Hit songwriters ask pop stars to stop taking credit for songs they didn't write • Hacker News Board

Re: Hit songwriters ask pop stars to stop taking credit for songs they didn't write

#361

Post by Kaze404 » Tue, Apr 06, 2021, 6:29 PM UTC

Rule35 wrote: post #360

Kaze404 wrote: post #305

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's completely fair criticism in my opinion, but not the one I see invoked by most people. In my experience, most of the time the sexual language is the problem, and that is completely bonkers to me because, as you said, sex is a big part of human life and it makes sense for it to be reflected in art.

Actually, I have since watched a bit of the video and I now think it is the imagery as well. Not the scantily clad ladies dry-humping. But that they look like they're doing it for the male gaze, as they stare into the camera instead of each other's eyes. I guess it feels like what you'd get if you tried to have a three-way with two hookers. Hollow and depressing.

While I agree with you that there's definitely a male gaze aspect to it, I don't have an opinion on whether that's necessarily a bad thing when done by women.

On the one hand I can see the harm it can make by normalizing the stigma that women need to do things for the pleasure of men, but on the other hand I'm not sure preventing them from doing that would help the issue at all. It's a complex subject for sure.

Re: Hit songwriters ask pop stars to stop taking credit for songs they didn't write

#362

Post by Rule35 » Tue, Apr 06, 2021, 10:27 PM UTC

Kaze404 wrote: post #361

Rule35 wrote: post #360

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Actually, I have since watched a bit of the video and I now think it is the imagery as well. Not the scantily clad ladies dry-humping. But that they look like they're doing it for the male gaze, as they stare into the camera instead of each other's eyes. I guess it feels like what you'd get if you tried to have a three-way with two hookers. Hollow and depressing.

While I agree with you that there's definitely a male gaze aspect to it, I don't have an opinion on whether that's necessarily a bad thing when done by women. On the one hand I can see the harm it can make by normalizing the stigma that women need to do things for the pleasure of men, but on the other hand I'm not sure preventing them from doing that would help the issue at all. It's a complex subject for sure.

Prevent? Gosh, no. I am sure that nothing good would come from that. As you say, if they choose it... (And if someone likes it, good for Cardi I guess.)

I'm just trying to answer your question from a few posts back about what I found distasteful. The best summary I can come up with is 'women trying to act like whores to be attractive'.

Maybe that's not how it is for Cardi, and that's her image of healthy sexuality, but I wouldn't show it to my kids or my lover.

As an aside, I realized that I watched the grammy performance which may not be the same as the music video.

Re: Hit songwriters ask pop stars to stop taking credit for songs they didn't write

#363

Post by Rule35 » Tue, Apr 06, 2021, 10:44 PM UTC

exactlysolved wrote: post #246

Rule35 wrote: post #230

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your assertion that they were dicks is funny. Even if they just didn't like brown M&Ms if they were paying for the venue then surely it was no different than expecting their personal luggage to be carried to the dressing room, or having banners hung. Why is this request so egregious that it's dickish but having the right brand of sparkling water is not? > Surely in most venues the people responsible for back stage ho…

The original story has been told for around 50 years with the widely noted implication "this was dickish behavior - they didn't have any particular preference for non-brown M&Ms but just wanted to mess with the people waiting on them". Even the 'debunkings' invariably recognize this interpretation of the original story. Obviously part of the reason this story gets told a lot is because a lot of people, many of them m…

> The original story has been told for around 50 years with the widely noted implication "this was dickish behavior

I didn't ask when people started making up the claim, I asked how the claim was reasonable. The person sorting M&Ms would have been paid just the same. How does a reasonable request become dickish?

> they didn't have any particular preference for non-brown M&Ms but just wanted to mess with the people waiting on them"

Mess with? There's that unsupported judgement again. Am I messing with the cook if I ask for less salt, or no onions on my burger? Or are those valid things for a customer to want? Do I have to prove a medical reason for not wanting onions? Or brown M&Ms?

> management consultants [...] love the idea that organizations have a homogenous culture and the same ones that skimp on the buffet preparation also skimp on the rigging safety.

That's generally true but it doesn't need to be. If it saved them one bad show ever it's worth it. Even if it didn't, if they thought it would it was still probably a safe investment.

I'd be happy if a performer went out of their way to make sure that a live event that I paid for and travelled to attend went off without a hitch. To do otherwise would be dickish.