While most mainstream artists are mediocre, there are a few that have talent (e.g. Radiohead, Reel Big Fish, Tool, Rage Against the Machine). The best example I can think of an artist suffering because of mediocrity being celebrated, is the Underground Hip-Hop scene (there are indeed more, but I feel that I side with Hip-Hop the most). Hip-Hop today has been bastardized by Caucasian businessmen that have reduced a great form of art and conscience expression into a promotion of violence, drug/alcohol use and sexism; for their own profit, and not for the love of the art and culture. Most people, especially of the elder demographic, always greet the mention of "Hip-hop" with a scowl and disapproval, when in reality the "real" hip-hop should be something to admire.
Examples of the underground emcees, with thoughtful, conscience and non-condescending lyrics are acts such as KRS-One, The Coup (with Boots Riley and Pam the Funkstress), Binary Star (their album 'Masters of the Universe' is an underground classic amongst the genre), Mr. Lif, Akrobatik, The Perceptionists (collaboration of Akrobatik and Mr. Lif along with DJ Fakts One); and my favorite, and most vulgar/lyrically intense emcee of them all, is Immortal Technique. Well, it isn't fair to call him my 'favorite' because I love all the aforementioned groups/emcees equally; who all have their own style and lyricism.
Many of these emcees also criticize the mainstream hip-hop and rap music, and are very political and cover the topics of social justice and (in)equality in America/the world, racism, the Military industrial Complex and crimes against humanity, particularly in the Third World (Immortal Techniques album 'The Third World' cover that subject especially and is a wonderful album). Although I must warn readers that all these emcees are very far left, and Immortal Technique is more or less a conspiracy theorist. But if you can look past that, their lyrics are brilliant and in a fundamental sense, in the right. The way peoples are treated because of their skin color/nationality, the rich abusing the poor, and First World countries and corrupt corporations taking advantage of Third World countries for their own gain.
But of course, all thoughts expressed by these people and an individual such as myself are usually hampered and silenced by the 'mainstream' and the propaganda which is definitely evident. This thread itself, if on Myspace or something of the likes, would probably be attacked by a plethora of people who are blind to reason and are dependent on the commercialism of pop culture.
Seriously; what corporate businessmen would want this to be published on a major label?: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u15hOBenGWQ -or this- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHuPBf89APY
Pop culture and the companies that invest in it to promote materialism, ignorance and over zealous idolization would never want an artist to promote, blatantly, all the opposites. That you don't need 'things' to be happy, that you should educate yourself instead of letting someone do it for you, and you shouldn't try to copy a popular person of interest to the point where you're no longer your own self, but that random person you're trying to be like. Sure, they have these segments of kids that tell you to be yourself, to stay in school and don't do drugs; but at the same time those people who are trying to make a 'moral basis' for impressionable youth are the same people that promote gangster rappers and their drug use/selling and womanizing. Then we have all these parental groups and their censorship in the middle, who do not help AT ALL.
But still, not all pop idols are bad. Pink for instance; she's as pop music as pop music gets, but she's written songs against the young women who try to copy Paris Hilton; South Park made fun of them with their fictitious "Stupid Spoiled Whore" playkit, promoted by Paris Hilton herself and how 'fun it is' to be a whore. But in a sense, it's clever of the companies that promote them. It's like Fox, the most right wing television network in America, featuring The Simpsons, not only one of the most popular television programs in America, but ironically one of the most left wing programs. And the Simpsons has lampooned Fox News on more than one occasion; but why do they put up with it? Easy. The tons of revenue South Park, Pink and The Simpsons bring into the company far outweighs the criticisms and parodies they make of the very same companies that own them. Talk about a paradox.
That also leads me to point out that the propaganda relies on utter confusion along with its ass-backward promotion and practices. Hell it confuses me to this day, even though I haven't watched any mainstream media in years xD
Phew, well I'm too tuckered out to continue; I hope people even have a clue what the hell I'm talking about
And I guess I should put the disclaimer just to be safe: no flame wars intended. And if you're offended by something I said...I'm sorry, but oh well; I tried to put it lightly but firm enough to not lose the point I was trying to get across.
