POPFITES! 13, 14, 15 and 16!

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Because I was too busy to do a POPFITE yesterday you get FOUR clashes today, to finish off the first round. In previous fites JARVIS won a convincing victory over CHRIS LOWE, and MICK JAGGER won out against HANK WILLIAMS.

As for today's fights, words cannot do them justice (i.e. I am starving and need to upload this and go get a sammich).


[Poll #780065]


TICK POWER!

Comments

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

What is poor Britney doing losing to terribel ghastly unlistenable Queen?!?!?!

[braisedbywolves.livejournal.com]

What is poor Johnny doing losing to terrible ghastly unlistenable Kate Bush?

[blue-russian.livejournal.com]

How can you call someone who (successfully!) hides from the press during five to ten year breaks between albums a pop star?!? I mean, I love Kate and all, but...

This smacks of Rockism!

[blue-russian.livejournal.com]

I voted with my conscience - Freddie being dead and all - but I too am surprised to see her way behind Freddie while the King Of Pop is TIED with Missy Elliot. That is absolutely ridiculous.

Re: This smacks of Rockism!

[lockedintheatti.livejournal.com]

I can't stand him. Never have. I like some of his records, but MJ as a popstar I've never got. There's always been something too creepy and weird about him. Missy has been a star since day one.

Re: This smacks of Rockism!

[blue-russian.livejournal.com]

Like or Not Like is different from who is the better pop star. I'm not saying I prefer MJ, or that he's not creepy (now). But as a pop star, there is no comparison.

Re: This smacks of Rockism!

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

I think he's a bad pop star - he's an amazing celebrity/freak/figure of awe but that's something beyond 'being a pop star'. MJ had a few amazing years but since the release of Dangerous he's been no more a pop star than T.Yorke is.

Re: This smacks of Rockism!

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

well neither has Freddie!

Re: This smacks of Rockism!

[awesomewells.livejournal.com]

YOU WIN!

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

I try not to use these kind of arguments, but I think failing to get why Freddie Mercury is a great pop star betrays a basic failure to understand pop on any gut level.

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

I understand why he is but I just can't stand his music.

I think this is not as bad as the Ciara travesty! Loving the Killers more than Ciara is a very very very fundamental example of "not getting pop".

[blue-russian.livejournal.com]

Umm... no.

[jauntyalan.livejournal.com]

but lex thinking that that is the case is a given

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

I don't know how much more clear-cut it gets though. Ciara = a popstar singing pop. Killers = an indie band 'singing' indie.

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

I think Brandon Flowers and Ciara are pretty much exactly equal as pop stars. Both of them are popular and photogenic stars with the whiff of the second-hand about their moves.

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

Flowers is not photogenic!

Also his middle name is not Princess => he loses.

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

Brandon is v photogenic.

And his middle name is RAPUNZEL

[dubdobdee.livejournal.com]

Ciara = a popstar singing pop who you had to WORK HARD* TO HEAR
Killers = an indie band playing* indie who you had to WORK HARD NOT TO HEAR

having to work hard = indie override

*ok not THAT hard but poptimism = lazy by defn
**i spurn yr endless rockist fulminations abt "proper" technique as a deciding factor

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

I still contend that you had to work a lot less hard to hear Ciara than the Killers. By the time 'Goodies' came out I'd possessed it for a good four months, whereas I had to actively seek the Killers out half a year on to see what the fuss was about (ans: nothing)

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

i think 'somebody told me' was somehow more ubiquitous in our society as a whole tho.

i was really (pleasantly) surprised when 'Goodies' made #1 even tho it was during New Year slump.

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

the chart positions support me! how many No 1s has mr so-called flowers had eh, eh?

[lockedintheatti.livejournal.com]

How can you not see that the Killers are pretty much pop through and through?

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

They kind of vary though.

"Mr Brightside" = pop.
Remixes of Mr Brightside = great pop.
"Somebody Told Me" = pop (tho not very good).
"Smile Like You Mean It" = dadrock/indie
"All These Things That I Have Done" = stadium rock.

Don't know any others.

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

first principle: pop is diametrically opposed to indie

indie is traditionally boys-wiv-guitars
killers are boys-wiv-guitars
=> killers are indie and thus diametrically opposed to pop

pop is traditionally pretty girl poppet singing over fun-and-futuristic production done by backroom boys
this is what ciara is
=> ciara is POP!

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

i am quite surprised by this!