Murder Most Cowell – or, Why the RATM Christmas campaign is a big load of nonsense
By Mat Morrisroe of Culture Karma
You either love or hate The X Factor. I love it. It gets me booing like I’m at a pantomime, extolling my “expert” views on A&R much more fluidly than in the pub and swearing more when I stub a toe. I also have to admit that Simon Cowell is one of my heroes. In my first day in my first proper job, I had to take some photocopies into his office. Noticing that he hadn’t met me before, Simon invited me in, told me to sit down and chatted to me. I was a nervous wreck on my first day and very much appreciated this – not everyone was as supportive or as welcoming. It may have been cheesy but he ended the conversation by telling me that “I started in the post room and you’re already a level above that. You’ll be my boss in 10 years time.”
Thirteen years later I’m clearly not his boss, but I’ve followed his work and tried to apply some of his thinking to mine, with some success (I think anyway). Simon doesn’t care about cool and he always seems to know what he doesn’t know. This allows him to operate in areas that the music industry as a whole wouldn’t consider, and to think about different ways to reach his audience. Now that both musicians and critics have been forced to take a more realistic view of forming partnerships with brands, you could argue that the music business is coming round to Simon’s way of thinking. Hallelujah! I tell you all this so you know my biases before I get into the point of today’s blog.
You may have noticed a Facebook campaign to make Rage Against The Machine’s Killing In The Name this year’s Christmas Number One. This is their mission, as taken from Facebook:
“Fed up of Simon Cowell’s latest karaoke act being Christmas No.1? Me too… So who’s up for a mass-purchase of the track KILLING IN THE NAME from December 13th (DON’T BUY IT YET!) as a protest to the X-Factor monotony?”
Now, I can see why many may think this is Karma-positive. Obviously an artist with such passion performing alternative rock and, you know, using the actual ‘F’ word must be superior culturally than someone who has just won a talent competition? Well guess what? I reckon it’s an epic Karma fail.
Why? Firstly, Simon’s Syco imprint is part of Sony Music, the same major label group that RATM are signed to. This means that the protest amounts to saying “Fuck you, I won’t buy what you tell me – but can I buy this from you instead? Thanks.”
Secondly, if you’re going to take a stand against ‘this type of thing’ then do it properly. Why not get behind an artist who is self-funding their project outside of the major label system? Surely that’s a better way of saying you won’t just consume what you’re told. I really like RATM but, passionate though they are, they are a corporate US rock band on a major label. Come on, people. You could choose an act signed to an indie, or even Hamfatter (steady on). But a band so serious in its conviction against corporate America that it signs to a major and storms to global fame by singing the equivalent of “I won’t tidy my bedroom” is most certainly not sticking it to the man.
But the real reason that this campaign is Karma-negative is because it pretends that the way something is made, and who funds it, is a factor in deciding whether or not it’s any good. The X Factor has produced some utter dross, but it’s also produced some talent, including the fantastic Leona Lewis who looks like being, deservedly, one of the biggest stars of her generation. Does it matter that she won a talent show? Is The Farm’s version of Stepping Stone better than The Monkees’ just because The Monkees came to fame through a TV programme? Is a record better just because it was released through an indie? My view is that a lot of music is dross whether it’s through X Factor, an indie or self-funded.
If the answer is “yes, it does matter”, then recorded music doesn’t have a very bright future. If we’re to continue to have professional artists, then this indier-than-thou-Bill-Hicks-anti-sell-out view of the creation of music and art in general has to change. Artists will have to turn to increasingly more commercial and more “corporate” ways to earn a crust. Will they be pre-judged on how their art was paid for, or on the quality of their art?
My final question is to those considering making a protest this Christmas. Have you really done enough to support music this year to have a right to protest?
————
You can follow the RATM vs X Factor argy-bargy on Twitter with the hashtag #ratm4xmas
I loathe X-Factor mainly because it’s shite and you can’t escape it even if you want to as it fills all corners of the media and beyone. Having said that this RATM campaign is chippy, a bit joyless and fundamentally un-christmassy. Here’s my longer two penneth.
http://www.wordmagazine.co.uk/content/load-raging-nonsense
Bltp
December 7, 2009 at 12:28 pm
You lost me at “Simon Cowell is one of my heroes”. Though your funniest line is definitely “I really like RATM”.
“Have you really done enough to support music this year to have a right to protest?” is a shoo in for most pompous and up-your-own-arse line of the decade though.
McGenius
December 7, 2009 at 12:54 pm
“Leona Lewis who looks like being, deservedly, one of the biggest stars of her generation”
*raises eyebrow*
Daddy or Chips?
December 7, 2009 at 12:58 pm
Chips by the way, every time. The Leona point is a personal view, but she’s presently a massive star and if anything, the long-standing Divas are trying to up their game to compete. That said, it may appear a hyperbolic statement, but I’d hope that anyone would be able to identify her quality, even if they don’t like the genre, or how she came to fame, which is the point I’m trying to make. MAT
culturekarma
December 7, 2009 at 1:03 pm
a) Why choose? Have both!
b) Point understood. Leona has great pipes and all, but I’m not sure about divas upping their game to compete with her. She’s more Celine than GaGa.
