HonkyTonkWoman @ HonkTonkWoman @lemm.ee

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20

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632

Joined

2 yr. ago

Didn’t say it was morally permissible. Just said it’s more nuanced than the current response of social shaming & individual boycotts.

Again, I’ll point that I’m not the one drawing lines in the sand here.

It is perfectly reasonable for you to be disgusted by this information. It’s also perfectly reasonable if you to acknowledge that this is not all of the information & that maybe going scorched earth is a bit hasty at this point.

I’m not saying the Foo Fighters aren’t dicks. If they line their pockets with this money & don’t do anything of value with it, then yeah, fuck em.

But I will remind you that this is the same band that waggled their dongs around in front of the Westboro Baptist Church.

I don’t even like this band & I’m willing to give ‘em a few minutes because of that moment alone.

Would you support the Foo Fighters playing a concert at anti LGBTQ+ rallies?

• Public performance, not a private one-off. False equivalency. The Foo Fighters did not publicly support Amazon or its Execs. They performed a private show for a private client, and you’ve happened to find out about it.

Where you’re being irresponsible is not giving them the benefit of the doubt, or even a moment’s patience, when it comes to why they took a private gig with Amazon.

Would you support the Foo Fighters playing a concert Neo-Nazis?

• Absolutely not. But then again, I didn’t support them in the first place, you did.

And again with the neo-nazi shit? Amazon, as awful as it fucking is, is still a decent part of the Music industry’s delivery system…

Hmmm I wonder if the Foo Fighters could phase out a relationship with Amazon as a distributor, now that they have millions of Amazon’s dollars?

Would you support the Foo Fighters playing a concert for the IDF?

If the band was willing to turn around do something good with that money, like help Palestinian refugees, yes, probably? I mean what a better fuck you to the IDF than helping Palestine with Israeli money?

Fact again… you don’t know what the band plans on doing with the Amazon money. What if they announce on Monday they plan to use the Amazon money to support unionization in Amazon facilities?

Likelihood they will is low, I know. But your response to all this isn’t to even hope something positive comes of it, it’s just to bitch how awful this is… while not yet knowing what this actually is.

So again, name a band untouched by Amazon. Or hell, name a band you love that is new, playing small venues & hoping to hop on a summer tour.

Now, kill their drummer & force them to end the remainder of their Spring tour early. After dates had been booked & sold.

Come Fall, when that band has to pay their rent… would you turn on them for taking Amazon money?

Your standard is that the Foo Fighters are wealthy enough to not need Bezos Bucks. But again, you don’t know what the band’s actual operating budget is.

And if they do happen to be operating at a deficit, which they likely are given their recent circumstances…

The band members themselves should give up their personal wealth, rather than take a paycheck from Amazon.

Would you pay your employer to keep its doors open, rather take Amazon money?

You keep saying that about gambling, like it equates to the Foo Fighters taking money from Amazon, but it doesn’t.

The foo fighters didn’t accept a sponsorship from Amazon, you’re not going to see smile logos on their instruments or expect their road crew to wear those blue uniforms.

They took a high paying gig.

Furthermore, until you can produce a balance sheet, your statement about the Foo Fighters wealth is conjecture.

You do not know where that band stands financially after losing a founding member’s death & on the heels of a pandemic.

You don’t know how much money the band lost having to cancel their tour after Taylor passed. You have no idea whether their insurance premiums went up.

There are whole slew of logistical factors that could’ve made it an easier decision on the band to take the gig, but you won’t consider any other possibility, will you? You’ve jumped right to the conclusion that your heroes turned greedy & took some money you don’t like, & you’re certain enough of that stance that after one article, you’re willing to abandon them.

The majority of all musicians operate at deficit & are not rolling around in the black. Where’s your proof the Foo Fighters are?

I don’t know either, but I at least have the presence of mind not to publicly shit on them until more information comes out.

