amanda palmer's open poem to jonathan chait (and other crimes)

i won't make the argument that only celebs who got their status through old school channels can do this, though - i'm sure if one of those random instagam kids with a ton of followers started auctioning off their toilet paper they'd see some profit.

the opening "i stood on a crate and acknowledged sad people's existences, got 60 bucks mon-thurs, 90 bucks on fridays" anecdote definitely underscores that you don't have to be an actual famous person to creatively sell a sense of human connection

if one wanted to risk sounding like a bret easton ellis character, one could argue that by allow people pay to engage with her, rather than pay to experience her art, she's actually letting people pay for what benefits them - interacting with someone whose art they enjoy. In a sense, she's acknowledging that there's no guarantee that listening to her music is inherently rewarding to all, while it's definitely rewarding for a fan to drive down and give her a neti pot or buy her toenail clippings or whatever.

basically, anyone can hear the scripture, but only those who believe need tithe

AlexReynard 1 hour ago

This woman perfectly shows why feminism fails and what true empowerment looks like.

Feminism *claims* to be empowering. Instead, it encourages women to believe they are oppressed, shun personal responsibility, and most of all, rationalize their worst fears of other people. Amanda instead lives and breathes trust. Connection with others. What we SHOULD strive for.

Amanda promotes trust, Feminism promotes fear. Vulnerability vs. victimhood. One is healthy for human development, one isn't.
·

Do people still use the word schnorrer? Schnorrer.

It really unnerves me that an AP Ted Talk exists, and for my sanity, I'm just going to not watch it.

Though it is the next logical step in her eternal journey.

da croupier otmfm

Though it would be super cool if she was more erudite about her argument-- some data instead of endless anecdotal pathos-- deferred to the many artists who've preceded her with this same notion-- wasn't so congratulatory about it-- perhaps acknowledged, as croup notes, that a significant amount of her artist-fan interaction relates solely to the cult of personality and not the art itself-- I don't find myself hating this TED talk that much aside from that awful part about sleeping in the beds of displaced Hondurans. She's awful but she's not wrong. I'm going to stop reading threads about her though this is a disappointing way to spend a day

I got a great drummeriwroteallthesongs

it's just so perfect.

the overwhelmingly positive response to this is unnerving

Painting myself silver right now, gonna make some green.

it's funny how, everything negative, whether it's an opening act who finds it gauche to beg, or people who think she should pay local back-up musicians, is associated with someone yelling "get a job" from a car window. The implication is that all things are just arbitrary strictures of etiquette that stand in the way of her goal - people paying her for the privilege of being near her. not totally shocked people are digging it because it's kind of a blend between two very popular concepts: objectivism with organized religion - "let me be free to be amazing, and let people pay to bask in the glow".

Aynranda Palmer

http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQXCMoHmg9BzXyoNB9ZZosm2Z1_3Z9p3nDxd3LTjCvJSe495w-9nA

tbf plenty of musicians benefit from a romantic/religious/celebrity status, and it could be argued that everyone's determination to create rules about buying products etc is just capitalism getting in the way of some ideal society where amazing people are amazing and when they want a donut they just tweet they want a donut and if someone cares hurrah a donut.

"it could be argued"

the problem isn't musicians or whatever benefiting. it is this person being cloying and obnoxious and needy in a way that is very recognizable, and that takes advantage of people in the hands of celebs, but also in the hands of garden variety entitled couch-surfer "sidewalk-by-choice" people.

i think a lot of the praise can be chalked up to the TED format, which seems to frame all the ideas presented onstage as some kind of breakthrough truth bomb, like some dr oz on oprah shit. not that AP doesn't have a remarkable number of people willing to find her words inherently gospel-worthy.

Should have given her address like this:

http://beginningandend.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/madonna-on-cross.jpg

Naw, too subtle.

is that madonna?

Like you have to ask.

TED: Ideas Worth Shredding

I really tried to watch the TED Talk with an open mind...but the whole bringing out the crate followed by the theatrical pause really got my hackles up and I only made it as far as "I didn't use to make my living from playing music" before I had to shut it off.

That's just what I need, ten thousand more buskers on my commute. Thanks, Amanda Palmer.

in this brave new economy, everybody will just give me stuff because i ask for it. i am a visionary!

Every rock star should be required to spend a fixed number of hours as a painted public statue before they can ask for money. Like community service or flight hours or something.

AP:

http://www.gamechronicles.com/dvd/bd/hotfuzz/hotfuzz7.jpg

ILX:

http://content7.flixster.com/photo/12/47/40/12474077_gal.jpg

I have to admit, I've never just gone on Twitter and straight asked for money. It's so stupid it might just work...

http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS6kdD559K0DDyziyGqgWDdii95H-SPrKoYKGenldnSBR7DQo14

http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSYydhUjYseaYjo-O9SZi9_uXbqF3zBKQoHmSFxD5E9kT1v-vrr

its always worse than i think its gonna be with this gal

"and then twitter came along and made things even more magic because I could ask instantly for anything, anywhere"

the displaced hondurans story

the drummmeriwroteallthesongs

this person is terrible

the displaced hondurans story

the drummmeriwroteallthesongs

ok please elaborate, don't make me watch it.

pretty sure both were explained in this thread, I understand and have not watched any videos

after describing how a house full of honduran immigrants slept on couches so her band could take the beds, the mom thanking palmer the next morning ("in her broken english") for staying there and making music her daughter enjoys: "and i'm thinking: this is fair."

― da croupier, Friday, March 1, 2013 11:54 PM (4 days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

"And meanwhile, I was touring locally and playing in nightclubs with my band, The Dresden Dolls. It was just me on piano and a genius drummer - I wrote the songs - and eventually we started making enough money that I could quit being a statue."

made for a dull gig, being a statue. Thank god for the drummer!

It could be that she mentioned that she wrote the songs to differentiate the Dresden Dolls from a cover band?

The honduran vignette, it has been bothering me for days. Fuck this lady.

it is haunting

"this is fair"

I often hear about how too many Americans have a "sense of entitlement."

It's almost always just bullshit Right Wing talking points.

Unless there actually are a bunch of Americans who are like Amanda Palmer... In which case I weep for our country.

thing it, it's a bullshit Right Wing talking point with a gigantic center of truth

it's basically a full-on no-win situation

its like an experimental piece from 70s protest theatre.

minimalist strings swell, actress talks in a casual, affectless voice.

"and i said to myself, this is fair."

slowly, dancers emerge, swirl, and fall.

"and i said to myself, this is fair."

lol

giant silver statue-lady walks slowly across the stage, putting on a crown.

"and i said to myself, this is fair."

Would have been better if she was dressed as the Statue of Liberty.

"Give me your tired, your hungry, your poor. That is me ... and I give myself ... to you."