Girls Aloud, on the other hand, would illustrate your point perfectly.
Daddy or Chips?
December 7, 2009 at 1:13 pm
She is a jumped up Kareoke artist.
mark
December 8, 2009 at 1:24 am
You make some good points, Mat. Namely, the corporate-band- on-a-major-label issue. I agree, that’s not necessarily the best choice. But it’s a bit like politics: you vote for Labour rather than Lib Dem because otherwise you’re helping the Tories (simplistic and not always true, but you know what I mean – I hope).
Trying to choose a truly independent or self-funded act would result in massive fractioning as nobody would agree, so you might find 1,000 different Facebook petitions and the whole thing would amount to nothing. You have to pick someone who already has a good chance of selling a lot.
But the main point you make is in the X Factor’s defence.
I don’t know if most people object to Cowell’s new business model in principle. I mean, in theory the idea of using reality TV to sell music is as sound as any other.
The objection that everyone has to the X Factor is that a show that is clearly not about music has come to dominate the music charts and is playing a big role in destroying the already weakened music business.
What is produced on the X Factor is not music. It’s packaged clones and soundalikes. The kind of stuff you would only have seen in pubs until recently. That’s where they all belong.
And it’s not only the “talent” that people object to. It’s also the way that they are all coached into vandalizing previously excellent (or acceptable) music. The arrangements and orchestrations of the songs are so unutterably naff they bring tears to most people’s eyes.
I agree that the show in itself is fun to watch, and that the fact that the music is naff makes it even more fun, but that’s where it should remain. On the show.
The fact that every Christmas number one is now one of those Karaoke disgraces is riling a lot of people. Where is the real music?
Also, you say Leona Lewis is excellent. I disagree.
Leona Lewis is another girl who has learned to ape the world’s naffest singer (Celine Dion, for God’s sake!) and does it well. She has a good voice and she is pretty, but she has no personality whatsoever. Compared to Beyonce, Christina Aguilera or even Rihanna, the girl is like a Top Shop sales assistant with a nice voice. She doesn’t bring anything to any song that hasn’t already been brought by her predecessors.
I don’t deny that she has talent, but the way that she’s arrived where she’s at has robbed her of a chance to become her own person.
So my point is, The X Factor does not produce music or musicians. It’s not what it is that’s the problem (i.e. a talent contest): it’s what it creates.
Marcella Puppini
December 7, 2009 at 1:09 pm
“Have you really done enough to support music this year to have a right to protest?”
Er, not sure. How much do I have to have done to have the right? Please let me know soonest. Thanks.
musters
December 7, 2009 at 1:34 pm
I knew I’d regret including that. I guess the point I was trying to make is that it’s all well and good complaining at Christmas if you haven’t actually got involved during the rest of the year. It’s not about how much you’ve done, just whether you feel you’ve been engaged enough.
MAT CULTURE KARMA
culturekarma
December 7, 2009 at 1:54 pm
My own feeling about Xmas number ones and all that’s in them is that they are precisely for the sort of person who doesn’t engage in music for the rest of the year. And that’s just dandy.
musters
December 7, 2009 at 3:38 pm
Marcella’s post made me think how redolent this whole situation is of the bi-partisan idiocy that’s so tragically prevalent in party politics these days – that mindset of “Well, Labour have let us down, so I’ll vote Tory” – and indeed, the same logic applies as you mentioned, in that the fractioning of the vote in a scenario where people actually did support a non-mainstream candidate would effectively render the whole exercise pointless. Basically, we’re fucked.
That said, the misanthrope in me is chortling over the idiocy of those who think that voting RATM is some kind of “stick it to the man” gesture – in much the same way that the Sex Pistols’ carefully designed and packaged brand of “Anarchy” did in 1977. As Frank Zappa once said: “The only true constant in the universe is human stupidity”.
Chris French
December 7, 2009 at 1:41 pm
Over at the group we’ve taken to copy/pasting this on the wall:
We don’t care that RATM are signed to a label owned by Sony. No it’s not ironic, Sony own lots of good bands. You are not clever or perceptive. Go away.
Also, http://bit.ly/clickthisandshutup
Liam
December 7, 2009 at 2:18 pm
Either you havent read properly why the creaters chose the song or you chose not to read it properly… the idea of killing in the name of is because “fu i wont do what you tell me” (Simon Cowell has said on more than one occassion that their [the winner] guaranteed xmas number 1- and its a manufactured cover, and If for 13 years you have been following Cowell you should be able to remember the excitement of sitting round the radio/ watching TOTP waiting to see who had won- the guaranteed win of xfactor takes this excitement away.
zippy
December 7, 2009 at 2:25 pm
I can’t speak for the motivations of everyone else but I’ll briefly say why I will be buying RATM on 13th December. For me it’s not about the fact that they’re signed to Sony or that I want some sort of anarchy to reign and we all revolt and place Simon Cowell’s severed head on a pike atop London Bridge; for me it’s the sentiment of what the song represents.
Music, and specifically great songs, are in the public domain but they’re also very personal. Every song can mean something slightly different to each one of us. ‘Kiling in the Name’ speaks to me of my dissatisfaction with the inequality around me, of the power of those with money, of feeling that at times we live more in a plutocratic oligarchy than a real democracy where the people have any influence.
