Comments on: “Selling out” is dead. Long live “selling out.” http://blog.newsok.com/staticblog/2008/08/06/selling-out%e2%80%9d-is-dead-long-live-%e2%80%9cselling-out%e2%80%9d/ The Oklahoman's George Lang Fri, 26 Apr 2013 16:24:24 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5 By: Steven http://blog.newsok.com/staticblog/2008/08/06/selling-out%e2%80%9d-is-dead-long-live-%e2%80%9cselling-out%e2%80%9d/comment-page-1/#comment-6126 Steven Thu, 07 Aug 2008 13:46:53 +0000 http://blog.newsok.com/staticblog/2008/08/06/selling-out%e2%80%9d-is-dead-long-live-%e2%80%9cselling-out%e2%80%9d/#comment-6126 Music has always been used to sell things, whether a product or itself. If your music has been played on the radio, then you are promoting the stations advertising selling used cars and ladies night at the local dance club (two free long necks if you show up in a bikini!).

As long as music is considered desirable then it will be part of the marketplace. And musicians do not have it easy these days. I’m sure that Outback had several options for their campaign, but some cool ad exec probably wanted to throw Of Montreal a bone. I don’t feel that it lessens the effect of hearing the original song. I do understand the argument that this makes music more disposable, so perhaps there is a balance.

One of my best friends is a musician who’s been working at it for years, going to a job day after day, pouring his own money into recording, renting a van to play at clubs for 10 or 15 people around the southwest. After finally starting to have some success he was working on licensing some of his music. In a resigned voice he said to me, “Steven, I am ready to sell out. I want to be able to quit my day job. In fact, as long as my music is not used to directly support Bush/Cheney, I’m cool with it.”

We all have our limits.

]]> By: Rob http://blog.newsok.com/staticblog/2008/08/06/selling-out%e2%80%9d-is-dead-long-live-%e2%80%9cselling-out%e2%80%9d/comment-page-1/#comment-6112 Rob Wed, 06 Aug 2008 17:51:52 +0000 http://blog.newsok.com/staticblog/2008/08/06/selling-out%e2%80%9d-is-dead-long-live-%e2%80%9cselling-out%e2%80%9d/#comment-6112 Whuf. What to say? I’ve always been the one to stand up to nobler principles than money and the first one to viciously defend Jello and lambaste the rest of the DK’s decision to whore their music.
But with the Lips songs on umpteen commercials now, they’re doing ok (even tho their shows are decidedly less intimate) so what can I say?
I guess it’s all in the message of the art. the DK’s songs were about being down on The Man. The Beastie Boys even have a lyric about never hearing their songs in a commercial, but they’ve never had a problem with exposure.
I guess I have to go with George Carlin, who equated his appearance on commercials with sticking it to the man by taking his money for something so inconsequential.
As a current consequence, music in television commercials is much more entertaining.
However, old punks die hard. *wring*

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