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Post subject: Why I love John Mayer!
Posted: Wed Aug 15, 2007 11:07 am
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Aspiring Musician
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Ok cynics, pay attention! I mean it!

There's a big dust up over at the Line 6 Forums about a certain very famous artist they are sponsoring. Among his lyrics are entire songs which extoll the virtues of cold-blooded, much enjoyed murder and other forms of extreme violence and hate. The controversy is not over whether this artist has the right to express himself and make millions off his hate rants.

No. The issue is: does the sponsoring company have a societal obligation to consider the content of what they are promoting in a climate of increasing youth violence from Columbine to Virginia Tech?

Thus I want to congratulate both Fender and John Mayer for not caving into financial pressure and taking the easy road to riches: the GTA/Fitty Cent/Death/Hate cult which literally does create a climate condoning murder, misogyny and race hate.

Further I want to congratulate Fender for not sponsoring artists which engender these extremely negative and sick values. Sociologists are continuing to report that the media environment kids live in has a huge effect on their behavior.

Now I'm no soap box moralist. And I love the blues. And in there is a lot of dark stuff for sure. That's not what we're talking about.

I'm talking about lyrics which literally tell the adoring fan how great it is to kill somebody. How much fun it is to hurt people, to abuse women and to steal and loot and burn buildings.

If these exact same songs were being sung by individuals who happened to be wearing turbans, who were of the Muslim faith with beards, they get lynched in a split second.

But instead they are being sung by fresh-faced young Americans with long hair and skinny, attractive bodies. It's a slick, effective marketing engine for death and destruction.

Anyways, props to Fender and John Mayer for being forces for good and please--keep up the good work! Vigilance.


Last edited by Maruuk on Mon Aug 20, 2007 1:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Posted: Wed Aug 15, 2007 11:29 am
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I think I missed somthing... what generated this post...


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Posted: Wed Aug 15, 2007 12:21 pm
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Well I love John Mayer because his Music always has a meaning and it is never to do with money or greed. He is an amazing song writer and a dedicated guitarist. Hes not one of those front men in a band that just plays chords and lets the other guitarist run away with the show.


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Posted: Wed Aug 15, 2007 12:58 pm
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I like two things about John Mayer. One, his guitar playing is phenomenal. Two, his blog is hilarious. He has a really keen sense of humor. Funny stuff.

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Posted: Wed Aug 15, 2007 1:10 pm
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What generated the thread is the Line 6 controversy over their lack of caring who they're sponsoring. Apparently they'd happily sign on Osama Bin Ladin if they thought it would sell more PODS. And actually that's true of a lot of music manufacturers. They never read the lyrics. They don't want to. They just care about the bottom line.

If you run down Fender's sponsoring roster, not one of the artists is selling hate, violence or mysogeny. That's good stuff, kudos to Fender and any American company that actually cares about what they're ultimately selling with their sponsor money.


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Posted: Wed Aug 15, 2007 2:13 pm
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It seems the music industry can be pretty shady. Glad to know that Fender isn't part of that.


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Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2007 10:34 am
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It's interesting, ever since the Line 6 "Artist" in question was exposed for promoting murder and violence in his songs, Line 6 has quietly removed him from the promotion tease of their new line of products. Daylight is always the best disinfectant.

This is something Fender doesn't have to worry about. They actually thought about who was fit to represent their premiere brand before they started writing the checks.

Note to all musical instrument manufacturers--you only need to do two things: read your prospective artists' lyrics, then read the headlines. If you can then sign them with a clear conscience, the world will be a tiny bit better place to rock out in.


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Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2007 12:07 pm
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"There are more love songs than anything else. If songs could make you do something we'd all love one another.

"I mean, I wrote a song about dental floss. Did people's teeth get cleaner?"

- Frank Zappa

BTW, the word is "misogyny."


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Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2007 1:38 pm
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Nonsense. Put a turban on Dave Mustaine, and a Koran in his hand, and you and the whole brigade of "who cares?" folks will be the first to lynch him for telling American youth to kill, kill, kill. Instead, he's a cute young American guy who poses cool with his guitar so whatever he tells his fans to do is cool with you.

Columbine and Virginia Tech started with neglect, and ended in hypocrisy and death. And then the inevitable "how could this have happened in America?"

Fender has some sense of how this could happen. A nationwide climate in which violence is not just tolerated, it's actively encouraged by rock and rap stars worshiped by young fans hanging on every word from them. That's why you won't find any sick and perverted psychos selling murder and violence against women on their sponsored list.

Again, props to Fender for their responsible attitude.


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Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2007 2:07 pm
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"Nonsense," huh?

Blaming the media climate for the way things are is like blaming the cow for the E. Coli.

Me and "the whole brigade of 'who cares folks?" "The Koran?" You can blow that nasty name-calling right out your nether regions, Jocko. What you know about me would fit in thimble.... as would your fifth grade understanding of sociology. Read a book or something.

Or better yet, continue to fantasize that "Fender" somehow shares you worldview.


Last edited by Gravity Jim on Mon Aug 20, 2007 2:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2007 2:18 pm
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HAHAHAHHAHAH ... MIND YOU ERIC CLAPTON HAS A SONG CALLED COCAIN....AND i DONT' THINK IT'S MEDIFORICAL... :lol:


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Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2007 2:57 pm
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Does Eric Clapton sing a song extolling the virtues of cocaine??? Telling kids how great it is and how they should get some and get really wasted on it???

Ohhhh. He doesn't, does he? The song is AGAINST cocaine use. I guess you have no idea what you're talking about. Come back when you do.

I'd like to see one example, one, of a Fender artist who extols the virtues of murder, violence against women, or does any proselytizing at all in their lyrics towards sick, violent or extremely harmful behavior.

All the latest studies verify that violent video games and a cultural climate condoning and glorifying violence and abuse of women have a definite negative effect on young men. The Army uses first-person-shooter videogames not to train young recruits to aim straight, but to become conditioned to killing without remorse. Something they are not naturally inclined to do.

As I said earlier which of course you're ignoring: this isn't about the right of an individual to say what they want. And this isn't about songs with the subject of dark or violent stories. Blues are all about trouble and violence. That's not the subject of this thread.

No. This is about popular artists singing songs which literally and directly tell the adoring fan to kill, kill, kill, and abuse women and laugh about it. Songs which directly encourage drug dealing, cop-killing and glorifying getting rich illegally. Songs in which the singer talks about his murdering and creating harmful mayhem and how great it is. Songs if sung by a Muslim would earn the guy a quick trip to Gitmo. But a quick trip to the bank for a cute blond rock star.

Hypocrisy, thy name is greed. Somehow Fender does just fine without signing these artists. An example to the rest.


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Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2007 3:24 pm
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Oops, the "excessive politics" meter just started flashing. Engaging lock mode.

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