The Give Away Myth: What They Don’t Want You To Know

In his piece BIG PICTURE: Just what is entertainment worth?, Patrick Goldstein of the Los Angeles Times perpetrated a common mainstream media and music industry myth, throwing the credibility of his entire article into question when he falsely states: “That’s why Prince gave away millions of copies of his latest CD, because the real money for him was in concert tickets.” Read more

Around The Web: The Hollywood Writer’s Strike

Following NDK Creative Artist’s recent series discussing the Hollywood Writer’s Strike, there are a couple of developments and links that you should check out if you’re following the situation.

First off, the WGA convinced the Screen Actor’s Guild to boycott the Golden Globes. Since seeing is believing and you can see an actor on a screen but never a writer, the masses don’t acknowledge their importance. Maybe when the stars they worship as idols don’t show up for some grandiose glitzy award show that only people with nothing better to do watch, people will take notice.

All it’ll take is some kid’s realization spoken aloud… “there’s no more tv!” and we’ll have a world war on our hands. Suckers. Don’t mess with writers, they sure know how to wreak havoc on your life. Ask that guy who hit on me in high school.

Read about the SAG boycott here.

Our favourite sci-fi - sorry, I meant speculative fiction writer, Harlan Ellison, who can normally be found in his lawyer’s office, was actually in front of a camera at some point during the strike and has some good, lucid things to say to those of you who still just don’t get it. So watch it and change your mind, or failing that do us a favor and go back to the Sesame Street website.

The Hollywood Writer’s Strike: Blood, Slaughter and Despair vs. Brains, Laughter and What’s Fair

This is part five of the Hollywood Writer’s Strike series. You can start from the beginning by clicking here. - Joel Falconer, Editor-in-Chief Read more

The Hollywood Writer’s Strike: Society and Sillivization Need to Mature - Fast!

This is part four of the Hollywood Writer’s Strike series. You can start from the beginning by clicking here. - Joel Falconer, Editor-in-Chief

Some of mankind’s greatest thinkers—and writing and creating in any field is very much a thinking, intellectual pursuit—came from men and women who were not supported nor even recognized for their accomplishments until much, much later. We need to change this way of thinking, for it is what puts this civilization in peril. Read more

The Hollywood Writer’s Strike: Why do I want it to go on longer?

This is part three of the Hollywood Writer’s Strike series. You can start from the beginning by clicking here. - Joel Falconer, Editor-in-Chief

Because the longer it goes the more the industry’s character and mafia morality is brought to the light of truth. Additionally, people will begin to realize the importance of writers to their every day lives and will start to look at and respect the important and significant role we play. And not just writers either, but all creative individuals who enrich lives by and through their exercise of a set of unique gifts. Read more

The Hollywood Writer’s Strike: It should go on longer

…because the longer it goes on the more it reveals of the conniving, untrustworthy character of the corporate ownership and management of the art & entertainment industry. These guys have to be seen to be believed and you can do that from this article at the Huffington Post: Damning Evidence in their Own Words. Read more

The Creative Artist as Global Activist — Applauding Trent Reznor’s Example

In case you hadn’t noticed, I’m a creative activist. When it comes to being a Creative Artist, I think it’s vital to be informed about the world, and to have a well-developed sense of social, political and cultural justice that has a global perspective and not just a national one loyal only to one’s country, for as Creative Artists we serve our country best by embracing the world and serving it through the creation, development and publication of our works, and while these benefit our national economies for the long-term in ways we will be looking at in later articles, they serve humanity first.

As a Creative Artist I embrace without reservation the ideas of Lennon’s Imagine and support nationalism only to the degree that my country, of which I am justifiably proud (most of the time), acts in a socially global sense that has the interests of humanity and nothing else at heart. John Lennon’s website is beautiful, and I wholeheartedly recommend a visit.

