A Bob Lefsetz Letter

I was hoping he would respond to the Kanye thing. But at the same time, kinda hoping he wouldn't.. But he did. Here 'tis:


WINNERS

MTV

It happened on MTV. It burnishes the brand's image, that it still happens there. The fact that an artist was sacrificed in the process? WHO GIVES A FUCK! This is what MTV has been doing for eons. Like some "Twilight Zone" aliens with a book entitled "To Serve Acts", MTV has convinced "artists" that brief television exposure is good for them, when we all know it burns out careers, uses up performers even quicker than sitcoms.

Jay Leno

That's why you've got to stay in the game. You never know when serendipity will deal you a ratings bonanza on your most important date, in this case, the debut of your show. Everybody's making a big deal re Jay's question about what Kanye's mother would say. Who would ask such a question? I'd say who'd answer it, but Kanye didn't. Not that Kanye didn't ask for it... He's living his life in the media, he gets no time off, he fucks up, he apologizes, it's endless grist for the mill. As for it affecting his career... There's a dearth of hip-hop superstars, and no pop or rock stars to fill the void. So, expect Kanye to come back bigger and better than ever, Kanye 2.0, who is humble, who apologizes, and makes music that doesn't sound radically different from what he made previously. We love resurrection stories more than destruction stories. Look at Whitney Houston.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/14/kanye-west-on-leno-apolog_n_286675.html

Twitter

Without the microblogging service, would we know that Obama called Kanye a "jackass"? As for it being off the record and Terry Moran tweeting it anyway... In a "me" society, who can expect anybody to behave properly, with humility. Isn't that how we got Kanye to begin with?

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2177117/obamas_kanye_jackass_comment_continues.html?cat=2

Obama

You mean you watch the VMAs? You mean you know what's going on in the world? After legions of old farts in the White House, this is positively stunning. But even though the media and the Republicans may use this expletive against him, it does more for the President in the minds of young voters than any speech to Congress or appearance on "60 Minutes". Makes you think if you ran into him you could have a conversation, he'd know what you were talking about.

Taylor Swift

Yes, Kanye did hand the mic back to her, but like the 19 year old she is, she was so overwhelmed, she couldn't speak. Cementing her status as the teenage naif with the singing diary. What happens when she grows up? Well, I guess she's listening to Joni Mitchell records right now.

Vince Romanelli

I'd never heard of him either, but his parody of Taylor Swift's "You Belong With Me", remade as "You Don't Belong On MTV", displays creativity unheard on Top Forty. We don't get humor, any analysis in music, just endless pap parading as important so fat cats can get rich.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uV8EHNTXWF4


LOSERS

The American Public

A real story can no longer get traction. Health care is too complex. It's like studying in class as opposed to flirting in the cafeteria. We've become a nation of gossip, and misinformation.

Furthermore, who didn't know Kanye'd been acting like a jackass previously? It's like his jackassness was a musical career, waiting for the tipping point for everyone to celebrate. He acted poorly at this awards show, said bad things at Bonnaroo, now, finally, when so many were watching, he fucked up one more time. Now he truly is a superstar!

But he was already. And most people piling on weren't paying attention to begin with. Then again, I must admit the music community and fans are piling on too. Because they like to. Like the above-referenced high school society, exacting its own justice.

I'm not saying frivolity has no place, I'm just saying that we revere in popular culture almost nothing of value. Everything's grist for the mill. Either you're smart, starting Facebook, writing an iPhone app, or you dropped out of high school and became a lowest common denominator twit like Paris Hilton, focusing eyes on you.

Everybody wants to be rich and famous, everybody wants the attention. Doesn't matter how many "Behind The Music" shows are aired, people think stardom will solve all their issues. So, the inherent fabric of our country becomes ripped and torn, dilapidated.

I know you think I'm on overkill here, but...

People go into finance to get rich, even though this finance doesn't build our country, only tears it apart.

People can't get high tech jobs because they're not educated enough.

People who do go to college study business, those dreamy liberal arts majors who used to create the culture we reveled in are seen as pussies. It's about cash, baby.

We spend our money living like rappers, going to the Palms in Vegas to splash in the pool while consuming overpriced liquor.

I'm just saying we need a readjustment here. Gossip must be the underbelly, not the primary. We seem to carom from one celebrity event to another, from Michael Jackson's death to Kanye, and since the news media sees itself as stars, they throw logs on the fire. Twenty four hours on kidnappings, not twenty four hours on explaining bills in Congress, or Supreme Court decisions. But they need the ratings!

That's what Kanye is, ratings. For everybody and anybody who's got something to sell. And we're buying it. So the laugh's on us.

If you don't get Bob Lefsetz letters, you should.

Get Angry

I was watching Fight Club the other day and thinking man, that would be nice sometime. To just let it out like that.

Simultaneously I've been observing my brother's bible study that he has with some guys and thinking how nice it would be to have a group of girls that got real with eachother but, honestly, i don't like bible studies that much.

Lately, I've been feeling overwhelmed with life. The cruelty of it. A friend from home has only a few months to live. Millions of people are ringing in the new year with job-loss. And for the love of all that is good, what's the meaning of all of it?

Enter brilliant plan. Life Club. (like fight club get it?) Whoever wants to, girls only, meets on a certain night of the week. You have your moment, a certain amount of time (10 minutes?) to talk about whatever is on your mind. Be it a frustration with a man, a spiritual doubt, a question about the world, a pleasant feeling, a song, a dream, something that pisses you off, a secret, anything. It's not exclusive to what you believe, who you know, how often you can come- just when you need to get something out into the universe, you will know where to find ears to hear. The rules are- Nothing leaves the room. It is a completely safe place. You come to listen as often as you come to speak. You don't judge. You are real.

This idea was born, honestly, out of frustration. I'm frustrated with our fat, lazy and stupid society. I'm frustrated with the numbness and the dumbing down of human relationships. How are you? fine. good. great. I have a feeling I'm not the only one with things to yell about, but it is entirely possible that I am.

It makes me nervous to think about actually trying to impliment this idea. I don't think people are used to being so raw and bare but at the same time I think we want to be. And what I truly believe is, if you are not apalled, if you are not angry, then you are not paying attention.

Siesta

I just got back from lunch and am feeling in need of a post-lunch nap. This got me wondering what it would be like if we had siesta in the US. My first reaction is that that would be awesome. But then my American-ness thinks that if we're gonna shorten the work day let's just leave earlier you know? Most days I see if I can just skip lunch and leave early or come in late. I usually bring my lunch cause I can't afford to eat out so I go to the kitchen and it takes me like 15 minutes to eat and then I sit there and try to think of what else I could do to fill up the next 45 minutes. And I'm not allowed to get overtime so I try to save errands to run or something. But i really wish I could've just come to work 45 minutes late! Anyway, on the other hand, it would do us all good I think to take things a little slower and to allow our day to play out and be long and full instead of rushing everything, "saving" time, and waiting til we want to cash it in for some R and R. Which surely never comes. We should take tasks one at a time, deal with the morning, take a moment to SIT and nourish our bodies with real food, allow it to digest, empty our minds and possibly even rest, then we open our eyes and only at that point do we consider the next set of tasks that the afternoon has for us. And when the sun sets in the sky we send our worries of the day with it and rest our hearts in contentment and our bodies in our beds to prepare for the next set tasks that tomorrow will bring.
Well, ideally, I suppose..