I'm Sellin It (The Mcdonaldization of Music)

by: Nikos Monoyios

As our society continues to trail-blaze its way toward championing monetary value as the epitome of worth and success, the consequences of neglecting the significance of artistic value are apparent. Although this is a dismal notion, it is actually quite easy to recognize why economic value is deemed more important than social value. Simply put, we ascribe something, and anything, with monetary value. Dollars and cents. Digits when lined up next to each other can be arithmetically manipulated on a spreadsheet to ultimately decide what something is worth.


Even though our brains are capable of colossally complex ideas, we still rely on the results of the “bottom line” to make a decision. Applying a number to something makes a decision easier to gauge. Of course, this method is imperative for business, but what happens when society reinforces the application of this method onto our artistic sphere? Do we remember how to value the artistic contributions without emphasizing an ascribed dollar amount to it?

Let’s look at the music industry. For example, was John Lennon’s Imagine so popular and moving because of the economic value or social value it generated? Did punk rock flourish in the lower east side in the late ‘70s because of the grand production scheme, or because of the social movement? The same could be said about Seattle in the early ‘90s, right? These two examples don’t even scratch the surface of the myriad of experiences that make music more socially influential versus economically successful. For these examples, the social significance emerged before any money changed hands. However, what are the consequences now that music is taking a stronger approach toward being producer-driven? Why do primary television music channels like VH1 and MTV seem to principally broadcast and showcase the monetary worth of popular musicians as opposed to our society’s vast array of musical offerings?

Simply put, the music industry has been McDonaldized. McDonaldization, a cleverly cynical term coined by sociologist George Ritzer in 1995, is the process of ascribing systematic and rational fast-food business principles within society. The main components of McDonaldization are efficiency, calculability, predictability and control. Utilizing these components emphasizes the increasing rationalization of every task. In other words, determining and measuring how methods work faster, more cost-effective,

“Irrational and imaginative creativity and artistry are no longer reinforced because aspiring musicians are being steered to follow this rationalized pattern in order to gain success.”

and more consistent is paramount to maximizing success. And of course, money is the way these factors are measured. Similar to how the fast-food industry harnessed these components to maximize the influence of their business, the music industry has adopted these same principles with interest to maximize their profits. Furthermore, recognizing the harm of this McDonaldized approach can be clearly observed.

Businessmen in the music game are the primary beneficiaries of this rationalized approach toward the music industry. Musicians are no longer steering artistic direction in the industry as much as they have in the past. The audiences do. What sells does. Bean counters and analysts scrutinize spreadsheets monitoring who is buying what and where. This measurable and rational approach determines what should be produced and distributed. Therefore, success for a musician depends upon adhering to a proven genre and a mastered image.

Unfortunately, this problem is a cyclical one. While the business side determines what music should be produced, the audiences are subjected to the resulting popularity. Consequently, the music is broadcast and advertisements pop up all over and the masses digest it, only to regurgitate this info back to the analysts.

This McDonaldized reality threatens to diminish the social value of music. We can’t afford to accept this commodified popularity as a social commodity. Our intrigue and star-struck sentiments are no longer defined by the music, but by the image. This is why popular music has become a flavor-of-the-month club, and those poor musicians are convinced that audiences really do love their music. Irrational and imaginative creativity and artistry are no longer reinforced because aspiring musicians are being steered to follow this rationalized pattern in order to gain success. We’ve learned this so well — which is why Guitar Hero is so popular.

All we are conditioned to do is to record-by-numbers. Music has been confined within the lines of a coloring book. We need to remember the days when scribbling all over those pages was our way of “stickin’ it to the man.” Otherwise, we could turn into sheep in a land where the producers and financiers will be our shepherds.



Wide-Eyed Nation Online

Werk, Werk, Werk

That's all I've been up to pretty much. Working and getting my apartment together.

