Is It Creepy?

Just reading the title/prompt for this one back to myself makes me chuckle. As much at myself than anything.
Yes, I am going to "go there," because it has crossed my mind more than a few times now.

Original images by J. Brickwood-jamesbrickwood.com

 Is being an "uber fan," "nut," "devotee" of something a source of shame or pride? Generally I feel pride for it, like I somehow don a seal that sets me amongst a cohort or community. That part of it is really cool-the sense of belonging to something, the identity. But there's another angle for me; the sense that I wonder if I am straddling some ethical or moral fissure and could slip and fall into it at any moment.

Where do we get the sense of privilege or entitlement to intrude upon someone else's life? What makes it socially sanctioned to view the goings-on of a 'celebrity' as public domain? Would I want people finding photos of me as a child were I to suddenly become a public figure?Is it just the social contract that celebrity entails? Have I gassed-on about this before? Damn. Reset.

Oh wait....we no longer live in a world of privacy and boundaries.......shit. Go ahead, Google "baby pictures of Mum Nut" and see what terrifying results drop in the queue. Don't blame me for the ensuing horror. I bet there's that one of me in a dotted cowgirl dress and a plastic pistol floating about the ether somewhere. Bet there's a solid feminist/gun control meme that could result from that little nugget of my personal history....or not because I'm not famous. What a relief...?

Please to not misconstrue my tone-yes I am in an especially flippant mood today. It helps that a recent fellow music blogger Stephen Scott (@stephenaxlscott) brought the laughs (and the requisite cojones) to briefly banter about stumbling across tutorials on...shall we say 'creative and circuitous erotic practices' whilst searching for The Basics on itunes. Please to refer to said comedy as I am quite fond of the fellow: http://www.ambientwhispers.com/author/stephen/

Where the hell was I? Oh yes.......creepy.

Sometimes I see the way an image of a person or their history becomes fair game for 're-interpretation' or straight-out conjecture. Believe me, I am probably guilty of this in soooo many ways that clearly I can't even recall a particular offence. Oh wait I took the pics above and made a Wall-triplicate montage. There's one. Lock me up.
But I also feel it's okay....no...it's crucial to check oneself in that action/behavior/belief. Where do I get the sense that it is permissible for me to plumb the web for some juicy tidbit to slake my lust for...whatever? Where does that privilege generate, and what perpetuates it?

I suppose I ought to place a caveat into this particular cogitation: I am not seeking to confront any of my fellow fans/bloggers/thinkers/talkers on why we do what we do (because we all do it.) I am merely sharing how I consider it for myself. I adore the climate of open information and discourse...this is merely a small, singular aspect of it.

But what purpose does an image of an artist as an innocent, everyman youth do for us? Does it merely bring a smile and some brief wondering about the lived experience of the person? Is it insidiously voyeuristic? Is it harmlessly curious and playful? I'm just not sure. All I know is I have the same human reaction of possible irrational joy at witnessing it as anyone. What does that mean for me?

 I still don't know yet, but I am thinking about it. That's something, right?

