(no subject)
I watched Amanda Palmer's TEDtalk today. "The Power of Asking." When I was last out with colleagues, I totally forgot what band she was with. I thought it could have been the Scissor Sisters or the Decemberists, but it's the Dresden Dolls. I even bought the Dresden Dolls' last album. I didn't listen to it fully. I sometimes fall down music vortexes, buy music I feel like I "should" listen to, and then don't listen. I'll go back to it. Maybe. I think I bought it on CD, so I might not be able to find it readily.
Anywho.
So she's married to Neil Gaiman, and they're just so fucking cute, aren't they. So dark and pretty and mysterious and creative and byzantine and labyrinthine and obscure and bizarre and arcane and occult and liminal and playful and wonderful. Lest you think I'm jealous, I am. But the topic was of interest to me, and she honestly does seem interesting and lovely and talented. But also a little head-in-the-cloudsy as well. Because her whole deal is that you have to let people pay for art, not force them to. And I think that is a wonderful thing that will indeed play upon the collective's need for art, and she will be paid for it. And I think it's a great model for the music industry.
But the artsy fartsy kind of thing wherein you "touch people's spirits" and whatnot, connect with them, for a fleeting moment, "see" the lonely, when they are just not seen by any other souls....and that makes some kind of deep difference, well, I guess my cynicism says that you aren't god's gift, lady. Your open, trusting, special snowflake identity isn't so precious that the world should just revel in you. But how much of this is me being jealous, and how much of it is me seriously questioning pretension, and how much of it is my own personal inability to connect deeply with others?
And I had a whole post, a whole fucking post that I just accidentally deleted...SO depressing! I thought I had some good resolutions in there. :( :(
I'll keep going, though, with what I remember. I am so sad about this, I won't be able to get it back.
An aside: I've recently been thinking about people like Zooey Decshanel (sp?), who get a lot of shit for being too "hipstery" or quirky, or cutesy. And I don't think it happens to male actors or personalities, even ones who embody personalities like "bro" or "douche" or "nerd" or even "indie." Ms. Deschanel's (sp again) co-worker gets accolades for having a comedic take on the bro, fresh and new. Women never get allowed to be doing a character, or having a comedic take. They are just annoying.
Aside over, I guess.
But of course it is related, because Amanda Palmer is "dark" or "gothic" or whatever, and I really do like that aesthetic. And I like her, she's magnetic.
But there is something truly annoying there. Because I don't think that most people would benefit from opening up in the way she seems to be advocating for. It's not that I don't think we should be less cynical and closed off in some situations. Being trusting and open can be a good thing, even if it's really scary. But people have a really fucking shitty side as well---the homeless don't have their needs taken care of, and there are genocide victims, victims of torture, of rape as a war tactic---should they all be more trusting? I'll bring out the worn old cloak of privilege, which Ms. Palmer certainly has in spades. I don't think she's unaware of this, but it grates a little when she goes on about her charmed open life.
Anywho.
So she's married to Neil Gaiman, and they're just so fucking cute, aren't they. So dark and pretty and mysterious and creative and byzantine and labyrinthine and obscure and bizarre and arcane and occult and liminal and playful and wonderful. Lest you think I'm jealous, I am. But the topic was of interest to me, and she honestly does seem interesting and lovely and talented. But also a little head-in-the-cloudsy as well. Because her whole deal is that you have to let people pay for art, not force them to. And I think that is a wonderful thing that will indeed play upon the collective's need for art, and she will be paid for it. And I think it's a great model for the music industry.
But the artsy fartsy kind of thing wherein you "touch people's spirits" and whatnot, connect with them, for a fleeting moment, "see" the lonely, when they are just not seen by any other souls....and that makes some kind of deep difference, well, I guess my cynicism says that you aren't god's gift, lady. Your open, trusting, special snowflake identity isn't so precious that the world should just revel in you. But how much of this is me being jealous, and how much of it is me seriously questioning pretension, and how much of it is my own personal inability to connect deeply with others?
And I had a whole post, a whole fucking post that I just accidentally deleted...SO depressing! I thought I had some good resolutions in there. :( :(
I'll keep going, though, with what I remember. I am so sad about this, I won't be able to get it back.
An aside: I've recently been thinking about people like Zooey Decshanel (sp?), who get a lot of shit for being too "hipstery" or quirky, or cutesy. And I don't think it happens to male actors or personalities, even ones who embody personalities like "bro" or "douche" or "nerd" or even "indie." Ms. Deschanel's (sp again) co-worker gets accolades for having a comedic take on the bro, fresh and new. Women never get allowed to be doing a character, or having a comedic take. They are just annoying.
Aside over, I guess.
But of course it is related, because Amanda Palmer is "dark" or "gothic" or whatever, and I really do like that aesthetic. And I like her, she's magnetic.
But there is something truly annoying there. Because I don't think that most people would benefit from opening up in the way she seems to be advocating for. It's not that I don't think we should be less cynical and closed off in some situations. Being trusting and open can be a good thing, even if it's really scary. But people have a really fucking shitty side as well---the homeless don't have their needs taken care of, and there are genocide victims, victims of torture, of rape as a war tactic---should they all be more trusting? I'll bring out the worn old cloak of privilege, which Ms. Palmer certainly has in spades. I don't think she's unaware of this, but it grates a little when she goes on about her charmed open life.