xpost Dan, did Depeche encourage you to buy multiple copies of their album to better your chances for tickets? And give you a little progress bar to work toward?
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 28 August 2017 11:32 (six years ago) link
The differences between Depeche Mode's and Taylor Swift's fanbases don't really need to be pointed out, right? This is p damn gross, anyway.
― albvivertine, Monday, 28 August 2017 11:52 (six years ago) link
The differences between Depeche Mode's and Taylor Swift's fanbases don't really need to be pointed out, right?
drama-obsessed teens of the 1980s vs drama-obsessed teens of the 2010s?
― crüt, Monday, 28 August 2017 11:57 (six years ago) link
Also, unlike DM these days, Swift doesn't exactly need tricks to goose her ticket and album sales. I mean, she sells millions and plays stadiums. Is scalping really that much of a problem for her? Are there people being shut out of 100,000 seat two-night stands? Anyway, who cares, it's ugly and greedy and rewards rich people and hurts fans with less money.
I'm surprised she went with UPS. She could have partnered with Amazon Prime and required fans to buy special memberships. Also, what does it take to get the be a Level 5 Swift fan? How much do I have to buy? And my degree from Taylor Swift University, that gets me to the front of the line, right? That's what the guy who talked me into signing the contract told me.
Next time maybe Swift can partner with the US government and recruit fans to enlist in the Army. Government contracts are super lucrative. There's pop star money, but then there's Pentagon money, and money is money.
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 28 August 2017 12:08 (six years ago) link
https://imaginedlandscapes.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/simpsons-e1332535100213.jpg
Are there people being shut out of 100,000 seat two-night stands?
Almost certainly though.
― how's life, Monday, 28 August 2017 12:12 (six years ago) link
If Depeche Mode had done things like this in the eighties, it would be a different thing.
― Frederik B, Monday, 28 August 2017 12:16 (six years ago) link
the cover with the articles repeating "taylor swift taylor swift taylor swift taylor swift" remind me of when john malkovic goes inside his own head in BJM
― niels, Monday, 28 August 2017 12:23 (six years ago) link
haha this quote from the ad is great:
So she's collaborating with Ticketmaster #VerifiedFan to create an exclusive program to help YOU get the best access to tickets in North America, in a really fun way.
― niels, Monday, 28 August 2017 12:28 (six years ago) link
Song is not terrible but for all it's specific vendetta it seems weirdly impersonal
― niels, Monday, August 28, 2017 2:22 AM (six hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
yeah, she's pretty much driven anything interesting or distinctive out of her music.
― call all destroyer, Monday, 28 August 2017 12:29 (six years ago) link
lol @ "in a really fun way"
― the Rain Man of nationalism. (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 28 August 2017 12:29 (six years ago) link
all it's missing is an exclamation point dotted with a heart
― the Rain Man of nationalism. (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 28 August 2017 12:30 (six years ago) link
I was thinking those drama-obsessed teens of the eighties have more disposable income than the drama-obsessed teens of the tens
― albvivertine, Monday, 28 August 2017 12:36 (six years ago) link
Are there people being shut out of 100,000 seat two-night stands?Almost certainly though.
Oh, come on, not because of *scalpers.* If she really gave a shit about scalpers there are all sorts of cool things she could have done. Instead she went the most uncool route for the most personal gain, in the ugliest, most cynical way.
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 28 August 2017 12:41 (six years ago) link
lol that the Fairbrass bros actually got credited on this, that is some weird post-"Blurred Lines" lawsuit shit
They are actually going to earn money from this? I think the Fairbrass Bros + The Other Guy have just committed the crime of the century.
― Wewlay Bewlay (Tom D.), Monday, 28 August 2017 12:57 (six years ago) link
The video is worth a post as well. Filled with cartoon cats. Yeah, this is about pumping kids for money or turning them into unpaid publicity workers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1i5B1asvFxY
― Frederik B, Monday, 28 August 2017 13:11 (six years ago) link
Fun! And unique activities, like buying t-shirts and albums!
Oh shit, I didn't even realize your progress bar can apparently move up *and* down! So you can make it to green and then fall back to orange or whatever if you don't keep spending enough time and money on her. Fuck that. Who needs Black Mirror.
