Scribblings with Green Chalk

He should meet up with Karen O, she might give him a wake up call…

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I agree. Well, with Karen O, there’s a sense of enjoyment in the dressing up. The fashion industry is just a money-swallowing, money-shitting machine. Which doesn’t mean that the people there don’t have talent. But that’s not what it’s about at all. They make icons, they’re professional deadeners. I am making this sound so over the top on purpose. When it comes to fashion icons, I’m all for iconoclasm.

Wow, I don’t know if Cat Power will be sober long enough to model!

this is the weakerthans interview
http://sly-fi.hobnox.com/index.html?episode=892

and this is the live show
http://sly-fi.hobnox.com/index.html?episode=894

Oh, wow. Thanks!

Maybe Pukklepopp would be considered an investment…

What’s your problem? No one’s forcing anyone at gunpoint to sell a scent or play in “piano bar hell.”

Seem slike the only one’s who get irritated by “Madonna’ing” are the ones who are the ones not being asked.

Jeez, with fans like this no wonder she went into rehab.

I liked your writing on this piece. “Death by fashion”. I am not familiar with the Tori Amos photograph, but I appreciate your concern for how the artists of era are shoe-horned into a few genres.

If she just gets to express herself and be her own person , then why is it such a bad thing?

Why should being a “muse” for the clothing industry be the epitome of achievement for an independent artist?

Seriously, I would like someone to explain to me why should I consider it to be the apex of achievement for an artist known for doing something distinctly different from mass-produced entertainment to become a body for rent?

In the grand scheme of things, the ultimate dream-fulfillment is to play Galatea for a Pygmalion with a vision that has a label on it?

Art on the market is a product, so when it’s slightly off-center that already is an achievement. But what happens when the artist turns him or herself into a product in the hands of someone else? Of course it reflects back on their art.

I mentioned Madonna, because that is her native element, the skillful and fleeting engagement with products and changing styles is what Madonna is about. I don’t think there’s anything “evil” in that, but I also don’t think that it’s necessary for every artist–especially female artist–to follow that path.

I think that if that should happen, we very well might cross out ‘music’ from the music industry, because there will be no voices left, just products selling products.

Much has been said about the cruelty of the market place, but does that really mean that ultimately every musician/performer must give in to the dictatorship of trends and fashion(s)?

When you listen to music or go to a concert, do you do that primarily as a consumer or are you seeking a different kind of pleasure? Do you want to be moved or do you want to hear something that fulfills a clearly defined market plan? Do you want to be addressed as one of a target group or as a person?

What I don’t like about the liaison between the music and the fashion industry is the objectification of the artist (most often the female artist). The message seems to be: “Whatever you do, the best thing you can be is a body on the catwalk or a magazine cover, sporting astounding clothes. The clothes, created by our Demiurge in this scenario, are what makes you beautiful/important. So be a good girl and smile!”

Modeling, as we all know, is a profession that can bring fame and money. Yet why should that necessarily overshadow other professions? If a person earns money and acclaim through their voice, why is being a silent icon suddenly such an honor and proof of their talent and beauty?

These are my discontents with the Marshall/Lagerfeld story and all similar scenarios.

Thanks for your comment, byron.

Siri — I don’t think the fashion industry is about self-expression when you are not the designer. I much prefer to listen to Cat Power than see Marshall sell me a new Chanel scent in a magazine. Considering the kind of music she’s been making, playing the silent icon seems a bit too ironic.

As for Abe’s comment, all I can say is: please don’t sit down at the computer when you’re angry and take it out on a stranger. Before you make accusations, give your arguments a second thought. I find the last sentence of your comment very offensive. First of all, I didn’t mention Marshall’s personal issues, you brought them up. I’m not digging into her life, because I don’t think it’s appropriate. It’s her career choice I’m not convinced by and that’s what I am talking about. Do you really think it’s people like me and observations like the ones I’ve made that are the last straw? Or is it those who comment on body fat or the shape of someone’s teeth as if that was the decisive factor that makes an artist interesting? But then, as you say, no one’s forcing anyone to do anything, so the meticulous scrutiny of appearance and private life in trashy magazines really shouldn’t affect artists’ choices or bring about breakdowns? The market place is fun, it’s people who say it’s like a treadmill that spoil this fun–is that what you’re saying?

I don’t think that “being asked” to be a muse or, as it’s more popular to say, a “face” for a product is the greatest honor for a female artist. I should think that creating something original and captivating and establishing a bond with an interested audience should be it. But that’s just my opinion and I’m neither making anyone go into rehab nor even influencing their decisions in any way.

Just ask yourselves why you listen to the kind of music you listen to and what defines an artist for you. That’s where you have your answers.

If you knew Chan at all you would know that this is what she has been after all along.

I do not know Chan Marshall in person. Do you? If that indeed is what she had always desired, all the best to her.