Garth Brooks is back. I never knew he went away. But apparently he’s out of retirement and back in the news. He’s complaining that the government is not doing anything to crack down on file sharing, which is allegedly killing the music industry, even though it’s not. (See also here, and here, and here.)
To the government he complains,
You’ve ignored us, because there’s 50,000 of us and 300 million voters. You’ve ignored us.
Think about that. Brooks is admitting that the use of file sharing is widespread. He acknowledges that everyone is doing it. But yet he wants the government to crack down on every single person in the US so that he can earn a few million more a year.
That’s some fricken balls! I almost feel like I should give him some credit for being so completely self-centered. It’s one thing to complain, “My family is starving so I need government help to feed my kids.” It’s another thing to complain, “Why won’t the government help me so I can buy my fourth fricken mansion?!”
Apparently Garth doesn’t know this, but it’s common knowledge to the rest of the world that it’s already against the law to use P2P to infringe copyrights. The punishment for such use goes way beyond any physical crime. If I go to Walmart, stick a gun in someone’s face, and steal a CD, the most I’ll have to pay monetarily is for the price of that one CD, about 20 bucks. However, if I download a CD worth of music, I’d have to pay millions of dollars.
But yet that draconian law is not enough for Garthy. He wants more! Does he want incarceration? For all 300 million of us? Apparently so. Apparently, his “lost” money, which has nothing to do with P2P, is worth more than the liberty of every citizen in the US.
But this isn’t the first time Brooks put his bank account above the rights of citizens. He also claims that selling used CDs is stealing. I’m not making this up. According to Brooks, the simple act of selling a used CD is a criminal act. Of course he’s wrong. But your right to sell your stuff is nothing compared to Brooks’ right to buy a mansion.
Of course the main reason he’s having trouble selling CDs is that his time in the spotlight is over. When rock and roll killed off the careers of the vocalists from the 50s, Sinatra, Mathis, Cole, to name a few, those guys didn’t ask the government to stop the switch to rock music. They graciously accepted their time was over and moved on. It’s time for washed up has-beens like Brooks to do the same.
Artists of today realize that the net is not a hindrance to making great music, but is actually a great tool for connecting with fans.
A good article. It had many points of merit. And I agree with much of it. What’s not pointed out by anyone, but should be pretty obvious, is that the economy is in a bad way. And retail music is a luxury commodity. I’m sure the great majority of people aren’t buying music, because they can’t afford it. They have to eat. We’re not all as well off as Garth Brooks. And yet I wonder if even he buys much music?
Blaming a drop in sales on piracy alone, is ridiculous. People are losing their jobs and their homes. It’s a shame that Mr. Brooks isn’t aware of this. But I guess he’s too focused on all the millions he’s no longer making. Accusing the government of not cracking down enough, might be the first overture leading up to a “bail out” for the music industry.
Back when video taping was being blamed for a slump in movie sales. A surcharge was attached to the sales of blank tapes! Apparently to raise some revenue to feed the starving movie industry. But maybe people were spending their money on the new cable Tv service. Or the physical fitness craze had them exercising rather than sitting in theaters.
And if I’m not mistaken, blank CDRs also have a surcharge attached, to help the ailing music industry recover some loss in sales. Assuming that all blank CDR bought are for piracy use only. Which is a punishment for all citizens, wishing to use CDRs to back up data files, and maybe archive some favorite songs too. Or make custom mix CDRs of tunes they already bought.
But apparently, this surcharge isn’t enough to satisfy some artists, or their recording label executives. They want huge fines, and they want the money to go into their pockets. And not to the lawyers and politicians. Which ain’t gonna happen. Sp they’ll still be pissed that they’re not getting enough money, for doing squat! Which eventually will lead to them insisting on a government subsidy. Basically like what the banks and automakers all got. Can’t let those music artists suffer like the rest of us.
“According to Brooks, the simple act of selling a used CD is a criminal act.” Hmmm.
Well then my local Goodwill is breaking the law. Because they have bins of old records and CDs for sales. I know visiting a Goodwill store is something alien to Mr. Brooks. Or he’s forgotten his hick roots (if he ever had any). I wonder if Brooks ever had any old records in his collection, that were bought used? Was he born rich?
I’ve never heard any of his music. Partly because I’m not into country music. But also because I don’t think someone deserves to be famous, because of the clothes they wear and their stage antics. Guys like Garth Brooks only have to carry a tune, wear all black clothing, and dance around on the stage (lip syncing), to be successful. Ever since Elvis appeared in movies, it’s been about the artist performing, rather than just singing their songs.
A lot of people can sing well enough to do decent song for a record label. But the labels don’t weed out the hundreds of possibles, by their academic credentials. If anything, they prefer their artists dumb as stumps, so they will sign a lousier recording contract.
It’s not the singing ability or talent the sells songs. It’s all that stage performing, fashion, and good looks. And the labels know that. Music artists usually age themselves out of the business. Not because they can’t sing as well as they use to. But their looks start to go. So they’re not a popular with a younger crowd. And their song style doesn’t impress those either. The new generation wants music sung by someone of their age bracket. Not from someone of their parent’s age.
Obviously Brooks doesn’t realize these facts of life. Expecting to be rich his whole life,
if only everyone wasn’t pirating his music. He really is dumb as a stump.
The net is not a hinderance to making great music and it is a great tool for connecting with fans, but it is also a hinderance to making a living from your work, and a great way for ‘fans’ to get something for nothing. I’ve played on many recordings as a session musician and earn pretty much the average wage. Every time someone downloads one of those tracks illegally, it costs me a little bit of money that frankly I need, to feed my family and pay my mortgage. Can anyone make a rational explanation as to why I shouldn’t get any payment for my work?