We got these sick leather couches from Out of The Closet on San Fernanado and they were only about $200 together! AND I finally get my bed on Thursday, and my stepmom threw in a dining table and some chairs and some dishes :)

I went to a smoke shop down the street from my work after I got off to get a cigarette roller and a new downstem for Shredder, but my bowl doesn't fit in it :( But since I work down the street I got the local discount and I told him I was looking for a new bong, and maybe a hookah, and he told me he'd hook it up 8D

AND my roomate Veronyca got a cute green 1 hose hookah so we're gonna break that in tonight.

So, other than the parking ticket I got, because I'm illiterate and can't read signs, today was a good day.


p.s. I'ma have to give it to my boy Eli.

DAMN NATURE, YOU SCARY!

seriously.. hahhahahaaha.
this just makes me want to watch Family Guy and Hell Date simultaneously.

Wooow...

I actually went out tonight. DANCE! WHOOOO!!!!!
I needed it though, and I got to see some people I haven't seen in a while.
Felt real good. Now I gotta wash all the jizz from everyone that hugged me off my dress. haha. just keeding. I miss paying ten dollars to dance like I'm in my room. And I decided I'm gonna steal all the disco balls from the Attic and put them in my room. Muahahaha.
And no one sent me the memo about wearing wolf t-shirts. tss, whatever. haha.
So except for getting hit on as soon as I walked in the door, having fat chicks run into me left and right like it's fucking bumper boats, and happening to be standing in the way of these two assholes attempting to fight each other (I couldn't even tell what they were doing at first; it looked like two puppies getting into a fight.), and expcept for the fact that my friend Sean couldn't get in and I missed my friend Izzy, it was a good night. ahaha.. yes. mm.


reeses pieces,
jessssssssssicuuuuh



ps. Jeff never fails to spin this to top off the evening. enjoy :)

color me baaaaad. just bad.

I just can't get enough of this video. Seriously. Makes me remember my childood.

WOOT WOOT!!

Yay! I get to stay at my new place tonight! It looks like crap, but whatever haha. And tomorrow morning Veronyca is taking me to pick up my car, but shh don't tell anyone. hahaha. just keeding. whatever. blah. hahah. mkay. srry. a little drunk. mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

halfway dead

today was miserable.

I worked from 2 pm- 8.30 pm.

With two 10 minute breaks.

Am I really expected to be able to work that many hours without sitting down and eating somewhat of a decent meal?

Is it really fair to ask that I rush and attempt to eat half of a now cold sandwich and maybe get a chug of water and smoke a cigarette the fastest you've ever smoked a cigarette and then rush to the back drink some more water maybe use the restroom and eat a mint within ten minutes?

Idk, I must me wonder woman.

But today all that pretty much caught up with me.

I started feeling sick towards the end.

I think the highlight of my day was when a some guy with a wig and a dress and fake boobs came in and everyone else was ignoring him except me. So I helped him pick out some tank tops. haha. And his female voice was funny. But, honestly I wondered how other people would've treated him had he gone into another store. How typical though.. that I get left with the man who's not pulling off the female look very well haha.

But then I went to drop off my rent and Chase got me some curly fries so I wouldn't keel over. I'm alive, but shit I'm fucking tired. Fucking tired. Fucking tired. Can I say it one more time? Fucking tired. And I still have so much shit left to deal with. I miss mah car.

I hope everyone's doing well. I miss going out and dancin n' shit. I can't wait until I get all my shit set up so I can get a better social life.. I mean look. I started a blog. hahaha.

-fjadil;ejessica.

ps. thanks to everyone who visits me at work. you make me cream myself a little each day. hahaha

Great reasons to smoke, by Terry & Dean (more from FUBAR)

you'll make friends..





...you'll save money..





...and possibly live longer...

fUCKED uP bEYOND aLL rECOGNITION

Good Morning. 

I think the room is still spinning a little.

Yesterday was Chase's last day of work, so we decided to celebrate.

