Giant Mecha Robots

Those were some robots that sort of make sense. They didn't really affect Jays argument. He just said it was pointless to build them.

But autobots already existed. They could be like us, getting bigger every generation.

When I was a kid, it didn't matter what brand of jeans I wore. Nobody cared if I rooted for BlueJays instead of Expos or Canucks instead of Flames etc. Nobody cared if my notebooks were a trendy brand.

Trends must be adhered to, in North America anyway. Brands must be worn, if not you are an alien that nobody will allow into social groups.

Why? REAL class separation has finally hit North America and people are starting to create peer groups based on their parent's income level. If kids aren't in line with other peers, they are excluded, bullied and in some cases, put in hospital or found suicidal.

Brand marketing dominates North American society.

When it comes to music, it's no different. There are four major companies that own all labels, most major music stores, the production and video companies, even MTV. They decide who will be the next popular star and they literally flood the market with it, until kids find themselves following and expecting peers to follow also.

It's not like Europe where a headbanger can hang out with a pop follower. Here you are judged on what you wear, what you listen to, what products you use etc. It is completely dominated by brand marketing, even 'artists' here are a brand that is marketed, not an artist.

I don't rely on radio stations for anything. The only time I listen to the radio is to track scheduled airplay for someone I am managing or think they are ripping off the artist on.

I am simply aware of how music and brands are sold and how kids have no choice anymore but to follow along as individuality and independence is frowned upon by peer groups.

Whether you get it or not, does not mean it's not a reality, IN fact it's a reality that has many organizations, police, schools etc on alert seeking ways to stop it as children have lost their lives due to not fitting into a specific trend.

[i]"So a garage band without access to top-end recording gear is by default 'halfwit'? [/i]
No. Wasn't said.

[i]Even the Beatles had to start someplace.[/i]
Yes, with reel to reel and garage demo's, but that was not released to the market, that's just how bands USED to gain interest and get a contract for proper production. They didn't make a tape in the basement and start selling it.

[i]" Before 'Saving Private Ryan', Tom Hanks starred in 'Bosom Buddies'."[/i]
No relevance whatsoever, this isn't about people breaking out.

[i]"Blair Witch Project" was both a commercial and critical success after being created with the cheap cameras and small budgets you disdain[/i]

Blair Witch project was NOT the low end, low budget film it was sold to audiences as. It was created by 5 college grads who started the uindependent, Haxan Films at Disney's Hollywood Studios. The whole part of being found footage from amateur filmmakers, was fabricated. Though very low budget it was a NEW medium of film making that was a success, they haven't been able to get a deal for any other projects since though.

[i]Contrarily, just because an artist has reached the point they have access to professional engineers and an production tools doesn't automatically mean they're talented.[/i]

And I haven't said anything of the sort either. Labels and major productions completely control what people like, view and listen to today. Whether the consumer realizes it or not. How many times have you left the car with some ridiculous song in your head that you would never normally listen to?

[i]WE never controlled it. In fact, when WE were growing up, we had less access to a variety of entertainment options than kids do now.[/i]

Perhaps in North America it has always had a big four influence but not where I grew up. I listened to Reggae and loved it, though never played on the radio. I listened to all kinds of Heavy Metal that was NEVER heard on the radio.
So how did I know about music that was not played on the radio?

I looked for it. I would spend hours in record stores, scouring new releases and listening to music others had collected, then decided for myself what I chose to listen to. Of course when I liked something and thought a friend would, I'd make a copy and share it, and vice versa.
[i]We bought what we heard on the radio 'Countdown' shows and what we saw on 'Bandstand' and 'Soul Train'. We were just as influenced by peer pressure then as today's kids are. [/i]
FALSE:
I most definitely did not listen to the radio to find out what I should be listening to, it was far to narrow of a medium for my tastes. neither myself nor any of my friends were influenced by American Bandstand, Top of the Pops or any of that commercial grade crap designed by labels to sell records.

[i]"Geez, dude, pick a position. First you rant about poor production values in home grown recordings, then you attack the labels that provide that better ones. If you don't approve of kids recording in the garage, and you don't approve of them being produced by the big labels, how do you suggest they distribute their work? [/i]

I never said for one second that I don't approve of kids recording in the garage, in fact some of the best bands in history began that way and still do. I also don't believe in the big four that dominate what kids listen to and buy these days, THEIR production quality, of the new breed of 'manufactured artists' is abysmal.

There are plenty of smaller labels (thousands for that matter) with production value, they have qualified and experienced engineers and they seek out and help indie bands get decent releases to market. Most are run by successful artists themselves who are seeking ways to bring talent to the airwaves and market without the scams of working with the big four.

[i]"Should every single performance be streamed live from a multi-million dollar studio at a bandwidth that only a government surveillance agency could afford?[/i]

Nope, and never said as much, it was a result of your limited comprehension skills, only understanding a single market that you have been surrounded with. That's fair enough but not reason enough to fabricate such misguided conclusions.

I'm a grumpy middle aged woman!

OK, I can take some potty humor, but when the whole movie stinks and seems just to be a vehicle for the potty humor, I just find it tedious. Parts were really fun, but it was like they just phoned it in.