Ricky Martin's Revelation

It's quite shocking how Ricky Martin's "coming out" announcement this week has been handled. Along with the support was indifference and criticism for taking so long to tell the truth. It demonstrates how little we really understand about the pressure of coming out - and how far we still have to go before being gay is accepted in our society.

Most fail to see the music industry for the beast that it is - one that strives to shift as many units to as wide an audience as possible. It seems rational to argue the poplarity of Elton John, George Michael or Michael Stipe - which should appease any fears that the industry may have about gay popstars. But we forget that these individuals also hid their sexuality for years until their fanbase was sufficient enough to protect their ability to continue to have a career.

You may think times have changed, and so the pressure or fear on artists coming out should be minimised. However, George Michael started as a teen idol, and so did Ricky Martin. His sense of self - and indeed the brand created around him as sex symbol - is positioned within this market. Those that dismiss Martin's actions this week as cowardice due to coming out so late in his career neglect this fact.

We like to believe we exist in a liberal, tolerant world, and using the handful of mainstream artists who are open about their sexuality to support this is purely confirmation bias. It is the equivalent of assuming there is universal racial equality because there is finally a black President in the White House. In fact we know that prejudice continues to exist - and while society has moved significantly, equality is still not the norm. Indeed one only needs to look at Ricky Martin's primary audience - North/Latin America - to see that being gay is not accepted by the majority.

The industry also does little to stamp out prejudice. Radio One DJ Chris Moyles can hold a primetime position on the air despite re-introducing "gay" as derogatory playground slang. From personal experience I can assure you having a label named "Gaymonkey" within a heterosexual male dominated industry has rarely won us favours.

However, any artist could choose to rise above these obstacles, to put fear of retribution aside and ignore the prejudice that still exists in society. There are still two main reasons why a new artist today would choose to hide their sexuality:

To avoid being labelled as niche

If your ego - and the industry - expects you to be instantly huge, it will not be satisfied with a niche audience. A "gay artist" has traditionally found themselves building their career within the gay community. Greedy egos and labels strive to bypass this step and aim straight for the mainstream.

This pressure will continue until long tail thinking is encouraged and major labels discontinue the practice of dropping artists who fail to reach the top ten with their first release. Until then, no level of perceived acceptance will satisfy an artist whose intention is to be an instant superbrand.

To have your art accepted for what it is

For those that can quell the ego, a further barrier exists. While they themselves may have no apparent problem with being labelled as gay, they believe their art stands outside this and wish their creation to be judged on merit without bias on either side to their sexuality.

Aside from the blatant prejudice that continues to be rife within the sports community, athletes must also consider this factor to be one that stops them from coming out. No one with dreams of being a top footballer would like to be remembered as a "gay footballer". Our visions of our legacy shape our present reality - and for the ambitious the choice to come out will be influenced by this factor.

Until every musician, athlete, actress, teacher, politician and parent feels that their opportunities in life will not be threatened by how society perceives and labels them, we must only be proud of everyone who has the courage to step forward despite whatever makes them different. Each individual that takes that leap makes it easier for the next. Ricky Martin is a leader - and should be applauded as such.

Worry and Fear

Worry pretends to be necessary. It serves no purpose.

My tweet today was inspiration - as always - from Eckhart Tolle. Sound advice. I try to live without worry as I have come to realise that it is truly one of life's most useless emotions. Worrying about something has never helped me to resolve a situation - it has only ever made things worse.

Certainly there are some things that cause me concern; climate change, paying that outstanding invoice, whether or not we'll sell all that stock in my studio, etc. But as soon as it moves into worry stage, ie that incessant noise in your head that stops you from seeing things clearly, I push the thoughts aside. Only then can you come to a creative, rational solution.

It seems so simple, yet for some reason society has become obsessed with worry - to the point where worry turns to fear. Some even capitalise off of it: drug companies, Republicans, and most of all, the media. Nothing sells more than fear, terror or the latest pandemic.

Dan Gardner has done a fantastic job of dissecting the politics of fear in his book Risk. He examines the reasoning behind our minds' ability to succomb to worry and fear, and dispells some common myths with rational argument based on simple statistics. One of the most compelling being an analysis of Americans post-9/11 fear of flying, which resulted in a shift of people driving long distances rather than taking a flight. The result was over 1500 people being killed in car accidents as a direct result of not taking that flight that they would have booked.

Its just one example that makes you shake your head and wonder why we can't see through the fog of our own irrational fear.

Both Tolle and Gardner are highly recommended reads. Just think how much more creative and productive we would all be if we stopped giving away precious time to useless thought?

Leaders of Men

It would be impossible to blog today and not mention the inauguration of Obama. Walking through London just before the ceremony I was amazed by the number TVs and PCs tuned to the coverage. I can't remember a time when a political event commanded such an audience, and certainly couldn't imagine the swearing-in of a British Prime Minister ever capturing the attention of so many.

