravy train of education and professional life that keeps them financially secure, but separate. The truth is they've got no idea how the rest of the world lives.
You can see that as a put-down. And that's a big part of the book. How the wealthy have people who do the hard stuff for them, deliver bad news as well as clean up, but that was not news to me. I know these people.
But I also know the desperate. I must admit, at times in my life I've been desperate myself.
When you're broke you'll cross lines you would never think of stepping over previously. And then there is moral background. Your morals go out the window when you're starving, when you've got no money, no portfolio. But you'll also find everybody didn't grow up with the same background as you. Not everybody's parents stayed together and watched over your education. Not everybody has parents they can reach out to in a pinch, for money, never mind shelter. And then there are the children who burn so many bridges that their parents cut ties, wanting nothing to do with them.
And when you're a woman and you're broke...
Yes, that's how Alex earns her living. But selling your body and your soul is work, and it's not always lucrative. And then you end up owing people money, you become a pariah, and even in an overpopulated city like New York word gets around.
But there's always another mark. Assuming you can hang in there while you jump from one to another. It's like jumping from stone to stone in a fast-paced river. If it all goes according to plan, you get to the other side and forget about the journey. But if you misstep... You're caught in the maelstrom and may not survive. And you don't have the luxury of planning, you're living by your wits, you're constantly on guard.
Now Emma Cline wrote a well-regarded book entitled "The Girls." It's basically a retelling of the Manson story. Well-written, but that doesn't show a hell of a lot of innovation in my mind. But "The Guest"...
I've never read a book quite like "The Guest." Because I know people like this.
In truth, people trade on their looks and adjust their behavior to their benefit all over the world, but it's especially prevalent in Hollywood, where even if you have a portfolio it doesn't usually pay dividends. People come from across the country, the globe, to make it in Hollywood. And if you're good-looking, friendly and know how to fit in... You'll be stunned how far you can go. Maybe not as far as you want to, to become a star, but you can be in the scene, it really isn't that hard to penetrate. And you'll encounter hustlers and...
That's a lesson that takes years to learn in L.A. Who is real and who is full of sh*t. They all talk a good game. And the wayside is littered with the well-intentioned and the talented who could never figure out the game, who never needed it that bad. But there's a whole 'nother world of money and lifestyle underneath stardom that most people don't see.
I'm not saying everybody is a lying, cheating scumbag. But you'd be surprised how many are.
This is not Harvard. Where you've got to jump through hoops to get there. Occasionally you hear about duplicitous people faking it, breaking the rules to get in without almost anybody noticing. And then we've got the Varsity Blues scandal... In truth, so many of the "rich and famous" are bending the rules, especially to benefit their children, many of whom are ungrateful anyway. But above that there's a class where you know your place from birth, there's a safety net. The path is delineated. And you follow it, or become a party person living an empty life and maybe even O.D.
But those people are meanderers. Bumping into trouble. I'm talking here about people who make choices. Who lie, cheat and steal not so much to get ahead, but to stay afloat. Not the homeless person on the street, but someone with a brain, who knows how to operate, but has no portfolio.
Oftentimes there are tells. The shoes. The clothing. But that assumes you're looking. And those at the elite level are not, they're trusting and this makes them vulnerable.
Now if you go to an elite institution, marry a classmate, get a professional job and send your kid(s) to private school, you'll probably never run into someone like Alex. Or if you do, you won't get caught up in their web, you're too busy playing by the rules.
Now in truth "The Guest" is leading to...it's not quite sure, and when you get there you're so disappointed that it makes you feel bad about the whole book. Which is probably one reason it only has three and a half stars on Amazon. Just like you need more than an 80 on Rotten Tomatoes, you need four stars or more on Amazon for it to be worth your while. Of course there are exceptions... But this is how you evaluate whether a friend testifying about some artwork is credible, by matching their opinion with those of Amazon and RottenTomatoes. If they choose something with low ratings that is spectacular, you know they're one to follow. But that's very rare.
And in truth most people have lowbrow tastes. And they want entertainment.
"The Guest" is not entertainment, rather it's life. You may think it's not real but I know otherwise, because I know people like Alex. Intimately. I've been had by them. Because I could not conceive of what they would do.
They can. And you can be aware of it or...
You can watch "Ted Lasso" and think everything comes up roses.
It does not.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
--
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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