4 ms·

Gay rights (Same Love - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlVBg7_08n0 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlVBg7_08n0) What shoes you wear are not important (Wing$ - h

by varikin 14y ago

Gay rights (Same Love - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlVBg7_08n0 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlVBg7_08n0) What shoes you wear are not important (Wing$ - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAg3uMlNyHA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAg3uMlNyHA) I know this doesn't seem important, but just listen. It is heart retching.

ritchiea 14y ago
Did you grow up in a place where what shoes you wear is considered important? Or that gays were considered second class citizens? I'm curious because I did and I suspect his music won't reach those kinds of audiences. He seems like a "preaching to the choir" kind of issues musician. Which is fine, it's hard to reach people who aren't inherently your audience. But I also think if you're a musician and you know you're talking to a certain audience and your message is political, it's a higher bar for your message to be political and meaningful. This guy is from Seattle, if he's talking about gay rights and what shoes you should wear, that's kind of an easy target for a region like the pacific NW. It kind of becomes a critique of people who aren't like you rather than a message that we can be a better culture. There's a real danger of the message becoming "the burden of improving society is on those of you who aren't already as thoughtful as I am."
- smallegan 14y ago
  I disagree he seems pretty close to the issues he discusses, or maybe I am misunderstanding what you are saying? From Wings: "And then my friend Carlos’ brother got murdered for his fours" And in Same Love he talks about how his Uncle is gay. In 2008 he was in rehab for drug/alcohol abuse.
- doktrin 14y ago
  > Did you grow up in a place where what shoes you wear is considered important? Or that gays were considered second class citizens? Seattle and the Pacific NW is a big place. Certainly, it's more liberal on average than most other regions in the US, but I would be wary making wide assumptions. For instance, I went to college at Evergreen, in Olympia. While the city itself was exceedingly liberal, it wasn't uncommon to drive out to surrounding areas and see signs on someone's property disparaging homosexuals, liberals or what have you. Granted, though, his audience (as in, his fans) are prone to agree with him. However that holds true for most artists. We always self-select based on our tastes. > But I also think if you're a musician and you know you're talking to a certain audience and your message is political, it's a higher bar for your message to be political and meaningful. This is a fair point. I'm (genuinely) curious : what are some artists who you feel have conveyed a political message, either outside their fan base or who have in some other way met that high bar? I suppose, thinking out loud, that Bob Dylan or John Lennon come to mind, partly based on the sheer circulation and relative timelessness of their work.

by varikin 14y ago

ritchiea 14y ago

Did you grow up in a place where what shoes you wear is considered important? Or that gays were considered second class citizens? I'm curious because I did and I suspect his music won't reach those kinds of audiences. He seems like a "preaching to the choir" kind of issues musician. Which is fine, it's hard to reach people who aren't inherently your audience. But I also think if you're a musician and you know you're talking to a certain audience and your message is political, it's a higher bar for your message to be political and meaningful. This guy is from Seattle, if he's talking about gay rights and what shoes you should wear, that's kind of an easy target for a region like the pacific NW. It kind of becomes a critique of people who aren't like you rather than a message that we can be a better culture. There's a real danger of the message becoming "the burden of improving society is on those of you who aren't already as thoughtful as I am."

smallegan 14y ago
I disagree he seems pretty close to the issues he discusses, or maybe I am misunderstanding what you are saying? From Wings: "And then my friend Carlos’ brother got murdered for his fours" And in Same Love he talks about how his Uncle is gay. In 2008 he was in rehab for drug/alcohol abuse.
doktrin 14y ago
> Did you grow up in a place where what shoes you wear is considered important? Or that gays were considered second class citizens? Seattle and the Pacific NW is a big place. Certainly, it's more liberal on average than most other regions in the US, but I would be wary making wide assumptions. For instance, I went to college at Evergreen, in Olympia. While the city itself was exceedingly liberal, it wasn't uncommon to drive out to surrounding areas and see signs on someone's property disparaging homosexuals, liberals or what have you. Granted, though, his audience (as in, his fans) are prone to agree with him. However that holds true for most artists. We always self-select based on our tastes. > But I also think if you're a musician and you know you're talking to a certain audience and your message is political, it's a higher bar for your message to be political and meaningful. This is a fair point. I'm (genuinely) curious : what are some artists who you feel have conveyed a political message, either outside their fan base or who have in some other way met that high bar? I suppose, thinking out loud, that Bob Dylan or John Lennon come to mind, partly based on the sheer circulation and relative timelessness of their work.