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Wednesday, October 1, 2008
And The Hits Just Keep Coming
In earlier posts (the Clueless in the USA series), I discussed how Republicans 2008 have a way of being, well, you be the judge:
- Stealing. In an attempt to appeal to music-loving middle-aged American voters, they use - without permission - copyrighted music. That is called, in polite circles, theft. So much for hiding behind 'law-abiding' and the 7th Commandment
- Stupidity. Either they steal somewhat blindly, or just don't understand: they repeatedly use (without permission) songs that convey a message opposite of what they think it conveys. Or, in their usual contempt for the American public, they think that we are the ones who are too stupid to notice
- Stubbornness. When confronted with demands to cease and desist using music without permission, they dig in their heels and refuse to stop... until the attorneys' letters start mentioning 'injunction.' Then they flip-flop and stop stealing ... until the next moronic GOPer gets a bright idea... and launches another activity that is illegal, futile, and just plain idiotic.
A partial list of the stupidly misappropriated music:
- Jackson Browne - Running On Empty
- John Mellencamp - Our Country and Pink Houses
- Heart - Barracuda
- Van Halen - Right Now
and the pinnacle, the dumbest of them all - Bruce Springsteen - Born in the USA
There are several others that I can't remember now.
Labels: 7th commandment, barracuda, Born in the USA, flip-flop, Hagar, Halen, heart, Jackson Browne, mellencamp, moronic, Our Country, Pink Houses, republican, Right Now, Running On Empty, springsteen, theft
Don't forget to visit BlackBox, the best of tech talk (in plain English), and please read/honor the legal stuff in the left-hand pane of this page
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
More Astonishingly Stupid Stealing
Something Fishy
News Flash: The Baby Boom Generation is aging. One of the hallmarks of Boomerosity is an affection for merging music (especially 60s and 70s music) and politics. As the boomers age, many have turned inside out and become Republicans. It would be natural for the born-again GOPers to try to mix the tunes of their kidhood with their politics of today. For more details, read
Clueless In The USA Ann & Nancy Wilson wrote and performed a rock 'n roll classic. It was aimed directly at a record company's A & R guy - a music promoter - who spent a lot of time indulging in his own fantasies by sexually harassing the Heart Sisters. It is not in any manner, shape, or form a compliment.
This
misappropriation of music is supposed to be the theme song for the 2008 candidate for Vice-President of the USA. The GOP is emphasising Sarah Palin's tough, aggressive style of politics ... like a Barracuda.
You're lying so low in the weeds
I bet you're gonna ambush me
You'd have me down, down, down, down on my knees
Now wouldn't you, barracuda?
And if the real thing don't do the trick
You better make up something quick
You gonna burn, burn, burn, burn, burn it to the wick
Ooooh, barracuda!
'Sell me sell you' the porpoise said
Dive down deep down, deeper than
You.. I think that you got the blues too
Yeah, you gotta love a barracuda. By the way, the string-powered opening riff of this song makes a great ringtone for your cell phone.
Remember - the Wilsons told the Republicans to cease and desist illegally using Heart's music - even if the use of the tune is anything but a good image for their candidate.
Labels: barracuda, clueless, conformity, gop, heart, mediocrity, mellencamp, music, no longer a republican, pinkhouses, politics, sarah palin, springsteen
Don't forget to visit BlackBox, the best of tech talk (in plain English), and please read/honor the legal stuff in the left-hand pane of this page
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Clueless in the USA
News Flash: The Baby Boom Generation is aging. One of the hallmarks of Boomerosity is an affection for merging music (especially 60s and 70s music). As the boomers age, many have turned inside out and become Republicans. It would be natural for the born-again GOPers to try to mix the tunes of their kidhood with their politics of today.
News Flash: There are many things that are simply beyond the grasp of people as short-sighted as Republicans. Over the next few days, here you will find at least three examples of Republicans blundering through trying to make their brand of politics seem, ummmmm, hip. In each case, there are at least 3 problems with the right-wingers' choices in publicity-oriented songs:
- It's the lyrics, stupid. Before choosing an advertising diddy, shouldn't you listen to the words? Do the words in the song really reflect what you want the public to believe about your party or your candidate?
- There are copyright laws in this country. Before using using copyrighted material for gain, one must first obtain permission of the copyright holder - and be prepared to pay royalties each time the copyrighted material is used for either commercial gain or purposes other than for its original intent: personal pleasure. In each case here it is obvious that the GOP did not first get permission to use. I know this because in each case, the artists sent cease and desist letters saying don't use my (our) music to promote your cause.
- Given #2, doesn't adherence to law - "Law and Order" mean anything to these people - the ones whose zeal led them into crookhood?
By the way, in 1992, the Clinton Campaign wanted to use Fleetwood Mac's "Don't Stop" as a campaign theme song.Don't stop, thinking about tomorrow,
Don't stop, it'll soon be here,
It'll be, better than before,
Yesterday's gone, yesterday's gone.
Why not think about times to come,
And not about the things that you've done,
If your life was bad to you,
Just think what tomorrow will do.
Now THAT is a positive message, no matter what the context. Not only did the writer, Christine McVie, allow the Clintons to use her masterpiece - she and the band endorsed it. That's a long way from cease and desist orders, nicht wahr?
Put on your seat belts, kiddies. We're going to take a ride down the rabbit hole.Part 1 - Born On Some Other Planet
Springsteen's signature song is about the failed American dream. Why would anyone in politics want to use that concept as a PR diddy - one that is supposed to say "We are the real Americans. Join us in celebrating our American-ness." look at these portions of the lyrics:
Born down in a dead man's town
The first kick I took was when I hit the ground
You end up like a dog thats been beat too much
Till you spend half your life just covering up
Got in a little hometown jam
So they put a rifle in my hand
Sent me off to a foreign land
To go and kill the yellow man
Down in the shadow of the penitentiary
Out by the gas fires of the refinery
I'm ten years burning down the road
Nowhere to run ain't got nowhere to go
Now there is a positive image for the Republicans. Would you want to vote for a party so clueless - or who thinks that stomping on middle class aspirations is a good idea?
Labels: barracuda, clueless, conformity, gop, heart, mediocrity, mellencamp, music, no longer a republican, pinkhouses, politics, sarah palin, springsteen
Don't forget to visit BlackBox, the best of tech talk (in plain English), and please read/honor the legal stuff in the left-hand pane of this page
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