At this point I'd just as soon assume Swift is in league with the scalpers, because I imagine many people will sure as shit prefer to just pay more for a seat than pay to give her a lap dance.
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 28 August 2017 13:29 (six years ago) link
did Depeche encourage you to buy multiple copies of their album to better your chances for tickets? And give you a little progress bar to work toward?
Yes they did, or rather, the digital firm that they partnered with to run this thing did, and if it's the same bunch here I'm not surprised. So I'd really encourage everyone to stop thinking that Taylor and team are somehow uniquely evil.
― Ned Raggett, Monday, 28 August 2017 13:31 (six years ago) link
Trust me there was a LOT of loud angst over how this system worked when the Depeche sales were going on, plenty of frustration. It worked out for me very nicely -- I bought a copy of the album via their own presale setup, and posted literally twice in two, three weeks on Facebook and Twitter saying "Hey here's the deal, and it would be fun." It was annoying and I said as much when I did post it, but there ya go. I ended up in the first group to get tickets and bought twelfth row tickets, which was very nice, and then I immediately deleted the partner app from my accounts so I didn't have to think about it again. So as I said, worked for me well, but a lot of people were clearly gunning for more, especially since whoever was actually first in line for any particular show gets to meet the band at said show.
― Ned Raggett, Monday, 28 August 2017 13:34 (six years ago) link
I think there are so many differences. Depeche plays here Wednesday, and afaict there are still tickets, so for starts demand is vastly different. Their latest album has sold a few hundred thousand world wide, vs. Swift's millions, so they could use a boost on that front. They also don't (I'm pretty sure) have a legion of teen fans not in charge of their own spending. And DM also have not (to my knowledge) partnered with a huge corporation like UPS to sponsor/underwrite their tour. They've also had decades to foster a relationship with fans, many of whom have been on board since the band was a cult act, and the days of them being propelled by pop hype are long gone; people want to go not because they are being pressured by their peers/hype, but because they've had decades of commitment to the group. That's why good seats are competitive, not because everyone and their mother wants to see Depeche Mode.
Like, I get the gist of this, especially for something like Springsteen, who is playing unique solo shows for a month or so in a 400 seat theatre in one place. Or Hamilton, which likewise plays relatively small places. But for a huge pop star who sells out stadiums to demand more from her fans for the potential privilege of giving her even more money? That's so unseemly. So yeah, I'd say right now it's pretty evil, more money for the sake of money tied to the already gross FOMO scourge of social media.
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 28 August 2017 13:53 (six years ago) link
I have no problem granting that Depeche Mode are evil also.
― jmm, Monday, 28 August 2017 13:57 (six years ago) link
It's not that it's surprising that there are differences, but the similarity of the basic toolset between the situations remains the same. Buy multiple copies of the album, move higher in line. Watch your place in the progress bar. Etc. etc. There's no need to overexplain something here! That the model has now hit this high profile of a level isn't unexpected. And if it wasn't Taylor, it would have been somebody else.
― Ned Raggett, Monday, 28 August 2017 13:59 (six years ago) link
Is it true that the progress bar goes both ways, that you can watch your odds get better and worse?
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 28 August 2017 14:02 (six years ago) link
That's what the video suggests, it goes up and down in there
― Le Bateau Ivre, Monday, 28 August 2017 14:02 (six years ago) link
And DM did that, too? See, what is the point of that, except to demand more and more and more? That doesn't establish fandom, that establishes wealth, free time and fanaticism.
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 28 August 2017 14:05 (six years ago) link
those three things will always get you a ticket to anything
― you are juror number 144 and we will excuse you (Sufjan Grafton), Monday, 28 August 2017 14:16 (six years ago) link
Exactly! So who needs a scheme?
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 28 August 2017 14:17 (six years ago) link
if it wasn't Taylor, it would have been somebody else.
― Ned Raggett, 28. august 2017 15:59 (fifteen minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
And whoever else does this should be called out for it as well. But it's going to hit artists like Taylor Swift hardest because they are trying to do the csr-popstar thing.
― Frederik B, Monday, 28 August 2017 14:20 (six years ago) link
I mean, she could have said for every dollar donated to one of these thee charities you get a better shot at my tickets. Same idea, and the affluent still have a leg up, but instead of benefitting personally she could at least have been helping someone else. There are any number of either more equitable or at least more defensible tacts she could have taken. I mean, it's a business, she's entitled to rip people off however she wants. But to claim it's for the fans, let alone fun, is bullshit.