Owning copyright affects the brain —
| <This is your brain
$ <This is your brain on copyright
– – – – –
What's a LINQUIST?
your such a loozer dvorak.. get some new material.. oh no.. i already gave you whatreallyhappened.com 6 months ago.. and u sstill fail.. wat a loozer.
Name two songs of his
#1 Friends in Low Places
#2 umm some other song
One hit wonder yes?
if you ever get the chance to look at old recordings from edisons music company, the buyer did not own the record only a licence to play it.. this before 45’s, lp’s, 8tracks, compact cassette, cd, or even mp3s.
It specifically banned reselling the disc. among many other bans
Downloading/sharing music illegally and freely may seem victimless buy I cry not for GB but the new musicians that may never be able to capitalize on their talent in ways previously possible.
This may lead to less potential success and less persons pursuing a recording careeer. Hence we all might loose.
Maybe Garth should talk to Chris Gaines as to why his sales have disappeared.
Wow it’s amazing how people like Garth are so clueless and out of touch about how the world works simply because you’re fucking rich. I bet Garth would be the same asshole who would yell out “I don’t want the government screwing around with medicare!”
I submit CD sales are down because they suck!
30 year old tech and absolutely no attempts to put out quality material.
Yes I am a cranky old man at 50 but it used to be an artist would make an album. Now they make a hit and fill in with crap.
I care so little about Brooks’ music, I wouldn’t click to steal one of his tracks if the link to do so was on this very page.
I agree that getting music via P2P is stealing. P2P systems like the original Napster arose, because the music industry was too stupid and/or greedy to have a decent paid system in place. It would in fact take years.
I agree that Brooks’ is likely more driven by greed, than some altruistic reason.
Name one new song.
I can’t think of even one.
But I bet you can recite what Glen Beck said yesterday…
WTHeck happened to the music industry/artists?
I used to buy records/CD’s every week but now… NADA
Go onto iTunes and sample the ‘new releases’ not like the old dayz…
Right before his retirement, I remember an interview in which he admitted that he couldn’t read music, and he seemed to be admitting he was not a musician, just a performer.
Under that scenario he should be hopeful that as many people as possible would be exposed to his music by whatever method they choose. His value as a performer would increase arithmetically with the number of people that find his music attractive.
The only reference I’ve heard about Garth Brooks in the last 15 years or so, is that his name is painted on the Yukon, Oklahoma water tower close to I-40. Even the water tower gives more space to the high school football team, which won the state championship a few years ago.
#43: Just to be fair, many musicians can’t read music, especially true of rock and country music. It’s been said that the Beatles couldn’t read music at all, but it didn’t keep their talent from making them famous.
Really, Garth sold his last CDs at Walmart. That should give evidence of his position on the cluetrain. Gave up listening to music radio last year.
The truth is Brooks is a Liebertarian. What’s his is his and fuck anyone that wants it. Too bad. Be a responsible person and go make your own phucking record.
You can have his records when you pry them from his cold clammy hands.
To hell with him, Country music’s been dying out anyway. The greats are all gone. Maybe Garth could use his money to bring back HEE HAW, properly done that would make him more money than complaining about the government. Or better still do what real artists have done since the beginning of time, give concert tours. Every body knows the real money goes to those that really work for it. The idea that an artist should be able to live for years off of a couple of weeks work in a studio, that’s a pipe-dream that few can achieve and none can maintain.
#33–jamie==you ask: “Can anyone make a rational explanation as to why I shouldn’t get any payment for my work?” /// You tell me why an assemblyman on a Detroit Car Line should not be sent a check each time you drive to the store for groceries and you will have one answer.
Another answer is: “Should your grandchildren also get paid 75 years after you die?”
But the law is the law and you should get paid thereunder. When the law is greatly disrespected though, you get painted with the same brush.
Yet another mind-numbed ignoramus that believes whatever his corporate and government masters tell’s him.
He should be neutered.
—
Let’s not forget this other lovely pearl that ARS reported on long
ago..
“Oops: MPAA admits college piracy numbers grossly inflated”
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2008/01/oops-mpaa-admits-college-piracy-numbers-grossly-inflated.ars
-s
Garth Brooks is a fucktard that started his damn whining years ago.
I purchased a few of his earlier CDs but stopped as soon as his whining began.
I do some work for a large midwestern university and I guarantee that the RIAA reports are bullshit. The university gets about one or two notices per month out of about 20-25,000 students.
Just a bunch of lying lawyers.
Oh yeah now I remember..
Aw, I’ve got friends in crawl spaces
I’ve got arms and legs and a few faces
Stashed all around
In different parts of town
Well I met ’em in bars on a friendly basis
Now I got ’em in jars and flower vases
Oh, I’ve got friends
In crawl spaces
@Mick Hamblen
That made me actually LOL.
#55 You’re welcome
what a shower curtain
I’m a little late on this I know, Maybe Garth is thinking about all the people who work on his music and ever other music track you hear and download everyday…ever think about that. they are the ones who are getting screwed..not Garth. my guess is he knows it. And for what it’s worth…I’ve seen Garth give up his publishing share so a writer on a song could make more…Whats publishing?…go read a book and learn about it then keep on stealing shit that is paying other peoples salaries… RIAA is a bunch of jackasses…on that we can agree!!
get over “free”already!
You made some decent points there. I looked on the internet for the issue and found most individuals will go along with with your website.