Corporate American Flag

aNiMaL wrote:

DR49881 wrote:

"And when someone chooses to work within the system and gets the corporation to make changes in the way they do things, what do we call that? I call it activism."

-Kat, 10c forum moderator

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/allther ... arity.html <http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/alltherage/2009/09/pearl-jam-and-loomstate-c ollaborate-with-target-for-charity.html&gt;


BS. I’m sick of this sell out talk. If everyone thinks PJ sold out because of this target deal, that’s just distorted, reactionary, and uninformed.

PJ worked for Sony from 1991-2003, then for a Sony subsidiary for 2006. They performed less than 12 concerts out of over 800 at musical venues where tickets were not distributed by ticketmaster or live nation. Venues with names like TD Banknorth Garden, Verizon Wireless Ampitheatre, etc. They gave up the TM fight long ago. Why was it OK to work within the system then, but not now. Oh right, because everyone still wanted to see their shows.

They were doing shit with verizon in 2003.

Live at the Garden DVD was advertised on all American Airlines flights for a month when it first came out.

target agreed to: 1. make and sell this shirt where ALL THE PROCEEDS GO TO CHARITY (target bears a lot of expense and doesn’t make a dime) to fight motherfucking hunger. 2. Matched $40,000 at least in donations from the charity proceeds from two shows. 3. Have this deal in place, which cuts out Wal Mart, Kmart, Costco, Best Buy, PC Richard, etc. etc. and STILL sell the album at CIMS stores. 4 I have a feeling target had something to do with getting Rock Band to put out a special backspacer release. 5. Sell VINYL FUCKING RECORDS at YOUR LOCAL TARGET.

If you want to call PJ sell outs that’s fine. But they sold out when they signed with Sony and gave up their ticketmaster fight.

Why did they do that? TO MAKE IT EASIER ON THEIR FANS. You know what a fucking pain in the ass it is to find indie music these days? There aren’t any music stores left.

Getting tickets to the non-ticketmaster shows in 1995 was even more hell than getting tickets to Philly.

Think about how many people are hearing about PJ for the first time or revisiting PJ because of the extreme marketing clout that Target has? Millions of people. Whether they buy the album or not, it brings PJ into their consciousness. One need not go too far on google to learn about all the causes, injustices, and charities, Pearl jam have been fighting for and supporting for two decades. Now, I’d rather they didn’t do that because I don’t want these people trying to get the same tickets I am. But the essence of the concept is that PJ got a major-ass corporation to tell the world about PJ. Maybe they helped breed a whole new generation of activists who become inspired by what Pearl jam has done.

I think they worked Target into one hell of a deal. They got a corporation to: educate the world about PJ, cut out every other major retailer, support indie music stores, save vinyl, fight hunger, etc. all in exchange for a commercial?

They’re using the system in their own way. I think that’s much more effective than being 20 year old kids who give corporations the middle finger, set out to change the world at the expense of their fans, and then realize the world’s pretty much fucked, you might as well fight the system from within. A lot more effective that way.

I’m fed up with the sell out talk.

I’m still pissed about everything to do with the tickets and how tours are announced and administered. I also think I know what their opinion is “Fuck you fans who have to see 4 shows in 5 nights. That’s your problem. Let someone else go who maybe hasn’t seen us at all. Typical American frivolity.”

You may hate that and that may be slapping their fan base in the face, but you cannot deny that is vintage fucking Pearl Jam.

Believe it.

rebornFixer wrote:

You're right ... Weird. Gotta be an optical illusion. Or a woodchipper accident.

U R A Crazy Breed wrote:

DR49881 wrote:

Why is that?

ummmmm....i assume you have seen the video...right? it wasn't controversial because it had giant corporate logos flashing in the background while the band performed.