[Messiahtosh]

It seems to me that since "artists" in our culture are able to secure themselves a forum, or a record deal and therefore promotional benefits; they use it to preach. This is not new, of course, but it is irritating nonetheless. Not because I disagree with their stance, that may exacerbate things (fine), but just because half of these "artists" don't even have a real education.

I'm just kind of annoyed at half-informed, 22-65 year old millionaires telling me their politics. So what did I do to ease my irritation? I wrote my own poem! haha

Does anyone else feel this way?

Off the floor, by Chris DiEugenio

Born to Sides

As soon as I was born
I began to fall
The propaganda started
Before I was 2 feet tall
And when I hit free will
I was leaning further still
To the left, to the right
Democracy in action
When both sides meet to fight

What can be decided when there are many sides?
A lot can be “debated”
But behind the fake smiles and shakes
There’s plenty of real hatred
And as issues weather and rust
Surely someone will fillibust
Because if it’s not right for one side
For another it’s a must
Now the split reaches as far as a brother
And everything is fifty-fifty
But that’s alright because we’ll pretend
That it’s a non-issue, in the end

As I was coming up
I really had no choice
All I heard was a righted voice
Then I saw what mattered to me
Forced into 50 states of hypocrisy
So I took some steps back
But the damage is largely deep
To change now is much too far a leap

Born to sides
In this democracy
To the left or right
Doesn’t matter much to me
And when both fight
They’re getting things done
Don’t be surprised
Most people are that dumb

Corporate Coffee

Rock stars sit atop the world
They like to tell us how it is
As if they’ve been educated by some other system
Than the one in which they live
They’re entertaining to make money
And that’s a little bit funny
When they think they’re making useful commentary
While sipping their corporate coffee

Stop getting so sucked in by the words
That are about as deep
As their writer’s turds
They try to hide meaning by making it abstract
But what that is is even more crap
Trying to get us to think
By moving our minds around like a puck on an ice-rink

Instant gratification
Instantaneous nation
Don’t give us time to think
We’ll react in a blink
Your trash is everywhere
And that’s not really fair
Because there’s a lot behind this
A lot of substance got us here
Don’t act like it is, always shall be
And has been there

Gulp that stuff down
Come on, go to town
Twist those ideas
While nobody’s around
Take our minds
To the lost and found
Then leave us there to drown

TV Nations

That box stares us down
It owns us, transfixes us
But it’s our fault
Because we built it
We have little right to feel disgust
Watching for hours is definitely a must

We have no choice
CNN is our fucking voice
So let us all rejoice as everything falls apart
Be quiet, the program’s about to start
The story is breaking news
The FEDs have some leads and clues
About why another demented kid shot up some school

What’s the problem?
Don’t tell us what happened
Just fucking tell me why
Is that too much to ask?
Please for 30 seconds, don’t tell us a lie
Telling is not solving the problem
All it does is reflect and revolve them

Turn a station from 3 to 19
And that channel shows the same as what I’ve seen
Rehashed with different colored banners
Top stories, headlines, and FCC standards
Bleep this, bleep that, bleeping is a lie
The grass is always greener in their eyes
But at least it’s browned out in mine

A new world!

Set sail for the new world
Bring your curiosity and hard-tac rolls
The waters may be rough and deep
The price we pay to go is inconceivably deep
Capn’ doesn’t really know where to go
And nobody’s looking out from the crow’s nest
It’s fun to go over the edge of the world
Like all the rest

Onward bound, starboard sound
I’ve seen the edge of the world
And it’s perfectly round
Just a boat on the water
Going down

Pitch in and lend a hand
There’s no such thing as contraband
We all do as the Queen wishes
To find a new world is our misison
Though the world may be round
It’s environment is getting beaten down
And it’s surface is always flat to our feet
The prospects of finding a new land are now looking bleak

Get it done

Now our big issue
Has made it to the floor
And there’s political jockying
Behind that door, off the floor
Someone will scratch your back
If you scratch mine
Everything looks squeeky clean
In this shady sunshine

But damn it, get it done
We’ve got to go on break
A few months off of work
We’ll eat lots of Government steak
Everything can be justified
Because we hardly lied
Nobody will ever know, and we did what’s best
The public’s interest has been quietly laid to rest

Have all the memebers voted?
Have we met our quota?
There are a lot of “ayes”
And just a couple “nayes”
But somewhere off the floor
Some suits are yelling “yay”
A million dollar bill has passed
And that has made their day

[billybobsky]

Oh, so because uneducated people are given a pulpit by people they AREN'T allowed to have or even express opinions.