Once informed, we utilize our ability to communicate to:

1. Increase awareness and attention about issues that affect humanity - this is non-partisan, apolitical, pro-survival and has the aspect of a care-taking custodial role.
2. Protect communication lines and channels that carry information and the quality of content on those channels.
3. Place constructive ideas into society.
4. Use this information to craft works of art & entertainment that while entertaining, also inform lives and make them worth living.

Why is this important to the definition and role of a Creative Artist?

Because, it is the people who lift us up on their shoulders when they support the publication of our creative works as we develop them, and help us attain positions of influence, that well-managed and from a traditional perspective, help us to balance the books of success when it is attained.

It is not a company or a corporation that Creative Artists owe our allegiance and loyalty to, rather it is the people of the world who support our works that we represent, and whose trust we must not abuse.

So, when I find out from Danny Schecter’s Media Channel that Trent Reznor is involved in tackling the media, I get excited!

Video: The Warning
ArtofMentalWarfare.com presents The Warning, a politically powerful new music video featuring Grammy Award-winning artist Trent Reznor. The Warning takes on the covert interests behind the war and our media saturated society. From war crimes to the destruction of the environment and a celebrity-obsessed culture, The Warning is a clarion call to action for an apathetic nation.

Opening Statement: Let The Media War Begin
The mainstream media is an elaborate and sophisticated propaganda apparatus that is designed and utilized to deceive, manipulate, dumb down, distract and marginalize the American public.

No, not only the American public. But also the rest of the world, who buy into and are subjected to the American mythology through works of culture that America exports all over the world.

Code Point 6 of the Code of a Creative Artist covers these aspects of being a Creative Artist. But many other points of the code are as relevant. This is not some arbitrary code created out of thin air, or vague imaginings, it defines and describes exactly how Creative Artists operate in the world, and by doing so, serve the world. It is our job to do so by imagining.

So I applaud, what Trent Reznor is doing as a Creative Artist. David Vincent? I’m not so sure about his grasp on the reality of blogging, probably he has not read the Free Articulator yet (chuckle), but I do agree with what he is saying and promoting with regard to big media and wish him every success.

Clear Channel Censors Bruce Springsteen airplay; Annie Lennox and Fogerty also censored!

Not too long ago we commented on the fact that AT&T censored Pearl Jam. At the same time we mentioned Clear Channel censoring the Dixie Chicks, well now they’re at it again. According to Blah3, they have censored Bruce Springsteen’s album:

Clear Channel has sent an edict to its classic rock stations not to play tracks from “Magic.” But it’s OK to play old Springsteen tracks such as “Dancing in the Dark,” “Born to Run” and “Born in the USA.”

The first place you observe this rise of tyranny and loss of freedom is in the communication channels that permit freedom of expression; and it is almost always the arts where you first observe oppression. Why? Because artists are not afraid to communicate, and they know they play an important role in the preservation of civilization and free civil society, as Nick Coleman points out in his article. Read more

The Points of the Creative Artists’ Code: Eight - Your work is your responsibility

In this article explaining the eighth point of the Code of a Creative Artist, NDK Creative Artist discusses the responsibility artists have to protect the integrity of their art. — Joel Falconer, Editor-in-Chief

Read more

Radiohead - What will the fans (market) do?

I think this article: Radiohead bets on fast release, open pricing is another indicator of the music industry creaking at the seams. However, the line “It’s up to you” is a challenge to the public to embrace the independent artist’s new business model. It’s telling the audience to be honest about downloading and those who would contemplate simply taking it for free simply because they can, should consider well what they may be doing to the future of music and the industry of art & entertainment.

The question we should ask is: Are the public–the fans–as dishonest and corrupt as the industry itself, or are they truly loyal (and honest) fans who want to support the independence of artists whose talent and products they enjoy?

I think Radiohead are asking that question with “It’s up to you” which is really, another way of asking “Given the opportunity to steal, to take without fair payment, are you a thief?” it’s too bad they’re not publshing the figures as they occur, for the results would be very interesting. What Radiohead is doing is similar to Stephen King’s e-Book download experiment.