base talk RS cofounder: Black artists not "in his zeitgeist"; Black/Woman artists inarticulate

[Wicked]

Jann Wenner Defends His Legacy, and His Generation’s

The co-founder of Rolling Stone magazine on the legacy of boomers and why he chose only white men for his book on rock’s “masters.”

 

 

History will speak. This is also a history-will-speak kind of question. There are seven subjects in the new book; seven white guys. In the introduction, you acknowledge that performers of color and women performers are just not in your zeitgeist. Which to my mind is not plausible for Jann Wenner. Janis Joplin, Joni Mitchell, Stevie Nicks, Stevie Wonder, the list keeps going — not in your zeitgeist? What do you think is the deeper explanation for why you interviewed the subjects you interviewed and not other subjects?

Well, let me just. …

Carole King, Madonna. There are a million examples.

When I was referring to the zeitgeist, I was referring to Black performers, not to the female performers, OK? Just to get that accurate. The selection was not a deliberate selection. It was kind of intuitive over the years; it just fell together that way. The people had to meet a couple criteria, but it was just kind of my personal interest and love of them. Insofar as the women, just none of them were as articulate enough on this intellectual level.

Oh, stop it. You’re telling me Joni Mitchell is not articulate enough on an intellectual level?

Hold on a second.

I’ll let you rephrase that.

All right, thank you. It’s not that they’re not creative geniuses. It’s not that they’re inarticulate, although, go have a deep conversation with Grace Slick or Janis Joplin. Please, be my guest. You know, Joni was not a philosopher of rock ’n’ roll. She didn’t, in my mind, meet that test. Not by her work, not by other interviews she did. The people I interviewed were the kind of philosophers of rock.

Of Black artists — you know, Stevie Wonder, genius, right? I suppose when you use a word as broad as “masters,” the fault is using that word. Maybe Marvin Gaye, or Curtis Mayfield? I mean, they just didn’t articulate at that level.

How do you know if you didn’t give them a chance?

Because I read interviews with them. I listen to their music. I mean, look at what Pete Townshend was writing about, or Jagger, or any of them. They were deep things about a particular generation, a particular spirit and a particular attitude about rock ’n’ roll. Not that the others weren’t, but these were the ones that could really articulate it.

Don’t you think it’s actually more to do with your own interests as a fan and a listener than anything particular to the artists? I think the problem is when you start saying things like “they” or “these artists can’t.” Really, it’s a reflection of what you’re interested in more than any ability or inability on the part of these artists, isn’t it?

That was my No. 1 thing. The selection was intuitive. It was what I was interested in. You know, just for public relations sake, maybe I should have gone and found one Black and one woman artist to include here that didn’t measure up to that same historical standard, just to avert this kind of criticism. Which, I get it. I had a chance to do that. Maybe I’m old-fashioned and I don’t give a [expletive] or whatever. I wish in retrospect I could have interviewed Marvin Gaye. Maybe he’d have been the guy. Maybe Otis Redding, had he lived, would have been the guy.

 

Jann Wenner Defends His Legacy — and His Generation’s - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

[Armani?]

[Katamari]

seems like he has never interviewed any woman or POC which says a lot about him

 

 

 

[sunbathinganimal]

oh my god this is so much worse than i thought

[Katamari]

the interviewer tried to get him together but didn't go all the way in

 

should have mentioned aretha too

Edited September 15, 2023 by Katamari

[Michael196]

I lost multiple braincells with every passing word 

out of touch is an understatement 

[pisuke]

Just say "because I am Racist and Misogynist". We do not need 3 paragraphs of this.

Edited September 15, 2023 by pisuke

[Wicked]

12 minutes ago, Armani? said:

The funniest part is the clarification Black artists aren't his zeitgeist, but the women are just dumb (esp worse considering Black folks role in Rock N Roll...)  Another good reason critical acclaim shouldn't be taken that seriously when some of the fundamental figures think like this.

[Stepfon]

 

[loveisdead9582]

… wtf? There were so many POC that could have been included. 

[DammnBaby]

Well, this is certainly an interview! 

[Tropez]

And in a few weeks on Atrl. Users will post about how their fave is ranked higher or more acclaimed than the artist they dislike. Not realizing that it is meaningless, and based totally on personal bias of the critic. 

[mons†er]

7 minutes ago, pisuke said:

Just say "because I am Racist and Misogynist". We do not need 3 paragraphs of this.

seriously this. all they did was give him more of a platform to spread his willfully ignorant ideals and values.

 

[Devin]

mf is a clown 

[samsclubPRESENTSavam]

that fully explains why RS has always been the most boring out of all the music magazines. it's a shame to run a whole empire about music when you don't truly love it.

[PoisonedIvy]

What a POS

[Blue Rose]

he said HOW DARE YOU CALL ME A MISOGYNIST???? EYE YAM RACIST!!!!!!!

[Reverie]

Quote

 

When I was referring to the zeitgeist, I was referring to Black performers, not to the female performers, OK? Just to get that accurate. 

 

 

[Antikythera]

That's why it is good that traditional media doesn't have the importance they used too. It was full of people who thought what they think was the most important, like the losers on pitchfork do today. 

[Wicked]

The artists featured in his book:

 

 

Bob Dylan, John Lennon, Mick Jagger, Pete Townshend, Jerry Garcia, Bono & Bruce Springsteen. 

 

 

[Ratviolo]

Is this a parody

[sillycilla]

This is why it’s always said it’s different for black artists. And when they succeed despite the obvious setbacks it’s to be commended.

[Rotunda]

He sounds like a few of y’all on here ngl

[trainsskyscrapers]

 

And this, my friends, is another look at a quintessential general-field Grammy voter:

Senile, wears their racism on their sleeve, thinks proximity and opinion are substitutes for research in the media world, idolized the era where women were seen as groupies, and probably brings his grandchildren to Eminem (not even the Eras Tour, for obvious misogyny-related reasons).  

Edited September 16, 2023 by trainsskyscrapers

[glitch]

So shameless omg