It isn't as if you can choose to become famous... it's a popularity contest and one of the perks is being able to speak your mind.

Do you detest their taking stances because you feel that they are uneducated, or because they are famous (be careful here)?

[Messiahtosh]

Originally Posted by billybobsky Oh, so because uneducated people are given a pulpit by people they AREN'T allowed to have or even express opinions. It isn't as if you can choose to become famous... it's a popularity contest and one of the perks is being able to speak your mind. Do you detest their taking stances because you feel that they are uneducated, or because they are famous (be careful here)?

I just don't like that they feel as though they can weigh in on big issues when they know that they don't know a whole lot about it. Get me?

Sometimes it seems that they pop out a tune because it's the popular thing to talk about.

[709]

I'm just kind of annoyed at half-informed, 20 year old students showing me their poems.

[autodata]

Anything that expresses a POV (aka, art and music) is going to be loaded with, well, POV.

Oh, and it's so cute how college kids get so into the college thing. Wait until you're a year or two out of school and you'll be like "Huh? Descartes?" Chances are you'll think that on your way home from your job in accounts payable when you overhear a group of the next gen of college kids going on about how [insert high-minded but soon forgotten subject here] is the bees knees.

[Argento]

Originally Posted by Messiahtosh I just don't like that they feel as though they can weigh in on big issues when they know that they don't know a whole lot about it. Get me? Sometimes it seems that they pop out a tune because it's the popular thing to talk about.

Listen I'll admit that college students often go way over board about certain things because of freedom etc. However to dismiss them out right because they're college students and they're using songs is assinine.

Lets not forget about Vietnamn. I would say that college students were more than instrumental in bringing our troops home.

Also if you can flat out say "this is from some lame college know it all hippie, what crap etc." Why can't the college student say, with just as much merit, "he's an old guy that is not in touch with the people, and all he cares about is money."

What makes you think you know everything at your all so wise age?

[Messiahtosh]

Originally Posted by Argento Listen I'll admit that college students often go way over board about certain things because of freedom etc. However to dismiss them out right because they're college students and they're using songs is assinine. Lets not forget about Vietnamn. I would say that college students were more than instrumental in bringing our troops home. Also if you can flat out say "this is from some lame college know it all hippie, what crap etc." Why can't the college student say, with just as much merit, "he's an old guy that is not in touch with the people, and all he cares about is money." What makes you think you know everything at your all so wise age?

I didn't say I did. That's the difference. I can at least admit that I don't know everything. These "artists" just shove their shit out the door without having to worry about any consequences besides the sales figures.

[groverat]

I didn't say I did. That's the difference. I can at least admit that I don't know everything. These "artists" just shove their shit out the door without having to worry about any consequences besides the sales figures.

What on earth are you talking about? What consequences should they have to face for expressing opinions?

If you don't like what someone says then stop listening. It's as simple as that. No one owes it to you to keep silent when they don't want to. They are not your trained monkeys.

[SKMDC]

Originally Posted by Argento Lets not forget about Vietnamn. I would say that college students were more than instrumental in bringing our troops home.

In fact I could pinpoint it to the '68 Democratic National Convention.
I could see it in my father's eyes as he watched from the sofa. (he made me watch as well) He being a WWll vet watching kids fight a different kind of war in Grant Park chanting "the whole worlds watching" as the cops tried to beat them senseless.

They really did make a difference.

[zippy]

These artists don't know shit because why?

How about we not assume that they don't know what they are talking about. There are a lot of them who have been active in causes/issues/politics for a very long time, many of them much more so than those who just like to stand around and criticize them for having an opinion.

And to anyone who does criticize them for speaking out let me ask you 1 question, and please answer it honestly. If someone were to stick a microphone in your face, and you knew it would be seen by thousands of people at least, and millions at most, would you be shy about sharing your opinions?

