free, authentic, expression
Jan. 13th, 2007 08:57 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
porphyryI just heard the lead-in for an NPR interview with Vaclav havel. The reproter mentioned that Havel ahd once been imprisioned for defending a 'rock band' that the Czech communist government had banned. The report offered the opinion that he had really gone to jail for the right to free and authentic expression, and that that was as good a defintion of democracy as it was of rock music.I was quite taken aback that anyone could describe ‘rock music’ is that fashion.
Doesn’t it seem that ‘rock music’ exists for the service of the desire for gain of large media corporations? Isn’t it the most manipulated and controlled, the most artificial and inauthentic, product ever created?
Isn’t the idea that its some kind of free expression part of the pitch to make people accept the conformity that sells millions of copies of a single record? “Be different! Be yourself! Listen to the same music as everyone else?” Rather like the idea that wearing denim pants expresses social rebellion?
Could there be anything more insidious than mass-marketing freedom of thought as a commercial product.
It also seems to me that the ‘industry’ takes a special glee in destroying real freedom of expression: “Roll over Beethoven [i.e. in your grave], and tell Tchaikovsky the news!”
Doesn’t it seem that ‘rock music’ exists for the service of the desire for gain of large media corporations? Isn’t it the most manipulated and controlled, the most artificial and inauthentic, product ever created?
Isn’t the idea that its some kind of free expression part of the pitch to make people accept the conformity that sells millions of copies of a single record? “Be different! Be yourself! Listen to the same music as everyone else?” Rather like the idea that wearing denim pants expresses social rebellion?
Could there be anything more insidious than mass-marketing freedom of thought as a commercial product.
It also seems to me that the ‘industry’ takes a special glee in destroying real freedom of expression: “Roll over Beethoven [i.e. in your grave], and tell Tchaikovsky the news!”
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Date: 2007-01-13 04:30 pm (UTC)As to Havel in general, don't take so seriously what he says. He was a marginal writer and to very much extent he still is one. I have a feeling that he managed not to leave his imaginary world even during his 14-year presidency.
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Date: 2007-01-13 08:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-01-14 01:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-04-03 05:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-04-04 03:51 am (UTC)