Is this Simon Cowell’s fault? Is this X-Factor’s fault? No. Of course not. But this represents just one minor opportunity to take a backhanded swipe at the seemingly endless cavalcade of this type of cynical marketing and exploitation by people who have been warping the music charts in their favour long before the RATM campaign.
Will it make any difference in the long run if it’s successful and RATM are Christmas number 1? I suspect not. But I will smile at the ability of a grassroots movement to galavanise the people and remind those in lofty positions of power (to paraphrase) ‘I won’t always do what you tell me’.
Tom McKay
December 7, 2009 at 2:45 pm
Cool story, bro
Chris French
December 7, 2009 at 2:48 pm
“The excitement of the Xmas number 1″ – what excitement was there when for many years when for various eras it was guaranteed to be either Cliff Richard, Westlife or the Spice Girls? Throw in Band Aid three bloody times and lashings of Mr Blobby/Bob The Builder and Xmas number 1 as a serious contest hasn’t existed for 25 years.
The laughable thing about this is the claim that X Factor is destroying the music industry – it barely makes a dent on the chart. Most of the winners and runner ups disappear into oblivion after a single or two (in the same way manufactured acts as promoted by all the majors always had short career spans) and mainly sell to those who don’t buy “real” music anyway.
If you really want to point a finger try the BBC who have marginalised music to fringe channels and late night slots since the demise of TOTP. Or try the spread of broadband, P2P networks, mp3 blogs, streaming services, the change in media etc These are the “villains” in the room, and the strawman argument of blaming the X Factor for the ills of the music industry is hilariously wrongheaded.
Chris
December 7, 2009 at 8:10 pm
FFS. You dont get the point do you?
Its NOT ABOUT THE MONEY, Its about the MUSIC.
RATM are real artists. With real fans. Hence why the group is such a big success. We are all fans of rage of our own accord, not because society, media and simon cowel put them in front of us.
To quote rage on the record label… “When you live in a capitalistic society, the currency of the dissemination of information goes through capitalistic channels. Would Noam Chomsky object to his works being sold at Barnes & Noble? No, because that’s where people buy their books. We’re not interested in preaching to just the converted. It’s great to play abandoned squats run by anarchists, but it’s also great to be able to reach people with a revolutionary message, people from Granada Hills to Stuttgart.”
Devan
December 8, 2009 at 12:42 am
Hi Devan,
Thanks for your input. However, your view of what a ‘real’ artist comprises is a subjective one and no more or less valid than that of the most avid X Factor fan.
MAT CULTURE KARMA
culturekarma
December 8, 2009 at 10:12 pm
wow way to miss the point …completely
funnily its almost word for word with some other bloggers copypasta much? , and the same wording as the spammers trying to disrupt the group
simon cow-hell
December 8, 2009 at 12:51 am
I’m afraid this is all our own work. Do you have a link for the blog as it may be that they’ve been lifting our work, or maybe we’re just in agreement with each other.
MAT CULTURE KARMA
culturekarma
December 8, 2009 at 12:59 am
Hi! It’s always cool to NOT like something that everyone else likes, isn’t it?
But please stop perpetuating the rumor that Syco will somehow benefit from RATH sales.
This is untrue! The only connection Syco and RATM have is that they both use Sony. To say Syco would benefit from RATM sales is as silly as saying RATM benefits from X-factor sales… or Call of Duty sales for that matter!
Also, the group has raised lots of cash for the homeless. How could that be “fundamentally un-christmassy” Bltp??
Marc
December 8, 2009 at 12:51 am
Their master rights are controlled by the same corporate group so we’re not perpetuating a rumour, merely bringing it to people’s attention that, if you really do want to make a difference or make a protest, a different path may be a better solution.
culturekarma
December 8, 2009 at 12:58 am
I dont think there’s anyone in the group NOT aware of that fact! Almost every fifth comment seemed to be pointing that out earlier today. Listen, it’s not a serious protest against capitalism or any nonsense like that. Just a bit of fun. It’s for the Christmas no 1 single spot for god sake!!
Marc
December 8, 2009 at 1:04 am
ITS NOT ABOUT THE MONEY.
ITS ABOUT THE MUSIC.
Devan
December 8, 2009 at 1:04 am
Fair enough, but have you heard the X Factor single yet?
MAT Culture Karma
culturekarma
December 8, 2009 at 1:07 am
Its going to be a cover of miley cyrus’s the climb. I dont want to hear it.
Devan
December 8, 2009 at 1:12 am
Unless they pull something completely original out of the bag (e.g. Stacey Solomon writes her own math-rock ballad) , I doubt that my life will be seriously affected.
Adamski
December 8, 2009 at 10:50 am
Excellent pun in the title btw!
Marc
December 8, 2009 at 12:56 am
That was actually Andrew’s work.
MAT CULTURE KARMA
culturekarma
December 8, 2009 at 10:50 pm
“Fuck you I won’t do what you tell me”.
Unless it’s somebody on a Facebook group, apparently.
Rafe
December 8, 2009 at 12:59 am
So tired of this point, seeing it everywhere so sorry to tell you, you are very far from the first and this does not make you insightful or amusing.
