The Health Care Bill

Image by Listener42 via Flickr

Most of you know that I never discuss politics, but I can't help but share an opinion on this out-of-contraol situation.

What if conventional wisdom isn't conventional?

Used to be you turned on the TV and took the temperature of the nation. If you were truly sophisticated, you read the newspaper. And learned what was really going on. Or did you?

Turns out the truth is a bit different from what the conventional media tells us it is. Turns out the only stories aren't the ones in the newspaper (and, for the record, TV does no reporting, unless someone got raped, killed or kidnapped.) Turns out the usual suspects have lost control of the thermometer, if you want to know what the temperature is in this country, you surf the Web and come to your own conclusions.

This is big.

Would George Bush be able to con America into believing there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq in 2010? Doubtful. Because we're no longer dependent on Judith Miller, our country is no longer controlled by one reporter with a mouthpiece, rather there's a plethora of voices, and frequently the ones online are more informed. Because they're reporting within their area of expertise and not beholden to fat cats, and not on a career path determined by anyone other than themselves.

Speak with a newspaper reporter. They're asking questions. They're investigating. But what if the person who knew was writing what was going on? What then?

That's what's happening today.

Conventional wisdom said health care was dead. But then the President and the Democratic Congress were enlightened by vocal supporters, disillusioned Democrats, primarily online, asking WHAT THE HELL?

We elected you. We wanted change. And you're worried about these nitwit Republicans beholden to the religious right who can only say no, who are refusing to play because they don't have the ball.

Balls? Suddenly, the Democrats grew them.

And I don't care what side of the debate you're on, I don't care whether you support health care or not, you've got to admit it's fascinating how the media said one thing and the truth turned out to be the other way.

They tell us people like the beat-infused Top Forty. They tell us the best way to make a star is on TV, preferably "American Idol". They tell us the major labels' model has to be protected. But IS THIS TRUE?

Everything's up for grabs. It no longer matters what Rush Limbaugh says, nor the RIAA. Everyone's questioning what's fed to them, they're dong independent research and coming to their own conclusions.

Like:

1. Physical formats are dead.

2. Music is overpriced.

3. The concert ticket game is rigged.

4. Today's acts suck.

But, but, BUT you say, CDs still sell and...

You're making the same mistake the mainstream press did. You're paying attention to the fading minority. Or as Henry Ford once said, "If I'd listened to customers, I'd have given them a faster horse."

Market research doesn't tell you where the future lies. Steve Jobs didn't ask people whether they wanted an iPad, HE MADE IT!

Market research said no one would rent videos, and then everybody did. Market research says people don't want to rent music, but if you don't think the Spotify/streaming model will triumph, your head is truly up your ass.

It's just a matter of when.

Now is the time to take the ball and run it up the middle.

Now is the time to create truly great music, not worrying about what gatekeepers say, taking it straight to the public.

There's no center.

Doug Morris just isn't that powerful.

Nor is Lucian Grainge.

And whatever power Irving Azoff has is limited. He doesn't control music distribution. He may have a bit of a corner on live exhibition, but that's just a piece of the puzzle.

It's a whole new world! Doesn't matter what the fat cats, the usual suspects, those who once had power, have to say. Not a whit.

It matters what the Web constituency has to say.

Yes, people still listen to radio, but there are people who still buy CDs, DON'T PAY ATTENTION TO THE FADING MINORITY! That's like trumpeting Sarah Palin for President. She can't win. Numbers will tell you this. But the mainstream media likes the story. But she's just about irrelevant.

And I'm not saying the Democrats are princes, but when Obama and Pelosi finally grabbed the ball, stopped pussyfooting, challenged their critics and ignored naysayers, and more importantly, the American people, they got something done!

Stop listening to those who say you can't. Their opinion is worthless. Doesn't matter if the A&R guy doesn't like your music. Doesn't matter if radio ignores you either.

It comes down to this, DO THE PEOPLE LIKE YOU?

Do they?

Numbers don't lie. How many fans have truly downloaded your music? How big is your mailing list? How many Twitter followers do you have? If none of these numbers are large, either you're the worst marketer in creation or you suck. Or both.

But if you're good, now more than ever, it's your time. People don't care about the chart. They don't care about what the mainstream says. They care about what their friends and trusted filters say. They're making their own decisions. Play to them, they're the only ones who count.