I bought the new RBF and Hot Hot Heat CDs today and they're awesome but that's not what I want to talk about.
I want to talk about The OC. Before you get your hopes up Adam, let me be specific: I want to talk about how much The OC sucks. The "Beck-isode" was bad enough. Now, reading the paper today, I discover that the oft-mentioned Death Cab for Cutie will actually be making an appearance. In the record shop just now, I see that the new soundtrack album is out, featuring artists like The Futureheads, Modest Mouse, and Aqueduct. It's all lead me to write a quick memo to producers of teen soap operas.
Dear Producers of Teen Soap Operas,
Stop raping good music. Thanks!
What do you think that you're accomplishing? In the record store, I saw a 14 year old girl pick up the album, look at the back, give an ugly sneer, and put it back on the shelf. The fact is that your show's target demographic would be just as easily opiated by songs were rappers bark out the orders for their latest dance move, be it back-leaning or head-tilting or what have you.
I realize that this is probably petty, but it pisses me off that I spend money and effort to discover and enjoy good music, and some two-bit rube who just wants to see hot chicks make out on prime-time can be the next Johnny-Come-Lately to say that he digs AC Newman.
Don't get me wrong here, I'm not saying that all TV shows should revert back to just playing Jann Arden when the main characters kiss. Scrubs is a perfect example: It's smart, funny, and not too serious. There's nothing I love more than watching an episode of that and hearing a classic Hawksley Workman tune come on. It just bugs me that a show about Rich White Kids Who Somehow Still Have Problems can think that it's cool enough to compete.
I think that my point is that retarded kids who don't care either way deserve to keep listening to Nelly and Maroon 5. I don't think that they deserve to listen to good music. Hopefully any discussion that this brings up has little to do with plot summaries or debates revolving any retarded TV shows.
9 Comments:
I totally agree with you Tay!
Maybe though, just maybe, having good music on these ridiculous shows will start something of a "music revolution" whereby people who watch these shows will start listening to better music, creating a larger fan base for good music, leading to more opportunities for good groups and singers to be heard, leading to more good bands starting, and improving the quality of good music even more. Wait, what am I saying? It'll never happen. And if it did, then would the good music turn less good because it was too mainstream? I dunno. Too many places for this to go wrong. So let's keep the status quo. Crap music for crap tv. Good music for good tv.
One show I'm really impressed with so far for playing good music is "Grey's Anatomy". Granted, only two shows have aired, but I hope they keep it up. I mean, any show that plays The Postal Service during their opening can't be all bad! And they post ALL the music they play in each episode on the web, which is nice, because then you don't have to wonder what "that song" was, you can just go look. And people who don't care can not go look and remain trapped in music purgatory.
I honestly can't roll my eyes hard enough here. I'm sorry, but if I have to explain the concept of "selling out" here, we have little to discuss.
Also, I took a look at that music guide for your Doctor Hospital show. Tegan & Sarah, The Ditty Bops, and The Cardigans? What is with the fetish for creepy lesbian music? They even posted a video for the Ditty Bops' single. See if you can watch it for more than 30 seconds without being grossed out by both the lousy and uninspired animation as well as their faces.
Okay, so you pick the weirdest music they played to criticize. I agree about those particular examples. But I liked most of the other stuff they featured.
You're right. To be fair, the show also features that one song from Jem, which anybody who walked into a Starbucks 8 months ago could tell you is pretty keen.
This is a game you can not win.
Fine. You win. I quit. All hail Tay, master of all things music. Happy now?
That depends completely on how frustrated you are right now. Welcome to the wonderful world of indie rock, were pretense and snobbery are currency, and I am the veritable King of Swaziland.
Woah, hold up. The Cardigans are lesbian music??? I like(d) the Cardigans. For a while. Does that mean I was a lesbian for a while? Crap! Why doesn't anyone tell me anything? (Not you, Ryan. You keep telling me. And I keep hitting you for it. It's a lovely relationship.)
You what music the OC needs? Dead Prez. Nobody likes rich white people more than Dead Prez.
Jon, that is the best idea ever. Excpect for it they all got eaten by... nevermind. I'll tell you later. It's tempting to say it now, but I won't.
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