The people joining the group are not being coerced into doing so, or brainwashed in any way which would make your statement make sense. Certainly nowhere near the same degree to which you could accuse the X-Factor of bludgeoning their way to number 1 with marketing heft. The group members are all free human beings perfectly capable of choosing to join, and are increasingly choosing to do so despite the flippant condescension of those such as yourself.
Ali
December 8, 2009 at 8:28 am
The people purchasing X Factor, or any other single that you don’t happen to like are also all free human beings perfectly capable of choosing what they want to purchase.
MAT CULTURE KARMA
culturekarma
December 8, 2009 at 11:47 pm
Given there seems to be no “reply” link on MAT’s below for some reason, I shall post this here.
MAT: I never said that the people buying X-Factor weren’t allowed to or had no free will. Was merely trying to point out the tired and blatant idiocy of berating people for considering joining or going along with the facebook campaign because it is somehow “ironic”. Cowell makes his bid for number 1 with marketing weight and an admittedly hugely popular tv show (which people are more than allowed to like), the facebook group makes its case by itself and everyone is free to decide who they do or do not agree with. Slagging off the group with blogs like the one above and comments such as the one I responded to are just as condescending as any post berating the X-factor for putting out tired, substandard schlock, which while this is a belief of many who may sign up (and many who don’t) was not the motivation for the group. It is simply about restoring some unpredictability to the Christmas number one slot, as I for one enjoyed the competetive element and honestly feel the lack of any sense of real competition has an adverse effect on the quality and potential success of actual Christmas songs produced.
I just do not get why people are so quick to pour scorn on a comparatively tiny group of people who have a genuine and legitimate (if comparatively trivial in the grand scheme of things) grievance/bugbear and fancied having a lark trying to do something about it, as they have every right to do!
Ali
December 9, 2009 at 11:56 am
Leona Lewis?? She is just a voice, she has songs and music created and for her and she is told how to sing them. There are millions of people who can sing, it doesn’t matter what x-factor contestant wins, they can all sing the same thing and will get the publicity push from the xfactor pr machine.
Real talent is people who can create songs and perform them their way and bring something new and creative to the scene, something that x-factor does not do.
It’s not about the money or record company, its about real, original music that was created by a unique self made artist.
Your article missed the point entirely
Aaron
December 8, 2009 at 1:15 am
This is pure nonsense.
If it doesn’t matter which X Factor winner sings the songs, where are the massive, lasting careers of Steve Brookstein, Shane Ward and Leon Jackson? Does it occur to you that for decades, sublime pop music was created precisely by artists being told which songs to sing, and how, and how to present themselves when they did it? See Motown, for example.
I don’t particularly care for the music of Leona Lewis but I can recognise that she has something special – and that, although it’s not to my taste, she probably deserves to get a decent career out of it. It’s certainly no worse some of the self-penned indie drivel that gets uncritical support from Radio One, NME and MTV.
I too wish the Christmas number one had a bit more excitement and unpredictability to it. Pet Shop Boys vs The Pogues was great fun. But The X Factor, like Big Brother, will fade in time as all massive pop culture moments do, and you might get your struggle for the Christmas number one back then – if singles still exist at all.
ANDREW HARRISON, CULTURE KARMA
culturekarma
December 8, 2009 at 9:48 am
Once again, it’s been stated a thousand times – no one cares about Sony/Syco/Whatever, its not trying to change the world
To quote a blog quote, which sums up the sentiment perfectly:
“The whole idea of buying RATM is like flicking the Vs at a policeman. It’s symbolic. It’s futile. And it’s likely to make you giggle like a twat.”
The blog article here, it’s just a bit of fun guys honestly
http://downtuned.net/2009/12/07/rage-against-the-machine-christmas-single-fun/
Jp
December 8, 2009 at 1:19 am
Wow, you really miss the point. Your blog shows a lack of understand of everything you discuss, from the music industry to basic human communication and the salient meaning of things.
If I had such a weak grasp on things, I would try very hard to keep my mouth quiet at all times, not publicly announce my ignorance and lack of understanding.
M
mark
December 8, 2009 at 1:22 am
Hi Mark,
It’d be great if you could keep to giving your opinion on the topic as opposed to making personal insults. If you feel I’ve missed the point perhaps you could help me to understand it.
My personal view on forums is that if you wouldn’t say it to a stranger in the pub, you shouldn’t say it to someone of the internet, and that’s how we’d like to run things around here.
Please do feel free to come back and get involved, but please stick to debating the topic.
Thanks,
MAT CULTURE KARMA
culturekarma
December 8, 2009 at 10:22 pm
Right then. First of all, you’re part of the whole corporate fucked up system that the self-conscious, spiritually aware people like myself are spending their lives trying to educate. You started your corporate career by sucking peoples arses like mr cowell’s who, I am afraid to break this to you, does NOT know what music is. To him, a piece of music is a series of words that brainless individuals such as yourself can sing along to with a catchy hook somewhere in there to keep it in their head. That is not music. That is a song. Music doesn’t need record sales, if it has a spirit, a feel, a groove, a soul, a heart and some tight-ass musicians, that is music. Try listening to some James Brown, Anne peebles, Miles Davis, or some more recent stuff that in my opinion is the best music of the 21st century that a very, very select few have actually heard, Stonephace, Lack of Afro etc.
