Re: The bullshit of X factor

[Guest guest]

I never watch these shows, have no illusions about the motives of the producers (or any other corporate entity), do not care about their intention to manipulate me one way or the other, but love a good human story. Love a good human story. And, of course, most good human stories go unheard. This does not diminish, for me, the humanity of the story I saw in this video. I would like to see more like this and fewer that are about some sort of goofy "which person gets voted off the island" theme. Some public messages are healthier than others. Overcoming adversity is good human stuff. If people see it and ask themselves "how does this apply to me"--that seems an interesting question to explore in kindness. Not in a way that dismisses my own troubles. Not in a self-flagelating way. With kindness and compassion. These shows are often themed around an "anything to win" mentality. Many of the reality shows have a sort of Jerry Springer--"how much am I willing to humiliate myself for 15 minutes of fame" quality. If corporations are going to pump a lot of stuff into the living rooms of people all over the world, I can sure think of worse things than this story about this kid.I will not watch the show because the typical drama of these shows, which I have seen occasional short snippets (my kids watch), interests me not at all. top cook, top model, etc. but this. this was human and moving and well told, quite independent of any exploitation. My very favorite Muddy Waters album (quintessential Mississippi Delta bluesman) is called Muddy Waters: Folk Singer. I completely missed this album growing up--probably because it had such an unhip name. Why did it have that name? The folks at Chess Records in Chicago could see some market share slipping away with the rise of folk music in the early 1960's. So they put Muddy Waters, a youngster named Buddy Guy on guitar, drummer Clifton , and Willie Dixon on the upright bass into the studio together. The kicker is that while these guys were all playing electric, Chess unplugged them for this album. This is some really sublime, raw, unplugged blues. I think Chess unplugged them for completely commercial reasons, but the result is a super cool album that presages all the more recent unplugged efforts. Way cool, regardless of intent.Let us see if I can possibly bring this back around to ACT. I am really really a long-way-around guy. "Stories" have been discussed a lot on the list recently. The problem with a lot of stories is what I like to call the "mereliness" of many stories. We get stuck on stories as if there is one and only one true story that could be told....and murderously, going forward in time, only one that could be told and lived out.Looks to me like there are many stories that could be told about any given event. Was Chess records exploiting teen's emerging interest in the folk music scene in 1961? Probably a story to be told there. Was Chess exploiting the talents of these African American musicians? Probably a story to be told there. Was this record a part of the history of a black diaspora that came north on a path that led through Memphis Tennessee and up to the big industrial cities like Detroit (and Motown) and Chicago (and Chess Records)? Yup, that story is an interesting one too.Is it a story of exploitation of teens? Sure, but not merely that. Is it a story of exploitation of musicians? Sure, but not merely that. Is it a story of diaspora? Yes, certainly, but not merely that. And, there is this story about how sullied intentions sometimes produce beautiful things--like a precursor to all the unplugged albums...Like Muddy Waters: Folk Singer. And that story could not have been told when the album was made back in 1961--since no one had really put out the concept of unplugged, since the world was still busy plugging in.In some ways, I aspire to see the richness and multifaceted quality of the human story....including my own. Which has seemed to be merely this and merely that over the years. Merely tragic, merely hopeless, merely inspired. On a good day I can see something that looks it looks richer than any of those merelies that seemed, in turn, to be so all encompassing.with warm regards, time to go get my yoga on,

G. 205 Peabody BuildingPsychology DepartmentUniversity of MississippiOxford, MS 38677ph: fax: academic homepage:www.olemiss.edu/working/kwilson/kwilson.htmalso check outwww.onelifellc.comwww.mindfulnessfortwo.comwww.facebook.com/kellygwilsonwww.tastybehaviorism.comwww.abnormalwootwoot.com

[Guest guest]

Don't ever read this book by Smail unles you are prepared to put up with being seriously unhappy for a while, but like me he is terribly cynical.

