Robert Holliston wrote: > Dear RR, > I was in no way at all implying that Joni is a corporate beast of any kind. > Just that all those posts about corporations reminded me of that little > spontaneous ditty of hers.
I guess the timing of your post caused me to interpret it as a defense of capitalism, which was never the argument anyway. I was railing against corporatism and the effects of massive wealth on our daily lives, it's influence in government, etc.As well as questioning the legal structures that insulate the super wealthy from the rules that the rest of us are bound to. We agree that Joni is not part of that. > > If you can think of another songwriter who has so consistently examined the > issue of money and its effect on individuals (particularly herself) and > society, I would love to know who s/he is. I can't! I think part of her motivation in writing "For Free" or "while my Limo is shining on these shanty streets" is that she is a deep thinker, and has to ponder sometimes the peculiar set of forces that has made her "rich and fey" while the guy on the corner is putting just as much heart and soul into his thing and getting pennies. As you and others have pointed out, her success is also a result of hard work, determination, and smart business. But without the the foundation of being first and foremost an extraordinary artist, she would not have had the kind of success she has had. You can't polish a turd, as music biz types say. > Perhaps you're right, and that little > bit of doggerel she wrote for Time magazine was humor rather than > self-assessment. My position is that all the best humor, throughout history, > has always been fuelled by truth. Agreed! > > Having said all this (and I'm sorry this is so long), I re-read the post I > sent that inspired your derisive response. I think my meaning was clear the > first time around. I'm sorry you misunderstood me. I'm sorry if I did, too. I also reread it, and it was well thought-out and made some good points. My interpretation of it as a defence of having money or capitalism (which I never argued against) came from a few statements and the tone of the post: But she had to set up a corporation or two to do that, and when it comes to her wealth, she was more than ready to let Eliot Roberts invest her earnings in real estate which may still account for much of her income. So Joni's a capitalistic so-and-so. IMHO, she deserves everything she has. Finally, the word "corporation" is nothing but a noun in the English language. There is nothing intrinsically wrong or right about it. It's all in the application.... That's for sure, but murder, rape, and Barry Manilow are just words, too......call them what you will, corporations are running rampant..... that was my original point, and the Joni quotes make my point better than I. Thanks for your input, and as Bob pointed out, bringing it back around to Joni. RR