For me, and many other people who support this group, this is not a protest against capitalism, simon cowell, the x-factor, sony, or anything else you braindeads would like to think. This is a protest to get a song with a heart, with a soul, with passion to get noticed, instead of a song that has taken place in a 3 month advertising campaign sang by some useless puppet who had nothing to do with any of the artistic process and is supported by the same 6 million pathetic shells of human beings who spend their weekends religiously infront of a T.V Screen.
I look forward to your reply.
Love and Light x
Cloud-Fish
December 8, 2009 at 1:24 am
Hi Cloud Fish,
The origins of my career and my life long passion for music are for another blog which I hope you’ll read.
I must take umbrage with your assumption that you know more than any other individual as to ‘what music is’ and again, calling myself or anyone else brainless because we don’t share your view isn’t the kind of spiritualism I’d personally endorse, and is also unacceptable in debate on this blog.
The vintage artists you mention all had record deals, and all had some (considerable) success. The fact is they, their producers, the musicians, all the staff around them had to earn a living. They also had considerable marketing investment, which is why you have heard of them. As for the newer acts, please do furnish us with the relevant links to hear a stream of their music as I’m always keen to hear new music.
MAT CULTURE KARMA
culturekarma
December 8, 2009 at 10:34 pm
But then again. There’s no way you’ll actually allow my comment to be posted. Because that would be too risky! Allowing the truth to get out! Wouldn’t it?
Cloud-Fish
December 8, 2009 at 1:30 am
Hi Cloud-Fish, we don’t censor. We’ll let our readers make their own view of your comment. Thanks for your input.
culturekarma
December 8, 2009 at 8:18 am
Nice one. Cheers x
Cloud-Fish
December 8, 2009 at 11:18 am
“My view is that a lot of music is dross whether it’s through X Factor, an indie or self-funded.”
GET OUT MORE!
phil mCcrackin
December 8, 2009 at 1:39 am
“Epic karma fail” How old are you ?
Stan
December 8, 2009 at 2:28 am
Hi Stan,
Please take a look at the ‘what is culture karma’ section.
MAT CULTURE KARMA
culturekarma
December 8, 2009 at 10:52 pm
This campaign is seriously funny, I think its brilliant, and I have to say I think most of you are taking this a little seriously. Echoing Marc: It’s just a bit of fun! It’s the Christmas No 1, people…
Now, if Cowell was smart he’d put out an X Factor cover of Killing in the Name… that would be f*king HILAAAARIOUS!
SD
December 8, 2009 at 7:05 am
Why is every point you make in your article based around money? Surely the article should be focused on music. The Facebook campaign is more concerned with putting the X Factor craze in its place. Lets face it, no matter how many times you say things like the X Factor has “produced some talent, including the fantastic Leona Lewis who looks like being, deservedly, one of the biggest stars of her generation”, it simply doesn’t make it so. I find your inability to grasp the concept of the Facebook group very odd and I’m not going to question your intelligence because I don’t know you, I’m sure you’re very smart, but perhaps you have just bought in to the whole Simon Cowell phenomenon and just can’t understand why this would be relevant to anything going on inside your bubble. Regardless of who’s pocketing the money, this campaign holds water (as much as a joke Facebook group regarding no.1 singles can).
I really don’t care what label an artist is on, if it’s good then I don’t see why that should be brought into the equation, you touched on this briefly in your article albeit in a negative light “My view is that a lot of music is dross whether it’s through X Factor, an indie or self-funded”
Perhaps this may clear up a few things for you now that I’ve explained the purpose of the RATM no.1, it’s time to take the blinkers off, hope this helps.
Colm
December 8, 2009 at 7:59 am
Mat’s points are centred around money because the purpose of this blog is to explore how music and the arts will fund themselves if consumers decide that they don’t want to pay for the end products any more, and would rather download them for free.
Interestingly enough, on purely anecdotal evidence of the amount of profit from big hits reinvested in “art projects” (new bands who write their own material, literary fiction), it appears that the biggest patrons of the arts of the last five years have been Simon Cowell, Leona Lewis, Dan Brown, Stephanie “Twilight” Meyer and Jordan. They have the big hits and then a proportion of the label/publisher’s cut goes back into “development acts”, few of whom ever repay even a fraction of the investment. My God, it’s practically socialism!
I wonder what Rage Against The Machine would think about the income of low wage-earners being redistributed to subsidise the sort of music and books that their bourgeois betters enjoy?
ANDREW HARRISON, CULTURE KARMA
culturekarma
December 8, 2009 at 9:58 am
“if you’re going to take a stand against ‘this type of thing’ then do it properly. Why not get behind an artist who is self-funding their project outside of the major label system?”
because you will not be able to mobilise the same volume of people to buy it. as such it wouldn’t stand a chance of getting into the charts.
Phil
December 8, 2009 at 9:46 am
Calvin Harris put it pretty well when he stormed the stage on X Factor a few weeks ago.
”If you look at the chart, it’s like a frightening stranglehold that Simon Cowell has got over the entire music chart in the UK at the moment.