He say's that there the can be no quality without pap, no love without knowing what sadness is, and no beauty without dogshit and flys. Damn it, I'm not that cynical. I think the world is quite ovely really.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Illusion-Reality-Meaning--Smail/dp/0460022784/ref=sr_1_4?s=books & ie=UTF8 & qid=1316372673 & sr=1-4

Kv

>> I never watch these shows, have no illusions about the motives of the producers (or any other corporate entity), do not care about their intention to manipulate me one way or the other, but love a good human story. Love a good human story. > > And, of course, most good human stories go unheard. This does not diminish, for me, the humanity of the story I saw in this video. > > I would like to see more like this and fewer that are about some sort of goofy "which person gets voted off the island" theme. Some public messages are healthier than others. Overcoming adversity is good human stuff. If people see it and ask themselves "how does this apply to me"--that seems an interesting question to explore in kindness. Not in a way that dismisses my own troubles. Not in a self-flagelating way. With kindness and compassion. > > These shows are often themed around an "anything to win" mentality. Many of the reality shows have a sort of Jerry Springer--"how much am I willing to humiliate myself for 15 minutes of fame" quality. If corporations are going to pump a lot of stuff into the living rooms of people all over the world, I can sure think of worse things than this story about this kid.> > I will not watch the show because the typical drama of these shows, which I have seen occasional short snippets (my kids watch), interests me not at all. top cook, top model, etc. but this. this was human and moving and well told, quite independent of any exploitation. > > My very favorite Muddy Waters album (quintessential Mississippi Delta bluesman) is called Muddy Waters: Folk Singer. I completely missed this album growing up--probably because it had such an unhip name. Why did it have that name? The folks at Chess Records in Chicago could see some market share slipping away with the rise of folk music in the early 1960's. So they put Muddy Waters, a youngster named Buddy Guy on guitar, drummer Clifton , and Willie Dixon on the upright bass into the studio together. The kicker is that while these guys were all playing electric, Chess unplugged them for this album. This is some really sublime, raw, unplugged blues. I think Chess unplugged them for completely commercial reasons, but the result is a super cool album that presages all the more recent unplugged efforts. Way cool, regardless of intent.> > Let us see if I can possibly bring this back around to ACT. I am really really a long-way-around guy. "Stories" have been discussed a lot on the list recently. The problem with a lot of stories is what I like to call the "mereliness" of many stories. We get stuck on stories as if there is one and only one true story that could be told....and murderously, going forward in time, only one that could be told and lived out.> > Looks to me like there are many stories that could be told about any given event. Was Chess records exploiting teen's emerging interest in the folk music scene in 1961? Probably a story to be told there. Was Chess exploiting the talents of these African American musicians? Probably a story to be told there. Was this record a part of the history of a black diaspora that came north on a path that led through Memphis Tennessee and up to the big industrial cities like Detroit (and Motown) and Chicago (and Chess Records)? Yup, that story is an interesting one too.> > Is it a story of exploitation of teens? Sure, but not merely that. Is it a story of exploitation of musicians? Sure, but not merely that. Is it a story of diaspora? Yes, certainly, but not merely that. > > And, there is this story about how sullied intentions sometimes produce beautiful things--like a precursor to all the unplugged albums...Like Muddy Waters: Folk Singer. And that story could not have been told when the album was made back in 1961--since no one had really put out the concept of unplugged, since the world was still busy plugging in.> > In some ways, I aspire to see the richness and multifaceted quality of the human story....including my own. Which has seemed to be merely this and merely that over the years. Merely tragic, merely hopeless, merely inspired. On a good day I can see something that looks it looks richer than any of those merelies that seemed, in turn, to be so all encompassing.> > with warm regards, time to go get my yoga on,> > > > > G. > 205 Peabody Building> Psychology Department> University of Mississippi> Oxford, MS 38677> > ph: > fax: > > academic homepage:> www.olemiss.edu/working/kwilson/kwilson.htm> > also check out> www.onelifellc.com> www.mindfulnessfortwo.com> www.facebook.com/kellygwilson> www.tastybehaviorism.com> www.abnormalwootwoot.com>

[Guest guest]

That was meant to be lovely not ovely. But you know how I am full of

distortions and mistakes - the tortured tormented soul that I am.

Kv

> >

> > I never watch these shows, have no illusions about the motives of

the

> producers (or any other corporate entity), do not care about their

> intention to manipulate me one way or the other, but love a good human

> story. Love a good human story.

