Could The Black Eyed Penis Sell Out Any More?

[Mangle]

Originally Posted by matéo

I think it takes a little bit more than "what type of music do you listen to?" to actually measure one's individuality.

It's a pretty big indication for me. Anyone seen High Fidelity? My life is pretty much based on that and Almost Famous.

Originally Posted by Hot Karl

a: mangle, bep "sold out"? you're at least 3 years, if not 10 years too late.

Read my review. I'm right on time.

[Mangle]

To get back to the point of this thread, would you buy a T-Shirt for $25 that says Honda Civic Tour?

[dj_soo]

BEP sucks but shitting on people for their taste in music is lame.

you'll get over that when you get a little more mature.

[Mangle]

Originally Posted by dj_soo

BEP sucks but shitting on people for their taste in music is lame.

It's my job. I'm a music critic. As such, I believe there's a point where taste and basic human decency cross (Prussian Blue anyone?). Supporting useless hacks like BEP means more useless hack like BEP will come along: problem, solution.

[Cdn_Brdr]

Originally Posted by Mangle

By the way, there's no such thing as 10x Platinum. That's called Diamond.

Give it up man... you're gonna argue semantics with me? OK... DIAMOND, my bad.

The fact is this..... just like mateo said, just becasue it's simple and catchy doesn't make it bad. I listen to a lot of different stuff pushing through many genres and many different levels of public exposure. Yeah, some of it makes me think, but some of it is pure unaldulterated FUN. Can you believe that people actually listen to music for fun!?!?!?

I don't always want to sit and disect lyrics, sometimes I just wanna dance to it, dig?

[decypher]

Hey if you wanna be a music critic try drawing from topics that aren't driven into the ground.

[Cdn_Brdr]

A music critic? From the sounds of it you're far too biased to be a decent music critic. Sounds to me that you shut out anything that sells before you even really listen to it.

If you were that great a music critic you'd take it for what it is...MUSIC. You wouldn't worry about any other fact associated with it whether it be sales or level of public exposure or 'selling out'.

Originally Posted by Cdn_Brdr

Give it up man... you're gonna argue semantics with me? OK... DIAMOND, my bad.

The fact is this..... just like mateo said, just becasue it's simple and catchy doesn't make it bad. I listen to a lot of different stuff pushing through many genres and many different levels of public exposure. Yeah, some of it makes me think, but some of it is pure unaldulterated FUN. Can you believe that people actually listen to music for fun!?!?!?

I don't always want to sit and disect lyrics, sometimes I just wanna dance to it, dig?

I have to agree with Shawn, what happened to enjoying music purely for the entertainment of it?!

Mangle, I would be interested to know who exactley you critique music for...is it for a publication? Considering your flagrant disregard for the actual music that BEP produces, I would be curious to read some of your past critiques.

[Mangle]

Originally Posted by decypher

Hey if you wanna be a music critic try drawing from topics that aren't driven into the ground.

Um...it's a forum. I'm not writing a review of FNK or anything.

Originally Posted by Cdn_Brdr

If you were that great a music critic you'd take it for what it is...MUSIC. You wouldn't worry about any other fact associated with it whether it be sales or level of public exposure or 'selling out'.

Yeah, that's what great critics do. No point in thinking about what the social ramifications of music are. JUST BUY WHAT'S POPULAR!!!! That's what Lester Bangs did...or not. He did the opposite and he's widely reguarded as the greatest critic of all time. Hmmm...

Originally Posted by Avana

Mangle, I would be interested to know who exactley you critique music for...is it for a publication? Considering your flagrant disregard for the actual music that BEP produces, I would be curious to read some of your past critiques.

I currently write for tinymixtapes.com and ION Magazine but most of my reviews are available on http://www.aranta.net/

[decypher]

lol what do you know about social ramifications.

[Mangle]

Originally Posted by decypher

lol what do you know about social ramifications.

I know buying bad music means more bad music will be made (85% of all music sold in the US is put out by four labels). That's pretty basic. Most mainstream hip-hop encourages sexism and homophobia while popstars enforce an unrealistic standard of beauty. Above this, almost all pop/pop-hop encourages rampant, globe raping consumerism. As always, I judge each CD as it comes out.
There's no manual; you have to see what they don't want you to see and think for yourself.

[decypher]

lol don't tell me to think for myself. I spend the majority of my day looking at sociopolitical situations from different ideological perspectives. I am a critical thinker and i don't take things at face value. I've detailed that in this thread many times but it flys over your head.

I'm not attacking your premise, i'm attacking your worth, originality and inability to understand what i'm saying.

Did you ever think that maybe that music makes someone else smile? My point is why go to the effort to hate BEP, when the fact that they are sellouts is a universal truth that need not be said? Also just because of that fact doesen't mean that it hasen't had a positive effect on someone's enjoyment.

That doesen't mean that there aren't people out there who just view music as a fun commodity in which they can dance with their friends to, not sit in front of a computer brooding over repeative criticisms.

[Mangle]

Originally Posted by decypher

My point is why go to the effort to hate BEP, when the fact that they are sellouts is a universal truth that need not be said?

I think it needs to be said because it's obviously not universal enough. Burning black people on a cross might make people smile too but that doesn't make it okay. But much deeper than this, I went on an effort to hate BEP because I saw an ad for the Honda Civic Tour. That's all; I saw an ad and it pissed me off. Done and done. Everything else was you guys.

