Rules Of The Game #31: Rockism And Antirockism Rise From The Dead

[koganbot]

Here's my latest, in which I reveal myself to be a rockist, unless that's not what I'm revealing. I also don't come to a conclusion about what rockism is. Stay tuned for the exciting sequel.

The Rules Of The Game #31: Rockism And Antirockism Rise From The Dead

EDIT: Here are links to all but three of my other Rules Of The Game columns (LVW's search results for "Rules of the Game"). Links for the other three (which for some reason didn't get "Rules Of The Game" in their titles), are here: #4, #5, and #8.

UPDATE: I've got all the links here now:

http://koganbot.livejournal.com/179531.html

Comments

[koganbot]

Well, I didn't bring up Benjamin. But I suppose there's an echo in both Benjamin and the Ashlee hater of the 17th-century Germans who were decrying how modern life and commerce were making life unengaged and inauthentic, adjusting to audiences of course being caused by commercialism, and she's a bimbo corporate puppet anyway, and it's her sister's fault that Dallas lost because she distracted Tony from the real business at hand, blah blah blah.

[edgeofwhatever.livejournal.com]

I know. But your comment looked like the most logical entry point, so I replied to you rather than the Benjaminer(s).

(And I am being intentionally dense, in a way, because there's a pretty direct connection between Benjamin and the people who say, "Ashlee is inauthentic because she doesn't write songs on her own." Because their complaint is that Ashlee's the film actor, viewed through the lens of songwriters and marketing, not interacting with us at all. Or that the songs are the film actors, viewed through the lens of Ashlee, or something. The point is that there is an intermediate step between art and audience, and that is inauthentic by Benjamin's standards, so whatever, it is connected. [Even if it is bullshit because there is always an intermediate step between art and audience!] But FUCK HE IS BORING and rehashing this doesn't get us any closer to your point, so why do people do it?)

[edgeofwhatever.livejournal.com]

Haha, should have called them Benjaminions.

Somebody's probably already thought of that.

[skyecaptain.livejournal.com]

I am so not a Benjaminion. Frankly I'd like to get that essay and any invocation of it outlawed from any discussion of media theory. Along with a lot of other things. (Ben-ya-MEEN-ion sounds like something they'd say on Ren and Stimpy.)

[edgeofwhatever.livejournal.com]

I refuse to pronounce it properly, that's how anti-Benjamin I am.