We've Been Had?
As you might already know, Gawker launched a new blog today focused on music, or as it appears, the music scene. Pretty much saying how shitty blogs have become, shows have become, bloggers at shows have become. All breaking news we've never heard before, as if we weren't reminded of the shortcomings by anonymous commentors telling us to Fuck Off.
But that's ok. There *are* enough good blogs to keep me entertained and informed, and dumb comments *are* a good thing to have, no matter how offensive. The Idolator, like Nick Denton's other sites, requires an invitation to comment, and then subsequently a username and password. The invite they emailed around stated that they "are here to tell you that you've been had. The music-blog netherworld has becomeas homogenized and indistinguishable as therecord labels themselves."
We've been had? Really? Songs:Illinois not long ago said basically the same thing. Gerard-Vs-Bear, a new satire/personal-attack on blogs, countered Craig by saying:
Gerard is perplexed by this strange man. Tomorrow what is he going to concern himself with? "I am worried that the swiffer wet jet is not as great as it's made out to be on television."And before I could wonder if Idolator would concern itself over the Swiffer, I see that they call for submissions of pictures of annoying people at shows so we can all publically laugh at them... some bizarre cross between Blue States Lose and that pyschotic CraigsList loser. They call it "Hey, Asshole!"
Excited yet?
Catbirdseat is an instant fan, saying the all the annoying people at these shows could fill a volume of "The Field Guide To Music Bloggers" for New York City alone.
Fucking hell. What the fuck? The LEAST annoying people at shows are bloggers. Am I really that annoying? If so... Jesus... I apologize. I always thought the annoying people at shows were the people standing next to me getting annoyed at other people for doing normal 2006 things. WhAAAAATT???! A Cellphone? A camera!!! Get the fuck out!
Someone PuhLEEEEZE take my photo tonight at the Annuals. I'd love give a big shout-out to our new neighbors.
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Jen C. Gothamist wisely says everything I wanted to, but far more concisely than I was able.
UbiquitousMarketing has an even more eloquent critical perspective.
Disclosure: Lock advises me I should disclose that back in May they were interviewing a bunch of writers for possible positions, and at one point considered having myself on their staff. It probably wouldn't have worked in either of our interests. I really have no experience in writing, but it was an honor that they'd even consider me. Apologies to all if my critique of the Idolator's stance towards the blogosphere appears to be a personal vendetta. I enjoy the Gawker sites and am disappointed with the the initial reveal of this latest prospect.]
Written from jerry yeti's cave at 2:07 PM
16 Talk to a Yeti
16 Comments:
I'd take your picture but I left my camera at home. Perhaps we should get all the bloggers together in the front by the stage and take a big group photo for this new blog! You know we wouldn't want them to run out of fodder for their inane postings.
you should have your photo taken with john from kexp.
he loves quality music.
and bloggers.
the real bummer is that obnoxious cellphone and camera use at shows has become "normal behavior for 2006"
if that's the case, why not start texting and making phone calls from the next movie you see? or how about snapping 100 pictures at the next play you go to?
it IS obnoxious and takes the focus away from the performers and the performance.
but ill see you at annuals tonight, buddy!
I think gerards funny as hell I just wish he'd make fun of more mp3 bloggers as I feel a little lonely on there (although he did mock diy jeff, good hodgekins and jax)
I posted two minutes ago and then noticed you posted as well. also if we're so bad how come all the big internet conglomerates are jumping on the bandwagon. as I said in my post no matter how much vc $$$ they have they can't pay someone to write passionaely about music the way many bloggers do
Pow! Love the forthrightness.
Though you might have disclosed that you and I met during Idolator's development stage earlier this summer, and that you did a few days of test posts for Idolator that we paid you for -- but didn't get the job.
Wait! So I didn't the job? ;)
[Adding a disclosure right now.]
yeti just got his fucking ass handed to him.
i hope that idolator means to include, unimpressed non-movers, loud talkers and inappropriate body grabbers in their "hey asshole" section. i don't think its bloggers that are annoying, it is being pushed aside to make room for a camera, or having to watch the show through said camera. and not just bloggers are guilty of that. i admit that i winced at the thought of who could qualify as an asshole as true music fans could easily end up the over enthusiastic hand clapper or something of that variety.
The Bloggers love the music enough to go out every night & contribute positive energy to the scene and then try to share that via the web. It's great exposure for bands who would otherwise have to rely on the industry. If people in the crowd spent less time hating on each other and more time communicating & collaborating the scene would be that much cooler.
blogging is for losers
Sheesh, I was just tryin' to make a funny.
I don't car if you went to some job interview and they paid you crap to do test posts and then din't hire you. It doesn't take away from the fact that they've made some very gerneral and very offensive statements about music blogs yet have done little to show they aren't going to be an establishment status quo type outfit bent on the almight ad dollar generated by celebrity gossip and the occassional free song (so far with very little or in favt no commentary as to why I should download said song over the thousands of others posted this very day on Hype. I much prefer (but don't like) the attempt by Paper ThinWalls to enter this space. At least they've hired writers with opinions about songs and not gossip mongers. Does any of that make sense and don't let em get you down.
Not Annoying: talking on your cellphone, snapping a few pics with your digital camera.
Annoying: talking loudly on your cellphone *during* the set (or standing there texting for the duration of the set), moving all throughout the club, or just moving back and forth in front of/on the stage all throughout the set.
Let's update the old "tree falls in a forest" saying: if there's a show and there's no blogger there to take a billion pics of it and write a huge post about on their blog later on, did the show really happen?
(moving around all throughout the set TAKING PICTURES CONSTANTLY, that is)
So far Idolator is. . . really boring.
I had never heard of Lockhart Steele before today. What a fantastic porn name. Does anyone know his real name?
Agreed on Idolator being a fucking bore.
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