OMM managed to get its decade review out on the weekend with the usual album and singles of the decade lists, as well an article from Morley outlining the infantile nature of such exercises. But that wasn’t what caught my eye. Instead it was an interview with one of the ‘people of the decade’, Michael Eavis. When asked a question about Jay-Z’s ‘controversial’ headline slot giving Glastonbury a shot in the arm (alright, it wasn’t a question, but a sports journalist-esque statement with “didn’t it?” added at the end, thus allowing the interviewee to realise all he is required to do is agree), he said this . . .
“Oh yeah, and the whole culture of Glastonbury had a facelift. And it was the year before Obama was elected in America. God, it was so nicely timed, that.”
First things first, and those comments on Obama strike me as more than a little unsettling. Is he name dropping Obama on the basis that both he and Jay-Z are African-Amercian and therefore automatically linked? Is he comparing the now established conservatism at Glastonbury to America’s own neo-con vein and inability to integrate following years of de facto and de jure segregation? Is he deluded to the point of thinking that Glastonbury is influential enough to impress ideas upon the American people? It’s nicely timed that an artist who is black and American headlined Glastonbury because a black American became President as well?
EVERYBODY HURTS (THOUGH MOST MULTI-MILLIONAIRE CELEBRITY POP STARS PROBABLY ‘HURT’ IN A WAY THAT IS DEMONSTRABLY DIFFERENT FROM THE DEAD OF HAITI)
The bubble of optimism surrounding the dawning of this new decade has been burst with the horrific, yet all-too-familiar, scenes of devastation in Haiti. The honeymoon period [Zeitgeist ed. eh?] for this nascent decade is well and truly over. With this latest world trauma comes the equally all-too-familiar, celebrity-endorsed ‘charity single’ – which to me seems like a celebrity appeal too far.
Before continuing, let me advance this caveat. I am not opposed to charity appeals, fundraisers or raising awareness and funds for world causes. Nor do I necessarily oppose the participation of ‘celebrities’ (however tenuous their claim to this mythical title may be) in such events. Any and all money raised by the sale of this song, despite the ulterior, more cynical motives for its existence one could level at Simon Cowell and his cohort of pop stars, will be a positive and desperately needed contribution to a deserved cause. However, such a charity act has its own unfortunate draw backs which need addressing.
Firstly, and most obviously (so obviously I need only mention it in passing really), these charity karaoke sessions are far from being purely altruistic. Whilst the enhancement of celebrity profile is obviously at stake for the performers, more significantly it allowed the self-styled cultural mogul Simon Cowell to further cement his position (at least in his own head) as a serious world figure. “I will release a single for Haiti in the next seven to ten days” he proclaimed in his uniquely uber-smug manner. Oh good; Simon Cowell is releasing a song. I can stop worrying about it now. Read the rest of this entry »