MTV fans: Spank Rock's YOYOYOYOYO will make you forget about BEP

[ebbomega]

Originally Posted by Cdn_Brdr

Oh snap Kam.... you hear that? We're corporate whores!

This is just too much to handle... how can I keep on living? My whole existance is useless.... all I do is make money, spend it on making others rich, and repeat. God, how did I not see this!?!?! Come on Kam, let's end our misery.... wanna hold my hand as we jump off the nearest tall building to end our wretched corporate whore lives?

Personally, IMO, they started selling out when the music started sucking.

Plain and simple. I don't care how much money you make selling your "art" or whatever, if the art proceeds to hemorrage because of your success, your success has gone too far.

[Mangle]

Originally Posted by ebbomega

Plain and simple. I don't care how much money you make selling your "art" or whatever, if the art proceeds to hemorrage because of your success, your success has gone too far.

"Joints & Jam" is still the best track they ever did. They had real promice once.

[ebbomega]

Originally Posted by Mangle

"Joints & Jam" is still the best track they ever did. They had real promice once.

I personally prefer "Head Bobs" and "Positivity", not to mention the secret track on their second CD. But suffice it to say that they've probably put out maybe 2 or 3 good songs TOTAL elephunk and afterwards.

Anything they do from here on in is just window dressing. And all you do by pointing out how much they've REALLY sold out now is feed their media machine that keeps them pumping out headlines (and as such getting suburbanites to go to their shows and buying their albums and enforcing such ridiculous behaviour).

So, ultimately, just leave them alone.

[lowski]

i hate them!!! nuff said

[miss.myra]

nothing wrong with artists getting successful or making money

kinda sucks when a group like BEP puts out a decent album (behind the front) and proceeds to really really really really suck balls. sucks cos they actually had the potential to stay good.

[dj_soo]

Originally Posted by Mangle

It's my job. I'm a music critic. As such, I believe there's a point where taste and basic human decency cross (Prussian Blue anyone?). Supporting useless hacks like BEP means more useless hack like BEP will come along: problem, solution.

there's educating the masses towards good, creative, interesting, and less-known music and then there's shitting on people's tastes in an obnoxious manner. The latter (which is what you do) will likely make the people you're trying to sway think less about their own personal taste in music and more about what an elistist prick you are.

If you want to circle jerk with your gaggle of anti-mainstream hiptser readers with your condecending writing style go right ahead. Just don't pretend you're actually contributing anything to the promotion of good and undergroung music.

ps. BEP still sucks

[Mangle]

Originally Posted by dj_soo

there's educating the masses towards good, creative, interesting, and less-known music and then there's shitting on people's tastes in an obnoxious manner. The latter (which is what you do) will likely make the people you're trying to sway think less about their own personal taste in music and more about what an elistist prick you are.

If you want to circle jerk with your gaggle of anti-mainstream hiptser readers with your condecending writing style go right ahead. Just don't pretend you're actually contributing anything to the promotion of good and undergroung music.

Well, that just, like, your opinion, man.


By the way, this forum has no bearing on my writing. You'll notice my name here is Mangle, not filmore mescalito holmes. This is just a sounding board, not a magazine.

[Mangle]

''I believe in rock 'n' roll but I don't believe in Rock 'n' Roll.''
- Lester Bangs

Think about it

[dj_soo]

^ I read your review. my comments stand.

[Mangle]

^ As do mine. Good day.

[Mangle]

Quoted from the liner notes to the reissue of Sonic Youth's debut album:
"The first band in the History Of Rock to make it all the way without selling out. Without doing anything commercial.
So What?
So Everything.
The Music Business, The Entertainment Industry, is one of the most powerful and influential political forces in the world. I'm sorry if you don't see it that way. And many in the Bizness don't. Cultural Imperialism? Believe me it's real. If you've been out there you know it."
- Glenn Branca

"The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side."
- Hunter S. Thompson

[starbright]

i do not understand why the fuck everyone is jumping up on mangle about this... BEP has sold out in the WORST possible way. (i too was a fan until elephunk surfaced.)
not only do they now pump out cookie cutter, rip off bullshit, but their lyrics are embarassing and disgusting.

it is no surprise that we see 12 yr old girls with navel and tongue piercings shaking their underdeveloped asses out of skin-tight bootie shorts when "my humps" is their favourite song of all time thanks to the overexposure through popular media.

it's called ETHICS.
where the fuck did they go?!
WHY DO YOU PEOPLE THINK IT'S OK TO VALUE MONEY OVER WHAT YOU STAND FOR OR BELIEVE IN?

i am studying to be an industrial designer... when i graduate i feel it will be my responsibility to produce work that is socially, environmentally and economically responsible. i WILL choose to make less money than sell out and fuck over the planet or 6 yr old girls working in factories in china. i'm here in this world to make a difference and contribute to the greater good! fuck!!!!

i have no problem with pop music, catchy beats and dumbbed down lyrics... have them if you want them. but when they're promoting the objectification of women, or any other negative connotations I REFUSE to support it in any way/shape/form.

i realize these issues are everywhere we turn, but one piece at time people. why are you laying down?!