That’s the Guy Who Sang in Tarzan!
(a scene from the car) “Oh, that’s the Jonas Brothers. There’s Kevin, Joe and Nick,” Zane pipes up from the back seat.
“Zane, I honestly can’t say that I’m proud you know that.”
“Good Lord!” I screamed from the front of the car to no one and to everyone. “What is wrong with this picture? Zane, please tell me it’s just a piece of worthless trivia. Something you’ve stumbled upon and for whatever reason it stuck there in your head. Quick–who were the Beatles?”
“Ooh, they were a band. I like them.”
“Yeah, but who were they? What were their names?”
“Uhmm…”
“Nooooo!! This can’t be happening! Led Zeppelin? Who was the lead singer in Led Zeppelin? What about the Rolling Stones? Name someone from the Stones. Or The Who.”
“Who?”
Now I’ll be the first to admit that I’m no expert when it comes to music. I have eclectic, but as my wife would say discerning musical tastes. Actually, she’d say I’m a snob bordering on lunacy and that my opinion is scarcely worth more than the air I’ve used to express it, but that is something altogether different and off point for our purposes here. Discerning. I think that is what we should stick with here.
My tastes can run the gamut from jazz to pop to alternative/indie to rock, though I must admit I’ve little or no interest in country, hip-hop or classical. Check that. By saying little or no I might give one the impression that there is the slightest possibility that I have an interest in these genres. I do not. At all. I have no interest in country, hip-hop or classical.
Well, I tolerate classical. But only because my kids take piano lessons. I’d much rather listen to them butcher Mozart than sit through an evening at the symphony. Otherwise, I’m out on classical.
Where was I? Oh. Drivel! I can certainly tell the difference between contrived media force fed to the masses and genuine artistic expression. Unfortunately, my kids can not. They do not have the luxury of interpretation that comes from having listened for over 40 years. They can only assume that because a song is on the radio it must be good.
Their little minds are barraged with the meaningless because corporate giants have targeted them. They are pawns in a grand marketing scheme. Targeted because the giants know that I am weak. I have the buying power–they (my kids) have the buying leverage. It’s a vicious and ruthless game and I’m not quite sure I know how to play it.
Granted, I’m not about to tell them what they can or can’t listen to–within reason of course. I want them to formulate opinions about the music they listen to and reasons why they like or don’t like a particular song or artist. Because everybody else does is not an acceptable reason.
I’ll play my stuff when we’re in the car. I’ll try to expose the kids to plenty of different styles and will try to mix things up but I suppose I should take it a step further. Maybe let them know why I like a particular song or artist to jump start their thinking.
(Back to the scene in the car) Seeking redemption, I quickly scanned the iPod and pressed play. Two measures into the song Zane yelled from the back seat, “Voodoo Chile by Jimi Hendrix!”
“Thank you, Zane!” I said and smiled, reassured that all is not lost.
The status of my kids as pawns in multinational’s marketing schemes is very much on my mind at the moment.
I have no answers unfortunately.
Dan´s last blog ..I’ve just been mugged
No answers and unfortunately, about 45 less pounds in your wallet.
Get ready – in a few years, they’ll be testing you. I told my daughter about Loudon Wainright, but she told me about his son, Rufus.
Hurts a little doesn’t it?
We’re going to be working on a Jo Bros debriefing here too. I may erase everything from her iPod and load up nothing but the Beatles to start with.
Darren´s last blog ..Stop the Madness or Happy Birthday, Clare
To her credit, Zoe just asked for me to download a song by Peter Joback and Kate Pierson (not that she knows who either of them are) but she liked the song. She’s got a pretty eclectic taste as well.
Yeah, well…if you read my recent John Lennon post you know that I was a tad let down that my son’s portrait of the late great Beetle was not a portrait of said Beetle at all, but a portrait of his big sister. And the expression on his face when I asked him if it was John Lennon was priceless. Whatevah!
The Lennon picture was dead on. I’d tell him sister or not–that’s The Walrus!
Think yourself lucky, my two followed every fashion faux-pas of Sporty-Spice when they were younger, I had to beat it out of them with withering criticism.
They have rehabilitated slightly though and now request old Rod Stewart albums when in the car (I refuse to play the stuff of his after 1975), and have given up asking me to play their own CD’s – they do not know the names of The Beatles though, one of them once referred to “Bongo” as the drummer.
Gary´s last blog ..We need humour…
Zane must have sensed my disappointment for he can now name the Fab Four as well as quite a few others.
And I’m glad Sporty Spice died out before Zoe got to know about her. Though I can’t really say I’m all that fond of Miss Montana’s wardrobe that Zoe seems so fond of.
Vodoo Chile…Niiice.
Ahha, so this is where having no television pays off for me…My little guy digs on all the great music I play but is not exposed the contrived/force fed stuff. Don’t know how long I can keep this up though.
Great post Ed.
Keep it up as long as you can, man! As long as you can!!