”It would be nice to see him use that power a little bit more creatively. Why not try and make the most amazing music that anyone has ever heard in their life? I think it just shows that he’s not really a music fan.
”Why can’t he make groundbreaking music popular? He’s pretty much just releasing the same records again and again and again.”
For me, it’s about taking the ‘power’ over the UK charts away from what Simon Cowell is telling the nation to buy – and buying something else. The fact that it’s a band on the Sony label is nothing to do with it.
Jen
December 8, 2009 at 10:03 am
Much as I love Calvin’s music, and much of what he says, to suggest that his moment on the X Factor stage with a pineapple was more that a) a laugh and b) a nice bit of self promotion is post-rationalisation in the extreme. I suspect the chart is much nicer place for him when he, or one or more of the track’s he’s produced are right there in amongst it.
It was very funny though.
MAT CULTURE KARMA
culturekarma
December 8, 2009 at 10:03 pm
I agree – the actual act of storming the stage was almost certainly a bit of self-promotion and a laugh, but what he said above is the bit I agree with. I’m not really a fan of Calvin’s music, I bloody hate “Ready for the Weekend”, but I do respect him for making his own music and not releasing covers and rehashing old songs.
The pineapple thing was very funny.
Jen
December 9, 2009 at 9:57 am
Myself and 5 friends joined the RATM for Xmas No. 1 group on Facebook. However, I don’t think any of us did it because we wanted to send a message to Simon Cowell/The Establishment/corporate music/whatever.
Instead, I think we all thought it would just be a bit of a laugh to hear RATM playing over the radio at Christmas, instead of the usual festive drivel (and even culturekarma can’t deny that 99% of Christmas music out there IS drivel). At the same time, it might make the Xmas no. 1 countdown a bit less predictable. I might be wrong, but I have a suspicion that that’s the attitude of the majority of members in the Facebook group.
Remember, the info. on the group’s wall simply says that it’s a protest against the monotony of the X-Factor.
And just in case anyone’s in doubt, I’ll also just point everyone in the direction of the line (taken from the group’s “Recent News” feed): “Can I just remind everyone it’s meant to be a bit of a laugh, don’t take it so seriously!”
Adamski
December 8, 2009 at 10:29 am
In amongst all the comments refuting Mat’s argument, including those which effectively admit that the whole thing is an empty, futile gesture, an important point seems to have bypassed everyone.
Whilst I happen to agree that this hijacking of the Christmas number one does rather take the fun out of discovering whether it’s an all-star charity single, a dire novelty record, some cookie-cutter saccharine sludge or Sir Cliff who’ll take pride of place at the top of the charts during Christmas week, what’s really driving this campaign is a rage against the full-spectrum dominance of the charts by various acolytes of the Simon Cowell empire. Isn’t it?
I suspect that what Mat really means by his “have you done enough, etc.” question is this – do you actually buy music anymore? Because the people who like Simon Cowell’s acts do. Regardless of what you or I think, they put their hands in their pockets week-on-week to buy music by the likes of JLS, Leona Lewis or Alexandra Burke. Enough of them pre-ordered Susan Boyle’s album for it to break Amazon’s pre-sale records three months before release, and it’s gone on to sell over a million copies worldwide in about a fortnight. Artistic merits of the record notwithstanding (and I may as well point out that it’s not really my cuppa), it strikes me that in these current straitened times, you don’t get over a million people to spend money on something unless it’s something they genuinely like and want. Leon Jackson won the X Factor two years ago, and was rewarded with the Christmas number one. To paraphrase the Buzzcocks, he came out of nowhere and he headed straight back there – no million-selling debut album for him. It’s one thing to win three month’s worth of telephone votes on prime-time television, but ultimately you are going to stand or fall on your actual talent. This is why all the nonsense about Cowell conspiring to brainwash the unthinking masses into buying any old tosh is in fact tosh itself. If it were otherwise, then it’d be Steve Brookstein or Ray Quinn selling out Wembley next summer instead of, I dunno, Muse perhaps.
Whether during Christmas week or the other 51 weeks of the year, the charts are about what’s popular, and something Simon Cowell clearly excels at is getting the measure of popular taste. Whether there’s something malign or cynical behind it doesn’t matter, although personally I doubt there is. What matters, at least as far as the charts are concerned, is that Cowell is very good at getting people to buy the records his acts put out. And he’s only going to be able to do this if people actually want to buy them. So, if you think Leona Lewis is a talentless mannequin, or that the X-Factor exists to simply promote pub singers above their pay-grade, then it’s up to you to actively support the music you love instead of simply moaning about what other people like, as if they’re too stupid to decide such a thing for themselves and would see the light if we could just get an old RATM song to number one for Christmas. This means going out and BUYING it during the other 51 weeks of the year, insted of sitting on your hands until someone seeds it on a torrent site or posts it on an mp3 blog, or until the industry adopts a new business model – after all, the existing one seems to suit the purposes of this campaign well enough, doesn’t it (as a matter of fact, I’d be curious to know how many of the people cheering this campaign from the sidelines wouldn’t otherwise be caught dead buying anything from the iTunes Music Store)? What happens during those other 51 weeks? Does Simon Cowell have the charts all to himself? Or are you willing to keep on putting your money where your mouth is, instead of bitching and moaning because the music that’s genuinely popular doesn’t happen to be the stuff you like?
