From: "benabc-AT-" <benabc2-AT-hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: scrubs...
Date: Mon, 07 Jun 1999 20:32:24 MDT




>   "Alternative" music is just as commercialized as any other form of
>  music.

Well the question is if alternative music is what's played on MTV, MuchMusic 
and the like, and 80-90% of kids listen to it, what the fuck is it 
alternative to?

>All the little alternative kids have to go out and buy all their
>alternative clothes so they can all be alternative together.

And that's what used to always get me about punk.  People conforming to a 
collective image of a standard of non conformity.  Same thing with all these 
fucking nose-rings and septum rings.  That was new and "dangerous" (as if 
sticking a chunk of metal the size of a small filing cabinet through your 
face is dangerous to anyone but yourself), what, like 30 years ago?  it's 
not shocking any more.

The little groups just become cliches, that are every bit as exclusive and 
pretentious as the mainstream society they seek to eschew.  Someone isn't 
cool enough if they don't listen to the right band, where the right 
t-shirt/button/giant 8 foot glow in the dark luminescent green banana.

>The capitalists have made an industry out of adolescent insecurity based 
>upon music.

They've successfully taken non-conformity and marketed it, in a safe non 
threatening way.  The image is assumed as a marketing exercise, and the 
substance is discarded.

>They figured if millions of people went into year long cycles of 
>deppression over Kurt Cobain, then these were prime addicts for their next 
>scheme. I don't like mainstream music that much anymore.
Living where I do, it's actually a nice experience to hit the limits of city 
radio and here something that isn't fucking country.  Personally, I have no 
time for people who avoid all mainstream music, just because they think that 
makes them more sophisticated.  I like what I like.

>considered weird, even by my own friends. I get my treat Friday
>when I get to go meet my favorite band, ICP. They're a good example of 
>musicians NOT selling out. They've remained true to their fans by giving 
>big fuck offs to MTV, radio, even major music festivals like Ozzfest.

Just gonna make the point that everyone sells out, just to different 
degrees.  I fucking have popular culture.  It's a fucking colostomy bag.

Ben.


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