Furthermore Furthermore, name a band who you follow that is not touched by Amazon? A band that’s not on Amazon Music, that has no physical media or merch for sale via Amazon. A band that doesn’t perform at any Amazon sponsored venues or Amazon sponsored concert series.

And if you’re not willing to do that, just tell me who should have received that money, if not the Foo Fighters?

You want to take a stand, fine, but don’t pretend your little personal boycott is anything other than a self serving pat on the back.

You did make that clear. But you haven’t stated why, other than Amazon Money = Bad.

There aren’t enough good musicians getting paid what they should be on this planet. And most of the ones who are making shit tons of money in music, don’t deserve it.

You, at one point in time, thought the Foo Fighters deserved to be making big money in the music industry, otherwise you wouldn’t have listened to them.

So now that the Foo Fighters have made it big enough that Billionaires want private concerts from them, your response is to abandon them.

You still have no idea whether they needed the money or plan to do something positive with it, you just know they took it from Amazon and you don’t like it.

That’s some fair weather fandom right there.

Excellent bro. I went for a hike on National Trails day & have avoided issuing judgements before hearing the whole story!

Oh, and I’m listening to North Fork Two-Step by Slang.

Oh oh! Wasn’t Chopin largely believed to be an antisemite? You gonna walk away from those tunes too?

Dave? No, just someone who’s willing to give a band I like the benefit of the doubt over penis shaped billionaire.

Good luck changing the world by turning your back on the things that make you happy!

I’m emotionally invested in it because I’m sick of letting corporations take things I love away from me.

I have been to hundreds of concerts, followed bands across the country, and spent hours upon hours waiting in line for tickets. I used to go stand in line at a damn Kroger to get tickets so I could avoid paying Ticket Master more money.

I live music & I hate corporations trying to put their names on it.

I have not made of this black & white. I am not the one drawing a line in the sand with the Foo Fighters. I’m here trying to convince you all from walking away from something that makes you happy because of some self righteous sense of morality.

The Foo Fighters simply did what the do, perform music for money. Everyone else is black & white over where that money came from. Not even what the band did with the money, just where the money came from.

Bad news friend, you aren’t going to find clean money in the music industry. It’s all foul.

You want to abandon something that makes you happy or think less of it because dirty money touched it? Your fuckin loss.

But don’t call yourself a fan. If you were, you’d at least have the patience to hear the band’s side of it before coming in a thread like this joining in on all rage bait in here.

That music is yours to love, don’t give it to Jeff. That is my only investment in this conversation.

There’s that self righteous indignation. Quit on something you care about because it touched something dirty… brilliant outlook.

End the conversation friend & have a good show. That’s if you can find one that’s not tainted.

You sure have shown the world your merit by turning your back on the Foo Fighters because, well, Amazon.

Those evil evil Foo Fighters destroying your planet with all that Amazon money…

You stand for your own sense of self morality & nothing else. Some fucking fan you turned out to be.

I’m not a fan of the Foo Fighters I think they’ve already sold out & while I don’t dislike them, I’m not a fan.

What’s difficult about this conversation is that everyone else has made it black & white, over whether Amazon’s money is tainted.

That’s everyone’s only argument, Amazon money is bad & the Foo Fighters shouldn’t have taken it.

But… that argument ignores the nuance I’m trying to point out.

That money was going to be given to a band or musician for concert full of gross Amazon execs. Full stop. That is all it was ever going to be used for by Amazon & neither you or I can stop it.

So if the Foo Fighters shouldn’t have taken that money, than who should have received it? What band would you prefer to have played for Amazon?

That concert was going down with it without the Foo Fighters. So if not them, then who?

Right, but you have no clue how FF will use that money & you’re willfully ignoring that Amazon has already infected the music industry.

Your moral outrage at FF completely ignores that the band lost a drummer & cancelled a tour on the heels of a global pandemic. You have no idea what their debt to cash ratio is and whether they intend to use that cash to keep costs down for fans or maybe even help Taylor’s family with it.

