Me too! That a man who’s music, his openness about his sexuality, and above all his willingness to embrace his FEELINGS, and share them, as a man; all of it felt revolutionary- that THAT MAN has become a sort of reactionary misanthrope feels like a betrayal. A punch in the gut. But, whatever… the music matters more than all that. Maybe someday he will come back to earth, so to speak.
Parasocial "rock star" mythology-culture has followed the same path of regression as "fantasy baseball"; a couple decades ago, it used to add spice to the stew in between albums and tours, like "Hot Stove League" did in the winters; but now it has swollen up so much as to displace the actual thing it was supposed to merely adorn, like betting websites and "daily fantasy" have done to baseball and other sports.
Parasocial, paratextual narratives are now just a giant pain in the ass to both the musicians they're made about and those who are beneath that level, because the attention and discourse they draw siphons away energy more rightfully appropriate for the music itself.
The always-on internet news cycle has made the parasocial relationship aspect of fandom the main event. There’s too much money to be made and likes to be collected. Deep, emotional devotion to fictional comic book characters and the actors that play them is the same scenario with different names and faces. The funny part is I’ll be willing to bet you Foo Fighters and Jane’s Addiction streams increased because of the news coverage.
I think there has been considerable damage done by Dave Grohl, and I don't think everyone will just forget about it and continue to listen to his music. This one hit hard with many fans, myself included. I bought the nice guy image, watched all his interviews (for decades), and went to a ton of FF shows--I'm beyond disgusted and won't go back. I can't. It's not the same. And judging by the amount of TikToks I've seen from other fans, mostly women, I'm not alone. It's that he LIED about it for so long, built a brand of being a family guy, and turned out to be the opposite of what he betrayed. We are disappointed that another guy we admired is a dirtbag. We thought he was different.
I completely agree, Tammy. Just as you said, I've seen a ton of videos, particularly TikTok videos, particularly made by women, who've expressed the same sentiment that Dave portrayed the role of the family man—as I said in this piece, almost a sort of anti-rock star rock star—who stood out amongst his peers as singularly one of the very few good guys left, especially in the world of popular music. I really struggle to separate the art from the artist, and though I've tried over the years to do so, I find that I'm just not very good at it which has caused me to stop listening to so many people whose music I once greatly admired. Now, unfortunately Dave and the Foos have earned a place on that list too. Thank you for reading, for subscribing, and for your thoughtful comment here. I really appreciate it and I'm happy to subscribe to you as well!
thank you, Chris! Well said. I can’t separate the art from the artist either! I think it’s because, for a lot of us, music is personal…it has meaning, and it’s with us on such a deep level. So if the person making that music isn’t in alignment with my own values, well, then….
Yup, pretty much.
Guess how many fingers I'm holding up! Now guess which ones! GFY
Also, you clearly don't know jack shit about Frank.
Seriously!!! 😂😂😂😂😂😂 What the ever-loving-fuck is that dipshit on about?? FZ was a “right wing libertarian”????????? WOW.
I know, right? Talk about someone talking out of their ass!
Ted Nugent & Elon "Leon" Musk are nothing short of batshit CRAZY! Musk is very creepy especially when comes to women!
His buddy Trump & Musk are both put off by women of intellect & strength! They are very transparent to strong women, they know they're full of shit!
More releases that are of interest are coming soon!
Phil Collins: Both Sides (All The Sides) Box Set
Sade: Love Deluxe (Vinyl Reissue)
Barenaked Ladies: Barenaked for the Holidays (Vinyl Reissue)
Fantastic Negrito: Son of a Broken Man
Joy Oladokun: Observations From a Crowded Room (Most looking forward to)
Check out Leon Bridges' new song "Peaceful Place." His is the release I'm most excited for and I think you'd like him too. Let me know what you think!
“… and, this just in; Morrissey is still a huge piece of shit as a human being…”
I'm afraid so. But damn, as an artist, I love him.
Me too! That a man who’s music, his openness about his sexuality, and above all his willingness to embrace his FEELINGS, and share them, as a man; all of it felt revolutionary- that THAT MAN has become a sort of reactionary misanthrope feels like a betrayal. A punch in the gut. But, whatever… the music matters more than all that. Maybe someday he will come back to earth, so to speak.
Well said. 👏🏻
I'll try to make this as coherent as I can:
Parasocial "rock star" mythology-culture has followed the same path of regression as "fantasy baseball"; a couple decades ago, it used to add spice to the stew in between albums and tours, like "Hot Stove League" did in the winters; but now it has swollen up so much as to displace the actual thing it was supposed to merely adorn, like betting websites and "daily fantasy" have done to baseball and other sports.
Parasocial, paratextual narratives are now just a giant pain in the ass to both the musicians they're made about and those who are beneath that level, because the attention and discourse they draw siphons away energy more rightfully appropriate for the music itself.
Great take and very well said, Shaggy.
The always-on internet news cycle has made the parasocial relationship aspect of fandom the main event. There’s too much money to be made and likes to be collected. Deep, emotional devotion to fictional comic book characters and the actors that play them is the same scenario with different names and faces. The funny part is I’ll be willing to bet you Foo Fighters and Jane’s Addiction streams increased because of the news coverage.
I’m sure you’re right about the streaming increase, Matt. I know that I streamed more JA over the last few days so others had to have done so too.
I think there has been considerable damage done by Dave Grohl, and I don't think everyone will just forget about it and continue to listen to his music. This one hit hard with many fans, myself included. I bought the nice guy image, watched all his interviews (for decades), and went to a ton of FF shows--I'm beyond disgusted and won't go back. I can't. It's not the same. And judging by the amount of TikToks I've seen from other fans, mostly women, I'm not alone. It's that he LIED about it for so long, built a brand of being a family guy, and turned out to be the opposite of what he betrayed. We are disappointed that another guy we admired is a dirtbag. We thought he was different.
I completely agree, Tammy. Just as you said, I've seen a ton of videos, particularly TikTok videos, particularly made by women, who've expressed the same sentiment that Dave portrayed the role of the family man—as I said in this piece, almost a sort of anti-rock star rock star—who stood out amongst his peers as singularly one of the very few good guys left, especially in the world of popular music. I really struggle to separate the art from the artist, and though I've tried over the years to do so, I find that I'm just not very good at it which has caused me to stop listening to so many people whose music I once greatly admired. Now, unfortunately Dave and the Foos have earned a place on that list too. Thank you for reading, for subscribing, and for your thoughtful comment here. I really appreciate it and I'm happy to subscribe to you as well!
thank you, Chris! Well said. I can’t separate the art from the artist either! I think it’s because, for a lot of us, music is personal…it has meaning, and it’s with us on such a deep level. So if the person making that music isn’t in alignment with my own values, well, then….