But this is a different event. Obama has become a symbol of hope and change. The whole world is watching - expecting him to usher in a new era. And amidst the economic gloom, the apocalyptic climate crisis, war after war in the Middle East, this glimmer of dynamic leadership is worthy of everyone's applause.

Welcome, Mr President. 

BEST OF 08: Politik

If you measured the year in column inches, surely this was the longest. More than ever, the media spat out a heavy dose of misery and disaster porn. Some of the top stories that rocked the news:

The McCanns Did It

A terrible story of a missing girl and the all-encompassing PR campaign - the mystery continues. Overshadowed now by the equally ridiculous tale of Shannon Matthews.

The Credit Crunch

After years of excess, suddenly it is chic to be cheap. When the tabloids started to create a logo for an economic concept, that’s when I knew we were in trouble.

100 Months

Andrew Simms' report gives us 100 months to save the planet. Despite this the UK government still feels the path to salvation is for us all to unplug our mobile phone chargers and boil less water, while encouraging us to consume as much as possible in order to save the economy.

Amy Winebar/Kate Moss/Pete Doherty

So boring, And for six months, so unavoidable. Thank god for fickle journalism – even Adele gets more press lately.

Celebrity DJs

Sam Ronson. The Geldof Children. The drummer from this month’s one hit wonder indie band. Playing at the hideous dive near you. Enough is enough. It’s no wonder that … 

Turnmills/The End/Astoria/Ghetto/The Cross Shut Down

… no one goes to clubs anymore.

But its not all doom and gloom --

Obamamania

Finally politics got exciting again – but true to form, the fun wasn’t to be found on our side of the Atlantic. As America suddenly came to its senses, perhaps the world didn’t seem so bleak after all. 2009 should be an interesting year …

Image by ally.thomson on Flickr

Sounds of a Cold War

I've been exploring the use of music in various political context - from Madonna's mutterings, through to using work to endorse political parties. The brilliant exhibition Cold War Modern: Design 1940-1975 currently showing at the V&A examines the impact of the Cold War on art. 

The post-WWII modernist era offers two perspectives - apocalyptic, and utopian. The exhibits takes you through the visionaries that explored each of these themes.  Within music, this was demonstrated with two very different approaches.

The bleak anxiety of the early Cold War was soundtracked perfectly by Edgard Varèse's Poème électronique - a collaborative multimedia work with Le Corbusier and Iannis Xenakis for the 1958 World Fair. I remember studying this piece in university - it was amazing to see it with the original accompanying film. Within the context of the exhibition you really understand the intentions of the piece - sparse, minimal texture - fitting for a time of political tension.

In contrast, the utopian Soviet vision is captured perfectly with Shostakovich's Moskva, Cheremushki. The opera has a ridiculous libretto - we were only shown a short clip during the show, but it featured a couple dreaming of a modern lifestyle in a tower block where their every convenience would be realised. Well, convenience - within the confines of the Soviet view of utopia. I would love to get my hands on the filmed ballet version that was shown during the exhibition - it needs to be seen to be believed.

Both composers were reacting to the world in which they found themselves. For Shostakovich, his art was forcibly shaped - the Soviet regimes used creative culture to further their agendas, and were persuasive to achieve their goals. As with the other pieces in the exhibit, the political climate clearly had influence over design. And in turn, the artists, composers, architects and designers all gave back fantastic inspired work, in spite of the horror of the time. 

A highly recommended must see!

From Your Fan, G. Brown

I think everyone will agree that this has been quite a hideous autumn for news. Apart from Obama's victory, we have been plagued with a series of horrible headlines - from the shocking violence in Mumbai, to the horror of Baby P's story here in the UK. All on top of the daily deluge of credit crunch malaise.

So with all these pressing domestic and international issues to deal with, surely we can all take heart in the grave interest Gordon Brown seems to be taking in the goings on across the broadcast entertainment media. Is it really necessary, for example, for Jonathan Ross and Russell Brand's behaviour to have been discussed in the House of Commons? 

It is no surprise then that Brown is sticking his tuppence into X Factor, with The Times reporting our PM's letter writing talents. Though he might be picking up the pen to write outside of his working hours, I think I'd prefer to know our leaders were busying themselves with the real causes rather than concerning themselves with Simon Cowell's handiwork. 

A New Hope

The BBC news reports of the Obamajubilation this evening featured an American man in London expressing his delight at the election results. "Now I won't have to pretend I'm Canadian when I travel abroad" he exclaimed.

Growing up as a Canadian I have always resented Americans. For the fear they made me feel - as they threatened to test their nuclear weapons over our country, and for the Gulf War that unfolded before our eyes on our television sets. For their ignorance of us - even though we were such close neighbours, and for their imperialism over our culture.