[eventhorizon]

What's do these artists have that Messiah lacks?

Talent

What does Messiah have that these artists lack?

Jealousy

What's black and white and red all over?

Either a nun involved in a tragic threshing accident or a penguin who's into liquid latex.

Anyway, here's some Bad Religion to clear the mind and cleanse the soul.

God's Love
Striking at mental apparitions
Like a drunk on a vacant street
Silently beset by the hands of time
Indelicate in its fury
An aberrant "crack" as skeletons yield
To unrelenting gravity
While viruses prowl for helpless victims
Who succumb rapidly

Tell me! Tell me where is the love
In a careless creation?
When there’s no above
There’s no justice
Just a cause and a cure
And a bounty of suffering
It seems we all endure
And what I’m frightened of
Is that they call it God’s love

Twisted torment, make believe
There’s a truth and we all submit
Believe my eyes my brain replies
To all that they interpret

Tell me! Tell me where is the love
In a careless creation?
When there’s no above
There’s no justice
Just a cause and a cure
And a bounty of suffering
It seems we all endure
And what I’m frightened of
Is that they call it God’s love
I know there’s no reason for alarm
But who needs perspective when it comes to pain and harm?
We can change our minds - there’s a better prize

But first you’ve got to
Tell me! Tell me where is the love
In a careless creation?
When there’s no above
There’s no justice
Just a cause and a cure
And a bounty of suffering
It seems we all endure
And what I’m frightened of
Is that they call it God’s love
My pain is God’s love

Don't Pray on Me
a grizzly scene on my electron beam
told a story about human rights,
so all of kings horses
and all of kings men had a riot
for two days and nights
well, the city exploded
but the gates wouldn't open
so the company asked him to quit
now everybody's equal
just don't measure it

well hanson did it to hester
and mark david did it to john
and maybe jack did it to marilyn
but he did it to south vietnam
for beauty and glory
for money, love and country
everybody's doing it,
don't do that to me

a bitter debate and a feminine fate
lie in tandem like two precious babes
while the former gets warmer
it's the latter that matters
except on the nation's airwaves
and custodians of public opinion
stayed back after vainly discussing her rights
lay hands off her body
it's not your fucking life!

I don't know what stopped
Jesus Christ from turning
every hungry stone into bread
and I don't remember hearing how Moses
reacted when the innocent first born sons lay dead
well I guess God was a lot more demonstrative back when
he flamboyantly parted the sea,
now everybody's praying,
don't pray on me

[Argento]

In before lock!

[eventhorizon]

Originally Posted by zippy These artists don't know shit because why? How about we not assume that they don't know what they are talking about. There are a lot of them who have been active in causes/issues/politics for a very long time, many of them much more so than those who just like to stand around and criticize them for having an opinion. And to anyone who does criticize them for speaking out let me ask you 1 question, and please answer it honestly. If someone were to stick a microphone in your face, and you knew it would be seen by thousands of people at least, and millions at most, would you be shy about sharing your opinions?

What's funny is Messiah's reaction to this was to share his ideas in the same manner as these artists but with a much smaller audience.

[Artap99]

Have I ever mentioned how pretty the colors are at this forum? I like the different shades of gray. Or is it grey...no matter. Very soothing and technological while staying professional and clean.

[eventhorizon]

Originally Posted by Artap99 Have I ever mentioned how pretty the colors are at this forum? I like the different shades of gray. Or is it grey...no matter. Very soothing and technological while staying professional and clean.

Indeed, I agree with you. I also especially like the new spoiler tags. Mmm, spoiler tags...

Haha made ya look!

[Artap99]

Me too.

Spoiler tags are great.

[SKMDC]

Poetic license aside, filibust is not a word, it's filibuster.

[Messiahtosh]

Yeah, you guys are always on top of it. Good job.

[murbot]

Great fucking thread.

[zippy]

Unless he's talking about the bust of a filly, in which he maybe should have just hyphenated it: filly-bust.

Did I ever mention how much people with fetishes about horsey boobs drive me nuts. Maybe I'll write a song.....

[alcimedes]

Didn't we already have a poetry thread?