The Devil and DRM
Jan. 10th, 2007 11:10 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
pasitheaDuring the summer I read Faust and a couple of variants of it. The basic premise is a guy makes a deal with the devil, gets a fabulous life for a while and then is whisked off to Hell.
Last night, while talking with a friend, I realized that really happens.
In the 80's, a lot of rock groups signed contracts with record companies. They got an expense account and could live like rock stars. Fame, fortune, getting puking drunk every night.
But then the devil came to collect on their debts. A lot of times, the record company over-produced albums and the rockers never saw a dime, they went into debt with the record company and that debt had to repaid in their own sort of living undead Hell, doing concerts in lousy places in the midwest, rehashing old songs that you've played a hundred times before, growing slowly older, stuck with the lyrics you wrote just out of highschool, they become the living dead. Poor bastards. I mean, they're only people and I'm sure there are some that like guys that used to play football, they still think they're gods, but imagine if it were you... Would you want to be rehashing your art from when you were 19, wearing the same clothes you did in highschool?
I never saw anywhere in the bible where God says he's no longer going to show us his powers but I've heard religious people say God not showing himself to us directly is just to test our faith. But what about the devil? If he wants to lead us astray, certainly he'd use whatever means he could. If I said, "I'd sell my soul to the devil to find a nickel over there on the sidewalk within the next two minutes." surely nine times out of ten there'd be a nickel over there, wouldn't there? It's just too easy and too tempting to refuse.
I tried this twice and found no nickels. Of course, I'm sure there's some convoluted 'logic' to explain this. Like, if you say something like this, you already doubt God and the devil not providing a nickel makes you doubt God more so he gets you anyhow. Though if the devil is pride, arrogance, greed, lust, etc, this hardly seems to fit his profile.
Anyhow. Enough rambling. I just thought the parallels between Faust and the RIAA were interesting and might be worth making into another retelling of this story.
Last night, while talking with a friend, I realized that really happens.
In the 80's, a lot of rock groups signed contracts with record companies. They got an expense account and could live like rock stars. Fame, fortune, getting puking drunk every night.
But then the devil came to collect on their debts. A lot of times, the record company over-produced albums and the rockers never saw a dime, they went into debt with the record company and that debt had to repaid in their own sort of living undead Hell, doing concerts in lousy places in the midwest, rehashing old songs that you've played a hundred times before, growing slowly older, stuck with the lyrics you wrote just out of highschool, they become the living dead. Poor bastards. I mean, they're only people and I'm sure there are some that like guys that used to play football, they still think they're gods, but imagine if it were you... Would you want to be rehashing your art from when you were 19, wearing the same clothes you did in highschool?
I never saw anywhere in the bible where God says he's no longer going to show us his powers but I've heard religious people say God not showing himself to us directly is just to test our faith. But what about the devil? If he wants to lead us astray, certainly he'd use whatever means he could. If I said, "I'd sell my soul to the devil to find a nickel over there on the sidewalk within the next two minutes." surely nine times out of ten there'd be a nickel over there, wouldn't there? It's just too easy and too tempting to refuse.
I tried this twice and found no nickels. Of course, I'm sure there's some convoluted 'logic' to explain this. Like, if you say something like this, you already doubt God and the devil not providing a nickel makes you doubt God more so he gets you anyhow. Though if the devil is pride, arrogance, greed, lust, etc, this hardly seems to fit his profile.
Anyhow. Enough rambling. I just thought the parallels between Faust and the RIAA were interesting and might be worth making into another retelling of this story.
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(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-10 07:55 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-11 12:17 am (UTC)You could read The Screwtape Letters for the answer to this one. The greatest trick the devil ever performed was to convince everybody that he didn't exist, says C.S. Lewis.
On behalf of those Christians who would want a better apology for Satan: 'Is your soul even worth a nickel?' I'm sure there's some sin or other that you've been committing which makes Satan fairly sure of possessing your soul, or some passive aggressive nonsense like that.
A lot of times, the record company over-produced albums and the rockers never saw a dime, they went into debt with the record company and that debt had to repaid in their own sort of living undead Hell, doing concerts in lousy places in the midwest, rehashing old songs that you've played a hundred times before, growing slowly older, stuck with the lyrics you wrote just out of highschool, they become the living dead.
They do a similar thing with modern singing contest winners. The company forces the 'artist' to have the glossy video clip, the shirts, the cars, and so on and so forth. All the while, the advertising profits and record sales are going straight to the company and aren't being used to pay off the debt being racked up by the 'artist'. Add to this: the 'artist' isn't getting any royalties from the song. So they make bugger all and have a massive debt to the company. It's a cunning system designed to make the maximum amount of profit for the company out of somebody else's 'talent'.
- M.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-11 09:35 am (UTC)'Is your soul even worth a nickel?' I'm sure there's some sin or other that you've been committing which makes Satan fairly sure of possessing your soul, or some passive aggressive nonsense like that.
Oh, undoubtedly. Circular logic is like that. If nothing else, everyone is guilty of pride. Even if you're the best person in the world, the moment you say 'Gee. I think I'm a halfway decent person.' you're screwed.
You could also get into djinn styled traps. Nickel is an element after all. There could have been an atom of nickel over there and I looked right at it. (In fact, given it was a sidewalk next to a street, there was undoubtedly nickel there) Not his fault if I don't state my stakes more clearly.
It could also have been my lack of conviction in saying it. I don't believe in the devil either so my pledge was insincere and similar to Jesus shouting, 'God! Why have you forsaken me?' when being crucified. It was a test of God, not the devil. Nevermind the fact that I wouldn't pledge my eternal servitude to anyone. That's the whole problem with God for me. What does God need with another handmaiden?
Anyhow, I think the record industry stuff sits a bit harder on my head. I know they're real and I feel sorry for rockers. Much like my request for a nickel... Well. As they say. The devil is in the details.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-11 10:16 am (UTC)But how else do you get your yearly dose of awful apologetics and dreary moralising?!interrobang?!
If nothing else, everyone is guilty of pride.
I didn't even think of that one! If you say, 'My soul is worth the nickel!' you're being boastful and, therefore, sinful. Well spotted.
Not his fault if I don't state my stakes more clearly.
Also, by not making the nickel obvious, he's helping you to not believe in fundamentalist Christianity. Aha, he's a clever one.
Nevermind the fact that I wouldn't pledge my eternal servitude to anyone.
Drat. There goes my entire reason for friending you.
- M.