> >

> > And, of course, most good human stories go unheard. This does not

> diminish, for me, the humanity of the story I saw in this video.

> >

> > I would like to see more like this and fewer that are about some

sort

> of goofy " which person gets voted off the island " theme. Some public

> messages are healthier than others. Overcoming adversity is good human

> stuff. If people see it and ask themselves " how does this apply to

> me " --that seems an interesting question to explore in kindness. Not in

a

> way that dismisses my own troubles. Not in a self-flagelating way.

With

> kindness and compassion.

> >

> > These shows are often themed around an " anything to win " mentality.

> Many of the reality shows have a sort of Jerry Springer-- " how much am

I

> willing to humiliate myself for 15 minutes of fame " quality. If

> corporations are going to pump a lot of stuff into the living rooms of

> people all over the world, I can sure think of worse things than this

> story about this kid.

> >

> > I will not watch the show because the typical drama of these shows,

> which I have seen occasional short snippets (my kids watch), interests

> me not at all. top cook, top model, etc. but this. this was human and

> moving and well told, quite independent of any exploitation.

> >

> > My very favorite Muddy Waters album (quintessential Mississippi

Delta

> bluesman) is called Muddy Waters: Folk Singer. I completely missed

this

> album growing up--probably because it had such an unhip name. Why did

it

> have that name? The folks at Chess Records in Chicago could see some

> market share slipping away with the rise of folk music in the early

> 1960's. So they put Muddy Waters, a youngster named Buddy Guy on

guitar,

> drummer Clifton , and Willie Dixon on the upright bass into the

> studio together. The kicker is that while these guys were all playing

> electric, Chess unplugged them for this album. This is some really

> sublime, raw, unplugged blues. I think Chess unplugged them for

> completely commercial reasons, but the result is a super cool album

that

> presages all the more recent unplugged efforts. Way cool, regardless

of

> intent.

> >

> > Let us see if I can possibly bring this back around to ACT. I am

> really really a long-way-around guy. " Stories " have been discussed a

lot

> on the list recently. The problem with a lot of stories is what I like

> to call the " mereliness " of many stories. We get stuck on stories as

if

> there is one and only one true story that could be told....and

> murderously, going forward in time, only one that could be told and

> lived out.

> >

> > Looks to me like there are many stories that could be told about any

> given event. Was Chess records exploiting teen's emerging interest in

> the folk music scene in 1961? Probably a story to be told there. Was

> Chess exploiting the talents of these African American musicians?

> Probably a story to be told there. Was this record a part of the

history

> of a black diaspora that came north on a path that led through Memphis

> Tennessee and up to the big industrial cities like Detroit (and

Motown)

> and Chicago (and Chess Records)? Yup, that story is an interesting one

> too.

> >

> > Is it a story of exploitation of teens? Sure, but not merely that.

Is

> it a story of exploitation of musicians? Sure, but not merely that. Is

> it a story of diaspora? Yes, certainly, but not merely that.

> >

> > And, there is this story about how sullied intentions sometimes

> produce beautiful things--like a precursor to all the unplugged

> albums...Like Muddy Waters: Folk Singer. And that story could not have

> been told when the album was made back in 1961--since no one had

really

> put out the concept of unplugged, since the world was still busy

> plugging in.

> >

> > In some ways, I aspire to see the richness and multifaceted quality

of

> the human story....including my own. Which has seemed to be merely

this

> and merely that over the years. Merely tragic, merely hopeless, merely

> inspired. On a good day I can see something that looks it looks richer

> than any of those merelies that seemed, in turn, to be so all

> encompassing.

> >

> > with warm regards, time to go get my yoga on,

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > G.

> > 205 Peabody Building

> > Psychology Department

> > University of Mississippi

> > Oxford, MS 38677

> >

> > ph:

> > fax:

> >

> > academic homepage:

> > www.olemiss.edu/working/kwilson/kwilson.htm

> >

> > also check out

> > www.onelifellc.com

> > www.mindfulnessfortwo.com

> > www.facebook.com/kellygwilson

> > www.tastybehaviorism.com

> > www.abnormalwootwoot.com

> >

>