This thread has seen half of a story, chosen their villain, and are now willing to jump on anyone who might show a modicum of patience and empathy.

So go ahead, call out the Foo Fighters for taking dirty Amazon money… but you still only have a story.

I didn’t say that at all, but what stand are you taking? Because right now?

Right now, the only thing you’re mad at is that your band took a pay day from someone you don’t like. Now you have an easy target & easy answer to your disappointment: boycott.

But boycotting the Foo Fighters ain’t gonna do shit & you fuckin know it. It’s an easy & that’s all you needed to start typin’ away.

The Foo Fighters aren’t the problem, Amazon is. The Foo Fighters didn’t support Amazon, quite opposite. The Foo Fighters didn’t do shady shit to receive the money they were paid, Amazon did.

That money was leaving Amazon for musician or band. Full stop.

You’ve decided since it was your band, BBOO MY BAND.

But your band can do a whole hell of a lot of better with that money than Amazon can.

Arguably, the band you like would do better things with that money than other bands or musicians who might have received that money, if your band had declined.

In my mind that is a net positive out an inevitability shitty situation.

It’s not the best positive, neither your actions nor the Foo Fighters’ can give you the result want here.

So you have a decision:

• Currently, your decision is scorched earth against the Foo Fighters, standing up for your ultimate morality by letting Jeff & Amazon take away something you’ve cared about in the past.

You claim it’s because you can’t support a band that takes money from Amazon, but you willfully ignore that bands really don’t have the ability to avoid Amazon any more, at least not if they want to reach their fans where they are.

• An alternate decision is realizing that in the grand scheme of things, while this is not a great moment in the band’s history, it might still result in some form of a positive. If not directly for the fans of the band, for the wellbeing of a band you considered your self a fan of.

And given that you haven’t even begun to speculate what the Foo Fighters might use that money for, give this some consideration…

A little over two years ago, the band lost Taylor on the heels of the pandemic, mid-tour.

Now, I don’t know a ton about the Foo Fighters financial situation, but I’d guess that the loss of their drummer after a global pandemic had an impact on the band’s debt to cash ratio. I’d also wager that death makes the touring insurance conversation a bit different this round & could present some other logistical challenges getting another tour off the ground.

Maybe they’re trying to cover some of that debt so they don’t have to pass it along to their fans. Maybe they’re going to help Taylor’s family with some of it.

Fact of the matter of is, you and everyone else on this thread has jumped on the hate wagon without even considering what that money might be used for. It’s reactionary bullshit & it’s sad.

You think you’ve found a cause, but you’ve only heard half of a story & you’re willing to let Jeff Bezos take the Foo Fighters away from you over it. You’re too impatient and angry enough to let the dust settle & the whole story unfold.

So again, go on you. Fight that good fight.

You’re standing a moral trapdoor. If you’re going to blame Foo Fighters for taking Amazon’s money, you’re going to have hold morality against every other artist on Amazon Music. Every artist selling physical media on Amazon. Every artist participating in any Amazon sponsored summer music events. Every last one of them.

Provided you manage to do that, rid your musical world of every artist attached to Amazon, go for Ticketmaster next.

Then go for the ones who allow Budweiser, Miller Lite, or Deathwater to be sold at their venues. All of them are produced by corporate behemoths killing this planet.

Moving forward from there, we could start breaking out all the shitty record labels you should have issues with, before going onto any band that has performed with an instrument made from a questionable source of wood (ahem…).

If this what you’re willing to burn your fandom over, I feel sorry for you. I hated that Pearl Jam caved to Ticketmaster, but it didn’t change my opinion of their music.

It’s the music that speaks to you. You’re the one allowing some odious sense of morality about corporate contact take it away from you.

What in the hell is rock & roll about that?

And for the record, I don’t even like the fucking Foo Fighters. They sold out long ago.

