10-18-2016, 11:39 AM
(10-18-2016, 11:32 AM)apollolux Wrote: You may feel my post was condescending, I accept that. I agree that it's usually outsiders playing armchair quarterback, ignorant of what's actually happening and how people actually feel and think, but I'm no outsider.
I grew up in the music industry; my mother was once a music agent, my godfather was Ralph Mercado, and my godmother was Celia Cruz. I don't often reveal this since it usually feels like prideful bragging and I've felt for a long time pride is useless without the results to back it up. I've seen firsthand the wheelings and dealings of the production and distribution aspects of professional music. I've seen music turn from expressions of individuality and uniqueness to cookie cutter "mainstream" garbage. I've experienced the integration of Latin music into pop fusion and seen its inevitable reduction in quality and increase in sameness.
The entertainment (especially music) industry has little to no useful value, at least to the common man. Irrelevant of the genre, whatever art it used to be, used to represent, has been sucked dry and turned into a formula. Sure, once or twice in a generation we sometimes get glimmers of hope to each genre like Kanye to hip-hop, but most of the time we get nonsense like Ariana Grande being compared to Mariah Carey just because she can hit high notes, where Ariana isn't even close to Mariah's league. Mariah has (had?) a work ethic and consistency almost no female artist today has, she worked from the ground up to be successful, and didn't need anywhere near the amount of post-production someone like Ariana needs for audio clarity and consistency. Ariana was essentially bred for music since childhood and is almost completely manufactured.
Music in and of itself can be, and is often, art and can have and usually has value, but as an industry is as useless and valueless as carrying a potted plant in a desert. If the industry didn't exist, would Kanye still be successful?
Same with Lana Del Rey (even though I actually love her music).
Now, THIS is an interesting topic. One that I'll have to dwell on and get back to you. I think I misunderstood what you were saying before.