To be continued.......I'm busy nerding-out about synthesizers with a musician now.....I never miss out on that.

~~~
C. Paige 2013

What does it mean

The above clip is the 1996 hard rock Grammy acceptance speech by an apparently disaffected Eddie Vedder. In brief reflection on the meaning of winning a Grammy, Vedder quickly concludes that essentially the moment and the record of it means little or nothing-perhaps beyond pleasing one's next of kin.

The last few days have been awash with news and opinions and "told you so" editorials on Gotye's Grammy sweep. Coining such terms as "hat trick" and "unexpected star," articles have reveled in the apparent victory of a yet 'unsung' musical hero. Granted, much of said news hails from Oz, so the bias makes sense-and the fact that Wally has broken a decades-long dry-spell for Australian musos at the yearly event termed "music's biggest night."

I wholeheartedly agree that Wally's Grammy accolades were more than earned-especially the distinct parameters of the Record of the Year category, wherein the craftsmanship of a song is the focus. It's undeniable that amongst a mostly canned-pop piece cohort, "Somebody" was a diamond in the rough. I was not at all shocked by the win, more satisfied than anything else.

But what does it mean? Will the naysayers still bang-on about how this only proves that Wally is a classic one-hit wonder? Does a Grammy for Best Alternative Album indicate a broadening awareness of the quality of the entire work wherein "Somebody" resides?

Just a few days after the bacanalia of Grammy night, Wally sat down with a local radio station and an audience of one-hundred and revealed that for both his hit single and his Grammy experience he felt himself little more that a "curious bystander." I would say that's perhaps quite true to the subjectively sensed roles of folks like myself. Doesn't it seen fascinating that both the maker of the art and the devotees would feel a similar sense of detachment or depersonalization? Is this just the afterglow of the shock felt by finding oneself handed an historic award by one of pop music's most eccentric and brilliant veterans?

It's a little strange for me, I have to admit. I've been gassing-on about Gotye for a year, and have made a personal task of supporting his work and integrating into his community. He was just a strange and immutable music video to me back then, now he's one of my favorite people on earth. I was proud like a mother bird watching her hatchling spring from the nest and soar...which is pretty stupid of me, really, and not entirely logical. But pride for Wally walking across a stage in my home turf and finally being seen for the humble brilliance he brings to an otherwise fluff-glutted artistic industry is what I genuinely felt...whether I deserve to or not.

I hope he sees his first Grammy awards as more than meaningless metal, as Eddie Vedder seemed to convey. I hope it holds a broader value as a concrete representation that his work is loved deeply by us "uber fans." Because it's the mass of listeners and lovers that drive the industry in the end, not just politics or privilege.

I also hope Wally goes home to some tranquility, and perhaps retains his "curious bystander" sense of this-I believe it will keep him grounded. And a grounded Gotye is the man who makes the music we love.

Warmly,

Paige (c.) 2013

Catch more glorious Gotye gluttony at heisthewallrus.com

What a Time!

Suppose I choose an apt time to return to the space where the 'nuttiness' started almost a year ago. Last night Wally swept-up a triplicate of Grammy gold, not to my surprise but certainly to my satisfaction. But it's not about my satisfaction-it's about the shared joy of seeing someone dear and deserving receiving a high honor for an immense labor of sonic love. 

I spent nearly nine hours last night keeping up with the precast, red carpet and final Grammy telecast. I was like a fervent gambler toiling away at the table for that one big win. I went to bed last night with sore wrists and numb fingertips...and a bit of shock that someone so kind and authentic would reach such a high watermark in his career whilst I was privileged to participate. Yes it is a privilege-one that comes with labor indeed-but let's be real; sometimes good fortune intermingles with committed effort, or even supersedes it. Suppose the distinction isn't really all that important.
Anyway-I am happy to be back here where I can make space to consider the meta-meanings of all the chatter and news, be it victorious, spurious or otherwise. I've generated a community, a tribe of sorts, under one shared motive. Pretty cool. Pretty challenging, but pretty cool.

I'm genuinely joyful for Wally and his collaborators today. Although they may be just another few mantle-tchotchkes at the material level, the three Grammy's he flies home with are a symbol of the brilliant art he chose to risk committing to twelve-odd years ago. That profound risk-and the courage and audacity that drove it-is what brings us all the brilliant music we collectively treasure today. There's no weight in gold that can pay that debt of gratitude, but hell....maybe a Record of the Year citation helps.

 Thanks to everyone who has been involved and celebrated one of the best crazy career decisions of one of the coolest dudes on earth.  May this be only one of many more big blips on the Wally radar!

--Paige ("Mum Nut")

(c.)

As usual-check out the mad updates at heisthewallrus.com! 

It's alive!

Hey nuts-I am back! I'll return with more in-depth posts soon, but wanted to check in and confirm that I'll be re-activating this blog very soon! For now--roll on over to heisthewallrus.com for ongoing Gotye goodness!

Back in a jiffy!

-Mum Nut

C. Singersroom.com