The Internet is Destroying Music - Elton John

I got this off Macworld UK:

As reported in the The Sun newspaper, Sir Elton suggests that the internet is destroying music. "The internet has stopped people from going out and being with each other, creating stuff," wrote Elton in a bylined story in The Sun.

"We're talking about things that are going to change the world and change the way people listen to music, and that's not going to happen with people blogging on the internet."

Read more at Macworld UK.

A lot of things ran through my mind after I read this. I searched for something that would sum the story up. I have a limited set of vocabulary but I was hoping that by some flash of inspiration the right word would come. Though not so poignant I sum this all up in one word:

Stupid.

Maybe "idiotic" is better. I don't know. "Moronic" also comes to mind. But before this becomes a cuss-fest let me try to explain.

Elton John has reportedly said:

The internet has stopped people from going out and being with each other, creating stuff.

.

I'm sorry this is just wrong. Sir Elton John has not yet spent enough time using the World Wide Web. His statement betrays the fact that he simply does not understand the Web at all. It has become a venue for collaboration. Through social networking, individuals are able to talk, plan and coordinate with their peers on projects, eliminating boundaries and borders. One no longer needs to go out and be with another individual to share ideas and create "stuff". He seems to be insinuating that the Internet have robbed civilization of its creativity. I'm sorry, Sir John but you are wrong. One only needs to listen or watch podcasts to be able to appreciate to multitude of talent and creativity that the Web have unleashed. You can also go to YouTube to see some creative minds at work.

"We're talking about things that are going to change the world and change the way people listen to music, and that's not going to happen with people blogging on the internet."

Here Sir John seems to be hinting that bloggers have done nothing. Nothing at all. I beg to differ. Bloggers, in their many shapes and form, have made subtle and not-so subtle changes on how we perceive the world. Sir John must have missed the train on this one: things have already changed and people have already changed the way they listen to music. You have the iPod, streaming radio and the raise of indie bands and labels.

All in all, Sir Elton John would like to shut down the internet for five years to " to see how the production of music is affected during that span".

Bullshit.

Who else do you think wants to shut down the internet? Three guesses.

Sir John sounds very much like the big music labels. Then again, why not, he is part of this old, clunky, rusted, greedy machinery. He is saying that the shutting down of the internet might spur creativity. What Sir John and the big music labels are actually saying is that they are not getting enough money and it's the Internet's fault. Don't mind the fact that there are more creative individuals being discover in the past year than in the last ten or twenty years. Don't mind the fact that there are singers and bands out there that are as good or are better than the established acts and performers.

Have they never stopped to think that rather than trying to shut down the internet, they, Sir John and the music labels, ought to concentrate in giving us better music?

I find Sir John's statements as greedy and self-serving. He is not concerned with creativity or the apparent declined thereof. All he cares about is his pockets. Besides he wouldn't know creativity even if it barreled down the road at 150 KPH and hit him straight on.

Sir Elton John should stop going the way of Senator Ted Stevens and just like Senator Stevens, he must face the fact the he's old and antiquated. It's time for a change of guards, individuals who has the talent and creativity that suits well with the current generation.