Why No Wiggles?
So there's this throwdown over at (sm)all ages about whether the Wiggles are Satan incarnate or something. Interesting discussion, and it made me think more about this Q&A in Yosi's interview with me and Ella:
5) (Bill) I champion quality indie artists over those produced by major music companies. Do you feel the same?
I certainly make an effort to find more indie artists, but wouldn't say that it's "over" major labels either. As you know, we start and end every show with TMBG, who is on Disney. I think the fact that we end up playing more indie stuff is more reflective of the fact that we tend to like indie stuff more -- it tends (on average, not universally) to be a bit quirkier and more interesting to me. So we play more indie music probably for the reason that I own more indie music -- I just, mostly, like it more.
I realize now that the answer is not complete. Briefly, I like playing indie stuff that doesn't have big marketing power behind it because I want Ella (and our listeners) to know that you can make awesome music by yourself. That's one of the reasons I'm so pleased about being a little part of getting attention to Frances England (as just one example!) and all the rest of the great independent kids' artists who are recording in home studios, working day jobs, and so on.
I don't have anything against the Wiggles. Honestly, I'm not sure I've ever heard them; I can't imagine when I would have. I'm sure they're talented and they're clearly good at marketing, and I've got nothing against good marketing. Barney makes me insane, and our kids never liked him. The Teletubbies I actually sort of like, and we owe them a lot for their hypnotic effects when Ella was in the hospital (dog bite at 18 months, ovarian tumor at 30 months, all better now!) and we needed her to sit still for IVs.
But part of what I think is the mission of our show (if we have a mission) is not just playing good music but also providing good artistic role models that include ways for kids to learn about the whole range of music out there -- from the hugely successful to the obscure stuff -- and for them to see that music from all over that range can be terrific. And I like supporting the artists on the more obscure end of that spectrum.
(And that's why, incidentally, I tried -- with no luck, no surprise there -- to get the Hold Steady to come on the show. Utterly inappropriate music for kids as a whole, but an excellent example of a band (and a guy, Craig Finn, in particular) who hasn't compromised his approach to music one whit, and is now starting to get commercial success to go along with the critical acclaim. One of the things that was utterly charming about the show is how genuinely and sincerely happy the band was, by the way. At the end of the show, Finn said something like, "There is so much joy in what we do up here, and we're just so happy that you're part of it." And he was absolutely not being sarcastic or cynical. He loves what he does.)
Okay, I'm on cold medicine and probably incoherent. Especially that last parenthetical. But there's my ramble.
Gotta go make supper. Comments?
Permanent link • Posted at 5:42 PM
5 comment(s)
5 Comment(s):
i don't think that anybody should have to feel that they need to justify their media choices-- they only have to be true to themselves. i've heard people describe artists like Raffi and Mr. Dressup as somehow passé or silly; this makes me sad because they were such an important part of my growing-up. yes, when compared with a technological production such as (the very cynical) Shrek, some of the artists from 'way back when' seem naive, their pacing is slow, their crafts and things are handmade... and much less *cool.* i guess it's the 'coolness imperative' that gets my goat. there's a huge tendency towards this in so many Internet communities which is (unfortunately) hard to ignore. (and now i'm the one being cynical...) the commercial aspect can not be avoided, imho, in anything that touches on media production- the Internet- and yes, even kids' music. we are not really in a position to pass judgement on an artist's motivation...
gotta go pack my bags for the Christmas holidays. happiness, and joy, and a killer (for you) soundtrack--
I've never judged music on what label it's on, or who played on the song, or how much marketing was behind it. I just like what I like.
And, like you, I tend to enjoy music made by a real band or a real person, as opposed to the Britney Spears and N'Syncs of the world.
But still, as much as I despise Britney Spears, I find "Oops, I Did It Again" to be insanely catchy, in a traffic wreck kind of way.
I don't understand the animosity toward The Wiggles.... These guys aren't some "manufactured" band like The Monkees. They really truly started out just making kids' music. Maybe some folks don't like what The Wiggles are today, as some sort of corporate entity. All I know is that their first 3 or 4 CDs are chock full of incredibly poppy, clean, fun songs for toddlers. Tracks like "Hot Potato" and "John Bradlelum" helped my kids learn to love music.
I've turned my kids on to a lot of different bands, from The Beatles to Death Cab For Cutie, but what I'm learning is that my kids are just like me... They like what they like. The best thing I can do is just put the iPod on shuffle and sit back to see if anything catches their fancy. One day it might be Shania Twain that makes them dance around, the next day it might be Joe Jackson. Really hard to predict. But I don't see any trend toward indie or big-label songs.
I guess my explanation is as much "Here's why I haven't gone to find the Wiggles" as "Here's why I don't play the Wiggles." Like I said, I don't think I've ever heard them in my life. So I haven't rejected them -- I just haven't heard them. Unsurprisingly, their PR people probably don't think it's particularly important to get their CD to a 100-watt station in western Massachusetts.
We certainly play major label stuff, not just TMBG but a lot of the grown-up stuff we play. But it's largely not what I'm seeking out.
Talk about opening up a can of worms! Or more accurately, re-opening said can.
Yes, I've heard The Wiggles & no, I don't like what I hear, & neither do my kids. It just doesn't seem to suit our tastes. Now, mind you, my daughter was quite the Barney & Spot fan as a toddler. I enjoyed watching her enjoying her music, but had no inclination to listen to it without her around. Years later she went through a Brittany phase which was not as sweet to observe.
Perhaps (& I'm willing to bet that) we as parents greatly influence our kids music selections, because they tend to model so many of our behaviors. They tend to pick up on our asthetics & prefrences & incorporate them into their worlds. So, if mama grooves to Top 10 dance music, so does offspring.
However, performing for young kids everyday, I see how their tastes change & mature. I call this the Frosting-Cake Ratio Theory. Let's say you want cake & you like some frosting. Kids tend to like a lot of frosting. How about a little MORE frosting. Heck, why don't we throw out the cake & you can just spoon out all the frosting right out of the container. How long can you eat that stuff before you feel ill? Apparently kids can handle loads more frosting than we adults can. Nutritionally, the frosting tends to be far worse than the cake.
Finally, I don't select my music based on the label it's on. I'm a huge fan of TMBG ever since their first album. The fact that they are on Disney doesn't lessen my love for their music. I feel it's well deserved that they are with Disney & are reaping all the benefits therein. I tend to prefer the indies for the simple reason that when I hear ten new songs I really like & I look up the artist invariably they are self produced or on a small indie label. I often champion the indies because they reflect my tastes, & work hard (independently) to rise above.
Yosi, your kids arent normal if they arent entertained by the Wiggles.
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