As I left home to see the world I wore my flag, as all Canadians do, to avoid being thought of as American. 

Last night - for the first time - I felt that things could be different. That America could actually become all those things it prides itself on being. For this is the most exciting and inspiring political change in my lifetime - bar the fall of the Berlin Wall. To have a true leader who has the potential to unite and change the world. 

Maybe Obama got in at the right time - as a different choice for a nation on the brink of collapse and fatigued under the incompetence of Bush's administration. But for now, lets assume that America is reaching its tipping point.

Perhaps fittingly it is bonfire night in London. Grey and misty, with fireworks exploding through the night - a bizarre celebration and reminder of a revolutionary from the British past. But maybe tonight it is in honour of a new revolution - a new hope for everyone.

The (Biggest) Competition

The competition ends today.

I hope our american cousins understand the gravity of the power they may choose to wield today. I expect every one of them to be out voting. 

When George W. Bush won the coveted prize - ushering us into the current era of darkness - I let it slip on a technicality. Surely the US populace could see that this man was not fit for such a job - so the chads must be to blame.

But when they made the same mistake four years ago, I realised that the land of the free was misguided. First time lucky - second time, stupid.

This is their last chance to actually prove to the world that the USA can use democracy wisely. If they don't get it right tonight, I'm giving up on America.

Image by Michael Beirut for the Democrat's Artists for Obama initiative

What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up, Vlad?

It is interesting to see where our leaders move on to once they have received their P45 and leave their seats in office.

Tony has been doing a great turn on the circuit - in between his part time position as advisors for JP Morgan and Zurich. Then there is Al - who may have lost the White House job, but went on to collect his Nobel gong for saving the world in the fight against climate change.

Mr Gore might be tough on carbon - but according to The Times - its Vladimir you want on your side. 

What better way to deal with political retirement than to release your own series of judo DVDs? Certainly Putin isn't getting into home entertainment and media just for the money.  I'd like to think it was simply a goal he'd had as a young child, and now that he hasn't really got the mandate to crush rogue states or order the execution of dissidents with radioactive sushi, he'd prefer to lend us his wisdom on self defense.

Looking forward to seeing how Ms Palin decides to retire ...

Image from Wikipedia

Who Will Save Us When We Fall?

It is fascinating to watch men in suits panic while the house of cards that they built falls around them ...

I am by no means an economist. But I have a strong interest in politics, and am developing  an even deeper curiosity into the relationship between how our society governs itself and the economic systems we create.

And as a devout liberal social democrat, I should be overjoyed at seeing the events unfold over the past few weeks in the western world markets. Institutions exposed for their ineptitude and greed, resorting to calling for a lifeline from the very governments that habitually shun regulation. Administrations rushing to reach into the coffers to bail out the financial system that has fed them. Unfortunately, the governments in charge of fixing the problems are no better than the ones who caused them in the first place.

Have we not learned from these mistakes before?

Apparently not.

This is Revolutions - the perpetual cycle of history.

Image by Hobo

Music Makes The People Shop Together

I few weeks ago I blogged about the trouble John McCain was having in finding music to soundtrack his campaign.

David Lister - The Independent's arts editor - had a comment a few days later. Under the headline "Music belongs to everyone - even politicians", he argues that once a piece of music is in the public domain, it should be "used, interpreted, directed as its user sees fit". He states that by denying others the right to play their songs, musicians are stating that pop music cannot be "art".

Part of his argument is true - the user can interpret music in any way they wish. We should debate meaning and ideas in music, and once a piece is released an artist cannot be precious about holding on to their own intentions - though this sometimes causes problems due to the media attention that surrounds pop music (think of The Smiths - "Suffer Little Children" - in which Morrissey was accused of being unsymapthetic to the victims of the Moors murders).

It is the concept of "using" music that is in this case contentious. Copyright dictates that no one has the right to use any art form without the owners permisson. In the same way that it is against the law to copy great works of art and sell them, it is illegal for anyone to publicly broadcast songs without the writer's consent.  For a politician to use music in their campaign, they would effectively be broadcasting to large groups to people without license.

The bigger issue is more psychological. What sets music apart from other applied arts is its versatility, and how easily it is to form associations. Music evokes powerful moods and feelings, which are instantly memorable, and sticky. This is why it is so valuable in marketing. It is impossible for me to hear "Albatross" from Fleetwood Mac without thinking about M&S products. A whole generation now thinks that Phil Collins is a giant drum playing chocolate-loving gorilla (well, not so far off) thanks to the recent Cadbury's campaign. The association people make is also easily transferrable from product to artist - José González is sometimes better known as the "bouncing ball guy" due to the use of "Heartbeats" in the Sony Bravia ad.

Politicians are brands - not people. They are selling a product, and they want music to help shift their wares. If a musician does not want to be part of this transaction, we thankfully have copyright to protect us.