We dropped off the studio rental at Galpin, made a beer run at CVS, picked up  dub, and headed home. We decided, that after consuming just the right amount of alcohol, we would then attempt to walk to 7-11, which we accomplished successfully. Even when the po po made a select appearance at our very own convenience store, we held it down. Cuz that's how we roll. haha. 

Anyways, we picked up some snackage and headed back to watch some FUBAR, which is this boss Canadian 'mockumentary' about two headbangers who just get 'right ripped' the whole movie.

 

(this vid is pretty funny too, read the "about this video" haha)

I think my favorite part was the acoustic montage with headbanger Dean's mom reading one of his poems:

 "Woman is a Danger Cat"

The streets are silent

My wheels are the night

Black leather boots calling out to you

A cute blonde boogie machine spreads her wings

And comes along for the ride

Your father thinks you’re out at Suzie’s place

Bonin’ up on the classics

But everyone in high school knows

You’re heavy into gymnastics

One way street, never mind the signs

Full charged gasoline in the tank

Your foot is on the gas and the tires say YEAH!

Woman is a danger cat

Your teachers say you never try

You should be top of the class

But if I was your only educator

You know that you would pass

You sneak out at night

Deep into the night

This ain’t no halfway house

You came from good blood RIGHT!

On and on

Woman is a danger cat

Ironically enough, it's Chase's last day of work, and the last day of my days off. It's so weird going back after being gone for what seemed like forever (it was only 3 days, or 4 if you count the day I called in 'sick'). Whateva. I'm supposed to get my car on Monday.. and I want to start living in my new place already!!!

slumber party 5000 comes to an end

One dark and rainy  December night in Torrance, me, David and my green 2001 Toyota Solara got into a car accident with a brand new Rav4. Maybe it was the drugs, but the car in front of me seemingly stopped out of nowhere. I could never imagine pulling off something like that in the rain (especially with my brakes-eeek).
Unfortunately, I was on Crenshaw and PCH and it was mad busy so there was nowhere else to turn. I tried to brake in time without spinning out of control, or at least soften the blow, keeping in mind i had my best friend in the car with me. But if you've ever been in car accident you know what I mean when I say that everything slowed down, and three seconds seemed like all the time in the world to, oh I don't know, leap out of the car perhaps? But, for some reason you're paralyzed and there's really not much you thinkn you're capable of doing.
So yeah, I hit the car. I even had that severe denial phase where I thought I didn't actually hit them and it was in my mind. haha. There was no damage on the other car, but there was plenty on mine. Basically, it looked like a baby rhino sat on my car from where the hood of my car got wedged underneath the spare tire of the other car.
Thank jeebus it was still driveable. And I drove that car into the ground. Anyone who knows me knows about my headlights and how they pop out like a fucking ball-in-a-cup (family guy anyone?).Until a week ago. The check engine light came on. And instead of risking getting busted down in the middle of nowhere at 4 a.m., I decided I could no longer put off getting it fixed (damn aquarius).
Sure enough the estimate said it'd take at least a week, and I have a job, and a new place to move in to. I needs me a car. But, I'm not old enough to rent a car. So for the past couple of days I've been crashing at my homie Chase's pad for a while, because he literally lives 2 blocks away from my work. It's been pretty fun: coming over after work, smoking a j, watching some cartoons, running to 7-11 for beer and cheez-its (I should be turning orange by now), falling asleep at 2 am, waking up at noon, rolling a j, going to work and starting all over again. Truly the good life. 

Thank god for Chase, otherwise I don't know what I would've done. I was just talking to my friend Veronyca about how I ran into Chase one day while going to work and I hadn't seen or spoken to him in a long time. And we got each other's numbers again and started hanging out since he lived by my work. And I wonder what I'd be doing if I hadn't run into him.. craaaazyyyy. Everything happens for a reason yo.

I was supposed to get my car today, but turns out those dickwads sent in for the wrong part, so now I have to wait until Monday. But, at the same time, it's kind of a good thing I don't have my car. It's saved me from going places and getting myself into bad situations. Naughty, naughty.

visual orgasm

time to pretend -mgmt