This from the Mpls. Star Tribune, via ND-AOL. Discuss. <<*Pop musing/Jon Bream: Why critics are getting hit by the hitmakers* Jon Bream Lately, music critics have been taking a beating from musicians -- literally. Consider these reports: In November, Marilyn Manson invited the executive editor of Spin magazine backstage at a New York City concert. Manson allegedly ordered his bodyguards to rough up the editor because Spin reportedly reneged on putting Manson on the cover of its January issue. Last week, the editor sued Manson. The editor of the hip-hop magazine Blaze alleged that he was beaten up in his New York City office in November by four men, including rapper Derek (D- Dot) Angellettie, who was angry because Blaze was planning to unmask his identity as the phantom "Madd Rapper" in an upcoming issue. (This same editor claims to have had a pistol pointed at him by Wyclef Jean last summer after hearing that Blaze planned to run a negative review of a Canibus CD that Jean produced.) At a dress rehearsal at the Billboard Awards in December, Courtney Love's bodyguard allegedly pushed a Billboard reporter as she was preparing to leave Love's dressing room. Last summer, Tricky and one of his entourage allegedly pummeled a British critic who had panned Tricky's CD. Last year, New York City rapper Foxy Brown allegedly got in the face of the female editor of Vibe magazine, which covers African-American culture. What's up with this? Do celebrities think they are above the law? Do they think that the First Amendment applies to them and not to critics? Is our society getting too violent? Frankly, the real issue here is the perception of the relationship between critics/publications and the music stars they cover. Is a critic a friend of the subject or a potential adversary? Does a critic cover the scene or is he/she part of the scene? If a critic has a personal or professional relationship with the subject (produced an album, collaborated on a book, etc.), should that be disclosed to readers? The lines are often blurry, but each publication generally has a policy. With music magazines, for instance, a star's publicist or manager typically negotiates with editors, often demanding cover stories (or there will be no interview) and dictating (or at least approving) who writes the story. Some stars even insist on seeing stories before publication. For local publications, music critics, like sports writers and columnists, are often viewed as part of the scene -- or at least as scenemakers. Some hang out with the musicians about whom they write, travel the same house-party circuit and end up invited to each other's weddings. In my 24 years as music critic for this newspaper, I've generally tried to avoid extensive socializing with local musicians. The top priority is to serve the readers of the newspaper; if, in the process, the musicians or the music community are served, so be it, but that is secondary. . . . >> I suspect there's more to the article... damn. -- NW
