Used to Mean a Lot, Mean a Lot to Me, Now It Doesn't Mean, Doesn't Mean a Thing

 Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

Regarding the Ryan Adams scandal that is shaking moments of my world, there is more to be considered.  As predicted but way sooner than I expected, record stores are already pulling his catalog and the tour was cancelled after the record releases were smashed.  The rate and ruthlessness in which he is being taken down is like watching a pride of lionesses on the nature channel ambush a rhino.  The act of internet judging and its impact on lives is very real and powerful. This power is new but already there is an abuse of it's use, in my opinion. I say, lay off the throttle a bit, the punishment should still fit the crime.   I also feel the public is way misguided in believing it is their responsibility to teach wrong doers a lesson via the inter-verse.    Due process should have been allowed in this case as their is a crime in question.  Currently his career is prematurely being ruined for allegedly being an asshole.

Its surprising to me that the public is acting as though he did these acts to them personally.  Most of the allegations would need information from both sides to make sound opinions and it's not our business but if people want to make a difference they could look into how contracts and music partnerships are formed. 

Not to mention the gross, unhealthy nature of this public shaming and retribution.  This is looking so similar to the Christian right but this is coming from the left imposing a set of values on others that they deem proper and any diversion gets you black balled?  And the wrongful treatment of others is okay as long as it fits with that agenda.  For example a few people made fun of the fact that Ryan threatened suicide if the girls didn't respond early enough.  I thought suicide was never funny.  Oh, but its okay to mock if it's some asshole?  So, we publicly shame people now?  We don't root for redemption and rehabilitation?  We don't move to make positive changes but instead commence to burning the witch or in more recent cases, the warlock?

As a side note, anyone keeping tabs on the line of broken homes Miranda Lambert is leaving in her wake?  I'm simply pointing out that people do bad things and we can't pick and choose.

The focus should stay on the industry, the ways in which people recruit tour buddies, how to engage in a songwriting partnership, better contracts - tangible things.  Maybe the days are gone of the handshake agreement even in the indie world.  But also we may need a mutual protection contract for when two adults choose to collide intimately and musically.  There is probably so much room for improvement in how women are handled and that is definitely something I would love to support happening.   One positive change could be to stop selling people in general as brands and get back to promoting music as a form of art based off it's sound value, it's appeal and ability to move and sell.  Perhaps with the exception of pop music, that could work to protect the private person from the music they create. Also for the public, we could opt out of knowing anything personal about the artist if we choose.  I don't need to know Christian Bale hit his mother to know he is a fine actor.  I know I wouldn't want to be married to him but please let this man act.

Some artists I find incredibly fascinating and grow a fondness for that goes beyond their music but a lot of folks I just want to listen to and it all ends there.

And let's look down the road a bit about the repercussions of putting moral standards on artists.  Does this lead to bands and musicians going through some sort of morality background check in order to get signed to a label?  That sounds like very homogenized music if we limit the types of folks that are allowed to record.  And where does it stop?  Will artists be allowed to record if they have drug habits, bouts of alcoholism, perhaps they have something in their deep past.  Will we ever again hear the likes of a Marvin Gaye, James Brown or John Lennon for example.  If we're unwilling to allow the voices of those coming out of darkness and pain who struggle with not only their own upbringing but themselves in life as adults, who really loses?

I am very reluctant if we are changing to this way of choosing our music.  What happens when a band member fouls up?  Will we condemn the entire band?  Will the band be bullied to fire the member or themselves be complicit to his crimes?  Logistically, this whole process has many holes.

What do we do with all the older artists guilty of everything under the sun including murder.  Are they grandfathered in?