Message 81/116
Date: 09-Aug-03 @ 06:15 PM Edit: 09-Aug-03 | 06:41 PM -
RE: RIAA wants you!
d, that's the way it works, though, for an independent artists there is a direct relationship, there's not Waffle House Inc. serving as the middleman and cutting checks. Sure the guy at waffle house will get fired if he doesn't make batches upon batches of Waffle House waffles to the satisfaction of the customer but there is always Huddle House. Artists don't have that kind of anonominity and the fact of the matter is Waffleman isn't doing anything extraordinary.
It isn't "your job" but choosing to support an artist through going to shows, buying CDs, t-shirts, etc., is in fact "telling" them that the job they are doing, entertaining you through their art, has met your approval. You are "telling" them how to do their job and how to live their life. You are saying, "I like your art enough to buy it, keep making art.", "I like your performance enough to buy a ticket, keep performing." If they do something that displeases you, lets say you discover that they are a shareholder in a thirdworld sweatshop, and you stop buying their art and going to their performances then you are saying, "I don't approve of what you've done, I'm not buying your art or seeing your performances anymore." In this instance you are "telling" them how to live.
I guess what I'm getting at is that artists are, and should be, appreciated for their unique ability to do something that few people have the talent and drive to do. If enough people are appreciative then they can make a viable living from their art.
It should go without saying that independent artists tend to have values that differ from those who choose to pursue "the deal". As such there is more expected of them and, if they deliver, they distinguish themselves even more. A talented person who brings joy to others through their ability to create (again, a unique talent) AND displays a level of integrity that is also unique among their peers and the public in general is deserving of the support of their fans. That support is shown through the exchange of cash and that cash is what the artists will be using to buy their house, put their kids through college, take a vacation, etc..
I want to see the artists I like come to town and put on a show. I want them to be able to afford that. I want the artists that I like to be able to go home after tour and take the time they need to write, record and prepare for the next tour. If they can't do that then I don't get to see them again, I don't get to hear their music anymore and there will be more opportunity for shitty music to fill the void in the bins and on the air.
Do they have a "better" house than I? Well lets see. I don't risk my money on touring. I don't have anyone on payroll (i.e., I'm not directly responsible for someone else's livelihood). I don't spend months on the road dealing with fans graciously, day in and day out, regardless of having had a shitty day or not. Have you ever been at dinner with one of these people and had their fans interrupt for an autograph? Anyone who can graciously deal with that on a daily basis deserves a little extra. Perhaps they have earned a "better" house because they have taken risks and put themselves in a position that I have no desire to. Does it make them a "better" person than I? Of course not. They have given up a part of their life, sacrificed something for their art, so they deserve bonus points. After having seen what some of these people deal with I can't begrudge them a little extra, especially if they put it to good use.
Before anyone bags on me for deifying these people, let me first tell you I don't. Let me also say that, unless you have been there with these people and seen first hand what they have to deal with don't go off on some theoretical impression of the way you think things are based upon People Magazine or winning tickets from your local radio station to hang out backstage one night with the headliner. Until you have spent some time with someone who has acquired a level of celebrity don't go there. I also realize that some of these people eat it up BUT not all of them do and not all of them understand the reality of that possibility going in. In the end they are "just like everybody else" the difference is that they have to deal with things that not "everybody else" does, or has the ability to. Again, they get bonus points because all the while they are doing this they are keeping me entertained and sometimes even moved. I want them to be as happy as they make me sometimes. Its only fair.
One question that may clear up a lot of misunderstanding about people's position on such matter is this: "Do you think an chemical engineer should make more money than the guy at Waffle House?"