I give money to musicians who make music that speaks to me & I'm for sure as shit not going to let a corporation get in the way of that.

If Jeff Bezos wanted to give Widespread Panic $50k for a show, I’d support it. Why? Because John Bell directly supports Hannah’s Buddies, Dave Schools & Jerry Joseph have supported an organization bringing guitars and lessons into war torn communities in the Middle East, because JoJo supports musicianship rebounding from Katrina, especially in communities of color.

If Jeff Bezos wants to give a band I like a metric shitton of money, I feel relatively at ease in assuming they’ll do something better with that money for society than Bezos ever will.

But go on you. You keep fighting that good fight… hope you can still a find a band that isn’t tainted.

Look, congratulations on being able to turn down a paycheck from Amazon. I myself would absolutely take that paycheck from Amazon.

But I digress… So, back to the topic at hand.

In what way is any of this FF’s fault? What have FF done to divide anyone? Perform?

Amazon wanted a concert. Amazon got a concert. Amazon was going to get a concert, regardless of who performed.

Your argument is that FF are fault because… because why? They should’ve turned it down?

Who should have performed for Amazon then?

If that argument is so weak, you go right on ahead and tell me who the ethical choice would be for an Amazon concert? Dua Lipa? Green Day? Chris Brown?

You know what? Your right. Every single established musical act should have displayed the mental fortitude & character to turn down Amazon’s money.

The key word there is SHOULD, but should isn’t always realistic.

Be mad at Amazon. I’m with you on that. But blaming a band because you don’t like person who signs their check is pretty self defeating in my opinion.

The Foo Fighters don’t owe any of us shit & our opinions on their income streams are irrelevant.

Not he dipshit. Go on now, go on home. You’ve gotten cranky & are in need of an attitude adjustment.

I guess my point is, in what way is Foo Fighters playing for Amazon divisive?

Amazon was going to pay someone to perform at that show & that performer, regardless of whether it was FF, was not going to convince Amazon to give that money to employees that deserved it.

So what exactly did the Foo Fighters do to earn this level ire? You’d rather Amazon gave that money to another performer?

If everyone really feels that strongly about FF taking this gig, then start a campaign telling FF how you think the money should be spent.

I’d certainly consider that a better use of everyone’s anger.

No puddin’, not in the least. Now you go on & keep playing lil Tommy Toughnuts, I’m sure your mom will call you in for dinner soon

You sure are making a world of difference lambasting internet strangers. Keep after it, everyone will realize how hard you are any day now.

Calm down their puddin, ain’t nobody trying to eat your pie.

Go on about yourself with your bootlicking antagonistic bullshit.

Every musician who releases music works with corporate overlords jackhole.

Tell me, what noncorporate music playing device do you listen to your tunes on?

When you buy a beverage at your non-corporate venues, whatcha drinkin’ their pal?

Dave Grohl didn’t steal your rent money & you have fucking clue rock & roll is, Junior.

In case you haven't noticed, EVERY SINGLE FOO FIGHTERS CONCERT SUPPORTED CORPORATE OVERLORDS. The tickets you bought? Corporate Overlord sold 'em to you. The tunes you bought? Corporate Overlord. The venue you went to? Sponsored by a corporate overlord. The Beer you drank at the venue, the fucking merch you bought, hell, even the fucking parking fee you coughed up went to a corporation. You don't get to enjoy music anymore without supporting corporate overlords.

You're being an antagonistic asshole and you know it. And you use the term bootlicker incorrectly.

Seriously. This is as shitty as the Right boycotting Budlight.

Go ahead & burn your FF tunes. Hell make a social media post about it. It’ll do good, we promise.

Why don’t you wait & see what Dave does with money? Anybody know what his charitable interests are?

Y’all just want to burn some one & you’ll burn your heroes as easily as your villains. Buncha fuckin’ assholes.

Does neurosyphilis become regular syphilis if there’s no neuro to syphil? Cause I’d be alright with that!