Comments on: When Narcissists Win Grammys

By: Jesse

Jesse — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 03:35:35 +0000

Mojo Girl,

Thanks for writing. It’s the egos of the narcissists that help them rise to the top, putting them in the perfect place for making all those crappy decisions about music, movies, television news, fashion. We could go on and on.

I was recently talking with someone about Patsy Cline, and the quality and clarity of her voice, and how weird it is to think she sang like that without all the engineering that goes in to producing today’s music. I gotta think she’d have been a bit like Hendrix - she wouldn’t have put up with it either.

By: mojo girl

mojo girl — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 01:14:27 +0000

Yes, that’s really true, but I think one of the huge problems in the recording “industry” is that it seems to be entirely controlled by narcissistic middlemen. These are the people who know nothing whatsoever about music but instead focus on packaging and advertising, and on making as much money as possible from the artists in the smallest amount of time. These are the people who dictate who makes it and who doesn’t.

They have a stranglehold over recording contracts and PR, and when an artist does “make it”, they are then ruthlessly controlled by the record company if they don’t want to be dropped like yesterday’s dirty socks. So the only artists who make it through are the people willing to put up with this treatment - it’s a kind of automatic narc-filter which only lets the shallowest and most commercial through.

None of it has anything to do with music any more. Can you imagine what Hendrix would have made of this situation? (heh, he probably would have burned something). As soon as you try to make music an “industry”, this is what you get. Ditto with movies. No creativity or spontaneity at all - that terrifies the narcs because it’s uncontrollable and doesn’t make any money.

Great post.

By: Jesse

Jesse — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 00:23:57 +0000

And I will add politicians to that list.

Book reviews usually serve the same purpose as movie reviews. Entice us to read, tease us with the good stuff, but the substance isn’t always there.

By: Donna

Donna — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 23:35:36 +0000

Oh YEEHA! Well said, as usual.

I’ve never heard of any awards show being labeled as a “Parade Of Narcissists” but that is exactly how it is. [It won't be the last time either, cuz I'm going to make sure word gets around! :) ]

I would expand this concept to the entire entertainment industry, be it movies, music or TV.

It bothers me that we are expected, whether its because of the hypnosis of advertising or the bombardment of a PR machine, to know who these people are. Who CARES??

When my local news has celebrity pieces, you’ve got to know that things have spiraled out of control.

And you can recognize the nauseousness of hype when you hear it, if you’re listening and you’re wise enough. How many times has a movie (or TV show) had ‘buzz’, and when you went to see it, it was an absolute and complete POS?

It’s like water torture….one slow drip at a time, your will power and individuality get sucked out of you.

I don’t listen to them any more. And my life is much more peaceful.

By: phyllis

phyllis — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 01:19:35 +0000

Have you ever thought of writing a book? Almost everyone does — but yours I would actually read. I would devour every word. In the meantime, I am fascinated with your many astute observations. You have definitely walked the walk. I am in awe of you and your words. They are so true and obviously sincere.

By: Annie

Annie — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 15:49:48 +0000

WELL SAID!

By: Pat

Pat — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 22:59:25 +0000

Your last paragraph reminds me of a trip Dave and I took through Las Vegas to Los Angeles. I’ve always been stunned by the extravagance in LV; but, it never struck me as it did that particular time. It was summer, and extremely hot. After spending the night, we wanted to leave early in the morning while it was relatively cool. Because of the hour, the streets were as quiet as it probably ever gets in that city. We drove past one of the gargantuan, glitzy hotels with its fountains climbing nearly as high as the building itself. We talked about the obscenity of that much money being spent on show, glamor, entertainment of the masses, all of which could come at a far smaller price tag. Just then, we saw true obscenity: only two or three blocks from that hotel, practically in its shadow, was a bus bench. On it was a sleeping man, ragged, hair stringy and dirty, a couple of coats pulled over him. Parked next to him was his grocery cart piled with all his belongings. An emblem of all the invisible have-nots of the world parked in the shadow of raging, narcissistic selfishness. I still shed a tear now and then over that image.