Paul McGee
December 8, 2009 at 10:59 am
That there is a well-thought out post which raises some very interesting points, though I do feel it only fair to point out not everyone who would want to see X-Factor chart dominance toppled at Christmas is doing so because they believe everyone else buying the stuff is “too stupid” to decide for themselves, or indeed to rail against all that which is popular that Mr. Cowell produces. A bit unfair to tar everyone with the same brush no?
I regularly support bands I like, am at gigs buying merch two or three nights a week when I can afford it, telling anyone who will listen about new music I think they might like and yes, I do use iTunes quite regularly (amongst a number of other purchasing methods, direct from bands websites, at gigs etc).
I also happen in fact to think some people of the more non-mainstream music listeners of all genres (though obviously not all, there are many who feel they can obtain a lot of cool points with obscure musical tastes and utter snobbery) may actually be motivated to support music they love more if they see a group of daft facebook nutters bag the number Christmas no.1 slot. If even a handful of folk see that happen and think “you know what, we should start a group for (insert underappreciated but excellent band they like)’s next single, if those dafties can beat Cowell at Christmas, we can surely get some much deserved exposure for our lot…”, then it is surely worth a shot to fight the exact apathy and snobbery you describe?
Fanciful? Idealistic? Perhaps, but worth a shot, and as you say there will be 51 perfectly usable weeks next year.
Ali
December 9, 2009 at 1:00 pm
I have no interest in music. I just want to bleed some poor wannabe dry just to line my pockets and then i will throw him/her back in the gutter and move onto the next talentless sucker mwa ha ha ha haaaaaaaa…
simon cowell
December 8, 2009 at 11:31 am
Cowells most likely on the phone to sony right now buying up the rights to all RATM’s back catalogue .
HE IS A VAMPIRE , SUCKING THE FUN OUT OF LIFE AND SHOULD KILL HIMSELF !
Wizard
December 8, 2009 at 11:40 am
Hi Kieran,
Wishing someone to commit suicide is something that I find incredibly offensive, and I suspect mine is a view shared by many of our readers.
MAT
culturekarma
December 8, 2009 at 9:58 pm
Ha ha ha , Yeah i thought you’d say that . Just trying to provoke a reaction ! Abit like your doing with this defence of the indefensible blog ! Who’s next Traffic Wardens . And whats wrong with sticking it to The Man , better that than sticking your tongue up his arse !
Lets not forget that your Idol has made a fortune exploiting children & morons ( Mr Nasty is right ) as its mostly them that are actually buying singles . I download all my music p2p and will continue to do so as i’m not prepared to pay extortionate amounts to record companies particularly when credible artists are making a very good living off royalties and touring which is the major difference between them and the manufactured puppets who care more about being recognised in the street or getting into some shitty nightclub populated by footballers and page 3 girls ( on a sililar level to themselves ) . If you asked one of these karaoke superstars who their influences were then the honest answer would be ” er , the person who wraote the song and the music and then told me what to wear and how to dance !”
I’d rather have Cliff at No 1 than encourage another one of these misguided idiots into thinking they had a future in the music industry unless you count blowing Cowell dusk till dawn ! If they had a tallent it would surface without the aid of the death of TV that is the X Factor !
Wizard
December 11, 2009 at 11:55 am
FUCK YOU I WON’T BUY WHAT YOU TELL ME!
…but I will buy what everyone else is telling me to buy.
I don’t understand irony, it makes my brain hurt, but yeah, down with that thing that everybody else is against for some reason.
Fuck you X-Factor, I’m not jumping on some stupid bandwagon that’ll only serve to line the pockets of faceless corporate entities by buying a record
Oh, wait….
Rebel Without a Clue
December 8, 2009 at 12:17 pm
Well I’ll be backing the muppets version of Bohemian Rhapsody…
http://www.nme.com/news/queen/48775
ed
December 8, 2009 at 2:50 pm
To be fair, this is the right answer.
MAT CULTURE KARMA
culturekarma
December 8, 2009 at 9:53 pm
A lot of people seem to be supporting and opposing this whole thing for completely the wrong reasons.
What I think is a great thing about this fun little campaign is that it is showing those who do have major issues with Cowell/X Factor that if they want to do something to change it, then do it. I’m probably reading far too much into this, but in a weird way it’s a great little exercise in democracy.
Another plus point is that people who don’t pay for their music very often (you know what I mean) are finally putting some money back into the music industry.
Linds
December 8, 2009 at 2:58 pm
So if the X Factor artist wins, isn’t this also a great little exercise in democracy?
MAT CULTURE KARMA
culturekarma
December 8, 2009 at 9:52 pm
This is exactly the tactic you used on my comment above, frankly, you could flip that argument around to fit either side of the debate as many times as you liked. If this is your go-to argument it is not as compelling as you think.
Yes you could argue (as the above commenter does) that people may buy Rage this Christmas for all the “wrong” reasons. The point is it is their right to do so and the X-Factor fans right to do the same with their preferred music. The reasons are peoples own.
