Justin Bieber's Masterpiece
If you are over the age of 16 you will look at this video quizzically like the RCA dog. This is guaranteed if you know who the RCA dog is. The RCA dog on my Victrola is rolling over in his grave. Our culture is dead. Also, I do wish the young man well.
Keywords:
"Never give in...except to convictions of honour and good sense."”
—Winston Churchill, 1941
About Ivory
Chief Executive Officer and Editor in Chief Ivory Madison founded Red Room. Madison is a writer, editor, and entrepreneur living in her hometown of San Francisco. A former management consultant to startups and Fortune 500 companies, Madison combines...
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Actually, I get it
I realize I'm setting myself up for ridicule here, but earlier this summer, a writing assignment had me shadow Justin Bieber during the last few days of rehearsal and first show of his current tour. Silly me, I tend to approach things with an open mind, so I wasn't terribly surprised to discover that this is a genuinely (if not freakishly) talented kid who sings, dances, and plays guitar, piano and drums at extremely proficient levels. He also works harder than any twelve adults I know. He's surrounded by a fascinating group of amazing artists and soul-conscious management. Yes, the marketing is slicker than Astroglide, but that's this business we call show. The video you post here was his first professional video, made with a tiny budget when he was relatively unknown. I'm not sure I'd like my first effort at anything to be called my "masterpiece." Here's a more recent one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOI4OF7iIr4&ob=av2e And here's a perspective that makes him a little harder to hate: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXOWt524IQM Peace, love and grooviness ~ Joni
He's very talented. He can
He's very talented. He can sing, dance, got rhythm, good looks. What's to wonder about? He's going to be BIG. The fact that he's YOUNG - does that mean he can't be famous? Or the fact that he's got the groove going?
Okay, okay
Hi Joni and Jennifer,
Joni, you make a good point about how easy it is to dislike something from afar, but once you know the person, how much easier it is to respect their work, even if it's not your taste. Also, you point out that Justin is hard-working and dedicated, as are the people around him, something we sometimes forget about people whose work we don't like. And you made me aware that this was his first big video. I think it's in Julia Cameron's book The Artist's Way that she points out you should compare your first efforts to George Lucas's first student film, not Star Wars.
Jennifer, thanks for reminding me that there are people who really enjoy his music. Even when I was sixteen, or ten, I strongly disliked and didn't "get" his type of music. But don't worry, I also have had to defend my taste in music--everything about the artists I like from their material, to their singing, to their look and style, to their personal lives (for example, mafia connections)--many times, and like you, didn't understand why people didn't respect the work or person behind the music I love.
Music isn't just generational, it also reflects our personalities and cultural identity (actual or aspriational), our history, and often it reflects our ideology, consciously or not. That's a much bigger issue, and I hope people will blog about it.
I'm glad we have the type of community on Red Room where everyone can disagree politely, and tends to be so positive about whatever is discussed, much better than if everyone had said, "Yeah, I don't get it either!" I still find his persona and music jaw-droppingly...not to my taste. But I'll try to keep my snark in check!
Ivory Madison
CEO and Founder, Red Room