Pomp and Criticism

First of all, I didn't think this woman could get any hotter...clearly I was wrong! I have finally been able to watch 30 Rock now that I have regular channels on my Directv and it's really quite brilliant! Clearly SNL was holding this woman back from her true political comedy calling. And now, to see her in a picket line...ahhh, warms my soul!

Anyway, so this writer's strike is obviously getting lots of press and rightly so. It's a pretty incredible moment for television and filmic popular culture. I have to say, I'm siding with the writers (although I usually do side with the union workers) and the number of non-writers (actors, techies, etc.) who are doing the same have been impressive. Hope the solidarity lasts. True, it could mean the demise of much of my beloved television and film, but I'm also a bit intrigued by what could happen to our popular culture if this continues. Writers do A LOT for the industry and I'd actually like to see a little shake up. Now if the SAG members also go on strike in a few months, which from what I've heard is also a distinct possibility, Hollywood might never be the same. What could this mean for big film corps vs independent film? Bring it on, baby!

On the other hand, I wish something this dramatic was happening to my other favorite popular culture industry: music. Why the hell doesn't that damn thing have unions?! There have been a ton of articles over the last few years about how the music industry sales keep suffering quarter after quarter. Down the toilet they go! Over and over, the industry officials blame the Internet for slumping CD sales and they keep looking for a way to tap into this technology to save their souls (and bank accounts!).

Hmmm...perhaps this is not the answer or even the problem?? Have they even considered that the industry hasn't "discovered" any music worth listening to in like a decade?! There is a ton of awesome stuff being done out there on a local and independent level that the major labels aren't even looking at. Of course, a lot of these artists aren't even interested in major labels anymore because they can't offer them much that they can't get on their own now. But still, why does the industry think we'd rather have another freaking "Nickelback/Earnest Rock" clone than something refreshing and original? I haven't heard something on the radio (not including satellite radio, of course) that I was excited about in a long time.

Not to mention the fact that the industry doesn't develop the artists it has anymore. Instead, it promotes an artist to death for one big album and then dumps them by the side of the road. Artists like U2, Springsteen, Pink Floyd, AC/DC, and a ton of other big money makers wouldn't have ever made their best or biggest albums if the industry was structured the way it is now when they were coming up. A world with no Joshua Tree, Born to Run, Dark Side of the Moon, Highway to Hell??? This is a sad thought. I wonder what great music we've already lost because they killed a young band's soul before it was ripe...

It's clearly time to rethink the music industry in order to salvage something from it. Don't spend so much time restructuring the way you do business with your customers, spend it restructuring how you do business with your artists! And, don't worry so much about the Internet, worry about the music! We haven't stopped buying CDs just because they're all online, we've stopped buying CDs because they suck!

Welcome to the Pop Culture Revolution!