Since we are using the whole “democracy” angle, in this instance an established dominant force in a democratic system has provoked a challenge and response from a smaller yet just as valid group, so to keep defending one group and attacking the other with an argument or logic that should be allowed to apply to both sides is essentially meaningless.
This is why folk pointing out the supposed “irony” of the whole situation gets my goat so much as it is fundamentally illogical.
Passing comment that the Rage Against The Machine group are just mindlessly doing what they are told would only be ironic if you were acknowledging that the X-Factor based its success on its fans doing the same, a claim I personally and many others would not seek to make as it is patronising, snobbish and just plain wrong.
Ali
December 9, 2009 at 3:09 pm
I never said it wasn’t.
Linds
December 9, 2009 at 4:21 pm
do some people just complain for the sake of complaining?
some people want to get together, have some fun, and make a great track number 1 for christmas…. and you want to shit all over that? why? who cares?
you say you like the song, then go on to say the song is basically the equivilent of “f you I won’t clean my room”
dear god, my man. if you want to write an article to get attention, atleast have it make some sense.
matt
December 8, 2009 at 3:11 pm
Meh.
X Factor should die a fiery death.
Maybe a few of the things.
TBH, so long as Miley Cyrus, X Factor or JLS don’t get number one, I’ll be peachy thanks.
As for engaging in the music – meh, I say so long as you listen to the stuff, go forth and have opinion.
Flourish, download.
So, either way I suppose RATM for the win.
http://lunckyinc.wordpress.com/
x
teenagegeek
December 8, 2009 at 6:27 pm
Everyone is welcome to an opinion, and your opinion that one artist is ‘better’ than another is just as valid as anyone else’s. However, in order to be an activist you have to be active and that also means you have to be investing. Otherwise, those that are prepared to put their hands in their pockets and fund this art form that people claim so much to care about will continue to be the ones that put music at the top of the charts that you probably don’t see any merit in.
culturekarma
December 8, 2009 at 9:50 pm
Interesting article and comments.
I keep hearing about this “fall of the music business” which is usuall followed by a list of suspects including X-Factor.
If there are so many people concerned about the fall of the music industry then why is it in the state it is in? I suspect it’s because the majority of people actually don’t care or don’t think it is in bad shape. As Paul McGee mentioned above people seem to want to buy this stuff.
Until the general buying public decide they have had enough of it, these shows will exists and people will continue to buy Susan Boyle and Leona or whoever the new replacements are. Again referring to Paul McGee’s post, some of the past winners vanished after their first single and album. So the public will stop supporting what they tire of.
As for the Facebook group, well I think their hearts are in the right place.
However, is this a case of preaching to the converted? Until the middle aged lady down the road thinks RATM are cool Ms Boyle will be at number one.
Hopefully some of the people who joined the group do care enough to support some of the lesser known but just as great (and IMO greater) artists out there after December.
Maybe the real problem is not that X-Factor has taken over the charts but there isn’t any viable Pop artist around to take it on.
Eddie
Eddie
December 9, 2009 at 3:46 pm
blimey one things for sure none of this is very Christmassy all this backwards and forwards seems excess and dull. An awful lot of cock being spouted on either side moving the whole thing from any joy the pop charts use to hold.
I was amazed to hear shaun Keavney (?) actively promoting the chippy Ratm campaign on 6 music this morning why don’t the bbc just sell ad space?
Wouldn’t a better campaign be not to buy anything on chart day. The X-factor singles would then stand there on an empty battlefield, a much better story in many ways #buynowt . Oh and you can spend your time listening to music you actually like and you know having fun.
Bltp
December 9, 2009 at 11:31 pm
Mat you silly man. You have missed the point entirely on Rage Against The Machine (which Im not going to go into) and the whole point of Killing In The Name Vs X-Factor for christmas number one. Its true what they say….. “People who think they are inelligent, often miss the fundamentals” your honour, I give you exibit A: “Murder Most Cowell – or, Why the RATM Christmas campaign is a big load of nonsense” tut tut
LeeboProductions
December 10, 2009 at 5:23 pm
Hi Libby,
Again, personal insults are unacceptable in this debate. If you feel I’ve missed the point then please expand. The point seems to be quite different for different people. Nonetheless, I find myself disagreeing with nearly all of them.
Please feel free to participate in debate on this blog in future but be aware that personal insults or calling the intelligence of its authors or those leaving comments will result in your post being deleted or edited.
MAT CULTURE KARMA
culturekarma
December 10, 2009 at 6:43 pm
I always find it interesting when people post messages like this and then fail to point out what they think the point actually is. There really isn’t much point in pointing out that someone is wrong if you aren’t going to bother to actually point out why they are wrong.
Edmondo
December 11, 2009 at 12:35 am
You’ve said much the same as I did on my blog.
http://scottcoe.co.uk/blog/?p=95
Personally it’s now getting more tedious that the Blur V Oasis battle back in the 90′s.
Good Blog by the way!
Scott Coe
December 16, 2009 at 10:40 pm
I think RATM was the perfect choice. Hamfatter (as good as they are…I’m contractually obliged to to say that
wouldn’t have the same message as ‘F*** you I won’t do what you tell me’ really.
Jamie Turner
January 29, 2010 at 8:59 pm