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 28 August 2017 14:22 (six years ago) link
(tacks not tacts, I'm having bad typing luck this morning)
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 28 August 2017 14:23 (six years ago) link
otm. wankers.
― Wewlay Bewlay (Tom D.), Monday, 28 August 2017 14:24 (six years ago) link
Good for the Right Said Fred guys to get billed as co-writers, but I can't even hear the sample.
― ArchCarrier, Monday, 28 August 2017 16:38 (six years ago) link
Is it is sample or just an interpolation?
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 28 August 2017 16:38 (six years ago) link
As far as I can tell, it is solely the cadence of the chorus.
― how's life, Monday, 28 August 2017 16:40 (six years ago) link
I'd never actually listened closely to "I'm Too Sexy" before. I just knew the hook. It's a lot better than I realized.
― jmm, Monday, 28 August 2017 16:47 (six years ago) link
Taylor Swift's fanbase is definitely younger than Depeche Mode's fanbase ever was. Teens? it's preteens and little kids. The progress bar thing is so fucking gross, and the CD costing $63 is just abhorrent. She's arguably the biggest pop star in the world, this is not necessary. Everything about this album rollout is so tone deaf and hilariously offensive and out of step with reality. Also, I love "I'm Too Sexy" and the similarity here is soooooo tenuous, but w/e because Right Said Fred are cool and deserve $$$ from Ms. Swift.
― flappy bird, Monday, 28 August 2017 17:04 (six years ago) link
the cd costs $15
― you are juror number 144 and we will excuse you (Sufjan Grafton), Monday, 28 August 2017 17:07 (six years ago) link
But if you want to guarantee it arrives on the day it comes out you apparently have to pay an extra $45. Thanks UPS!
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 28 August 2017 17:10 (six years ago) link
thread is a yelp review from a person that summed a restaurant's menu and exclaimed "It costs $368 to eat here!"
― you are juror number 144 and we will excuse you (Sufjan Grafton), Monday, 28 August 2017 17:11 (six years ago) link
More like "It costs $368 to eat here? But it's a McDonald's!"
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 28 August 2017 17:12 (six years ago) link
"This place sucks, from the moment we walked in the door we were treated with disrespect. $50 just to get on the waiting list for a table? No thanks. We went across the street to Katy Perry's, which was having a kids eat free special."
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 28 August 2017 17:14 (six years ago) link
this shit metaphor really gets gross when you consider that "bon appetit" exists
― you are juror number 144 and we will excuse you (Sufjan Grafton), Monday, 28 August 2017 17:21 (six years ago) link
$10-12 if you can get your mom to drive you to Target that day.
― grawlix (unperson), Monday, 28 August 2017 17:23 (six years ago) link
I insist on buying it from Taylor's site, so that all the money goes directly to her.
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 28 August 2017 17:24 (six years ago) link
Actually, why would you buy it from Target, since you won't get any fan points for that? Sure, my mom might drive me there to buy it the first day it is on sale, but Taylor will not know how much of a fan I really am. Is there a place for me to send my receipt?
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 28 August 2017 17:28 (six years ago) link
it would be hard to replicate cereal box top and mail in rebate technology
― you are juror number 144 and we will excuse you (Sufjan Grafton), Monday, 28 August 2017 17:30 (six years ago) link
sometimes taylor goes to target to buy her fans chipotle or whatever, maybe if you go to target she'll already be there and she will know how much of a fan you really are
― j., Monday, 28 August 2017 17:31 (six years ago) link
only hot dogs, starbucks, and pizza hut at target. can probably buy chipotle chiles en adobo at a super target, though.
― you are juror number 144 and we will excuse you (Sufjan Grafton), Monday, 28 August 2017 17:33 (six years ago) link
i don't think she would give them the burritos right there, that's absurd
she would give them a fifty or whatever
― j., Monday, 28 August 2017 17:34 (six years ago) link
it is a well known fact that people at target would like to eat chipotle
most targets attract a nearby chipotle village. it's true.
― you are juror number 144 and we will excuse you (Sufjan Grafton), Monday, 28 August 2017 17:38 (six years ago) link