Blogcritics Comments of the Week 5

ONE of the distinguishing things about Blogcritics, something that makes it very different from old school mainstream media, is that we’re all available, contactable and interactive.

We have some great writers and personalities here, both on the editorial side and the vital wider writer community; it’s great, thrilling actually, to see them interact, through the Comments, with our readers.

The articles posted on BC, although complete in themselves, are like the opening remarks in a conversation; sometimes formal, often irreverent, rarely dull.

If you want to shoot the schnizzle about your favourite new band, game, TV show, sport and movie or get seriously political over the hot button issues of the day, THIS is the place to come.

“The comments are what make Blogcritics a community.” Eric Berlin

“Have I said recently how I see comments as kind of the heart or psyche of BC? No? Well, I see the comments as…” Christopher Rose

“I take comments moderately seriously.” Dave Nalle

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Just when you’re starting to think some BC internet phenomenon like the Pretty Ricky post and it’s bloated yet repetitive comment chain is fading away, another Blogcritic gives the embers a stir and sparks new life into the beast.

The latest feature on the teen love sensations takes a rather different line, going for a straightforward critical mauling in Bluestars by Pretty Ricky – Worst Album of the Year by Al Barger. For reasons that escape me, the conversation has evolved into a peculiarly uneven dialogue between the kids squealing shrilly about who exactly is Pleasure’s boo on the one hand and some of the BC regulars on the other.

With Christmas barely behind us and the end of 2005 appearing faster than a polaroid picture, the Comment of the Day for Monday 26th December 2005 comes from one exchange between the belligerent yet romantic “Trey” and our own gonzo marx, which gave us the following as Comment #53.

well Trey, about this “gangsta” bit

i’m from the Jersey Shore myself…representing Asbury Park, a “playah” from back in the crack wars of the 80’s…got my Respect from all the street, including the 5 percenters who called me “Viking”

so spare me the wanna be little kid shit about “gangsta” cuz my graveyard is bigger than your ‘hood

sho, how about you try not telling folks what to do, you want to express yourself..go for it

but you will go a lot farther if you look at the Topic of the Thread, and state your case for your Position…one way or the other

oh yes, me?…get mad? not hardly, i’m still playing, and being quite nice about it since you all are just kids that don’t know any better

so how about we try and discuss what the Thread is about?

i am gathering that you don’t agree with big Al about this CD…

so tell us why you think the disk is good, rather than doing the juvvy wanna be bullshit, and we can discuss it on the merits of the material itself

you down with that or scared to do the dozens in the mental Arena on the subject of Music?

(somebody get Suss some munchies, while i school the kiddies)

Excelsior!

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“The kiddies”, as gonzo called them, struck back the very next day with 17-year old Brie creaming Mr Barger with her Comment #78, this distinctly uncheesy Comment of the Day for Tuesday 27th December 2005

Al:
I read your article and I have to say that you pose a few good points. I’m glad that you admitted that you were a 43 year old white male and even said “what do I know about what makes a good r&b boy band?” I think that was very humble of you.

I have to say though, I am neutral to what you brought out in your statements. I am a fan of Pretty Ricky although I think that some of thier songs can be offensive. (then why tha heck do I listen to them? i dont know!) I even think that music is deteriorating as I write this message. BUT I think that it’s wrong for you to attack a boy band.

I mean, do you really have that much time in the world to listen to a group of 17 year olds sing about sex and then write about how bad of group you think they are? Are you really trying to pull that cheap stunt to draw attention to yourself and create a link for the angry teens to go to? (I hate to feed your ego and reply to what you wrote, but I just couldnt help myself). I think you should just let them be a bad group. (since you think that way). Why does that bother you so much? Why waste your time and get your blood pressure all up just because you dont like a boy band?

I also think that these statements you made: “yunguns who might give you a good cussin” and “I ain’t feeling all that especially brave, though. I ain’t scared of some herd of illiterate teenagers. What are they going to do, street slang me to death?” were wrong. I am highly offended! I mean, after reading an article that was so well written and argued, I would think you were a much better person than that. Obviously im wrong.

I’m telling you, I’m sevenTEEN years old. And just because I have that “teen” on the end of my age doesn’t mean I’m illiterate. Obviously the teens who read your article arent illiterate either if they were able to read your messages and thoughts. Do you feel that I’m “street slanging” you to death? I dont think so. And is that a racist statement? That all these Black teens are just going to “street slang” you until you die? Hmmm… I wonder…

Anyway, I’m glad that you felt (I dont want to say brave, but i will) brave enough to put something like this on the internet and then face the replies people sent you because youre right, it is only so much “illiterate teenagers” can do. We cant do anything to you that will hurt you. All we can do is write to you. I just think that you should’ve handled the way you worded how you felt differently.

Another thing, I do have to disagree with what you said about good music being for everybody because different music attracts different people. For instance, I like r and b, hip hop, alternative, and country music. I can pretty much listen to anything except for heavy metal. My father, on the other hand (who is like 50 something) HATES almost EVERYTHING I listen to. What I listen to may not be considered good music to him. He likes jazz and oldies. Jazz and oldies may not be “for me”. Jazz and oldies may be considered “good music” to my father, but I dont like it all that much. R and b, hip hop, alternative and the other types of music I choose to listen to is considered “good music” to me, but not for my father, you see what I mean?

I understand what you said when you said that you love music and thats why you’re saying that you have a dim view of Pretty Ricky because they’re a crappy excuse for music. But essentially, is that really your decision to make? They’re out now. They’re performing songs at concerts and making money. What can you do? AND how can you even say that theyre a crappy excuse for music when you even admitted yourself that you didnt even know what makes a good boy band!?

A lot of the things you said on this blog is really offensive. You may not care, but, I’m still putting my feelings out there because I can. When I read your article I thought you were smarter than some of the replies that you wrote to other peoples comments. I was really suprised. Obviously, I was wrong about my preconcieved thoughts of you. I honestly don’t know you and I shouldnt have thought a certain way about you just because of how you wrote the article. I was wrong there. But coming from a writer, next time I think you should think before replying to what people write to you. And really, you shouldnt categorize a certain group of people based on age. *(and i learned that i shouldnt categorize a person based on how well they write or argue a point)* ; )

Thanks for reading my LOOOOONG reply…if you do. (heck, if anybody does! LOL)

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Shifting musical gears somewhat, one of our busiest music writers is the cryptically named uao, who’s produced over 100 never dull posts for Blogcritics in under two years. One of his latest fine reads, Does Your CD Lose Its Value By The Bedpost Overnight? would not only make the title of a great Country song but has already produced the Comment of the Day for Wednesday 28th December 2005, Comment #6 from one J P Spencer.

Great article, uao!

The thing about the Deadhead stuff retaining high value due to demand justifies what I have been telling friends for ten years. Record labels make the real money on back catalog sales. Note the lack of a reissue of Vanilla Ice or MC Hammer currently on the market.

And the PUNCH LINE is, most artists who would generate back catalog sales are currently being dropped by the major labels faster than you can blink. As the Deadheads die off, and that day is coming sooner than you think, the old model of a record company will probably die off with them.

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