Prince: Fighting For Artist Rights, and Suffering Abuses

If you're into the world of all things creative, then you probably spend a fair amount of time online, and listening to music. If you're a motivated type of person, you might use your own creativity to try to express yourself online for others to see. However, there's a severe problem happening, and it's coming to light thanks to the efforts (once again) of Prince at the forefront, leading the fight for protection of artist's rights.

What's at issue is the fact that consumers are confused in today's push-button, instant action internet age that they have the right to use their media in any way that they deem appropriate. They believe that if they bought an album or MP3, they can use a particular song as the background material for their picture slide-show, or YouTube video they wish to share to others.

This is simply against copyright law. You do not own the right to the creative property, and therefore you do not have the right to choose how that particular property is portrayed to the public. Only the artist should have the right to choose how his efforts are used- in all forms. To think otherwise is to take all creative protections and rights away from the artist. In this particular example, you're trying to say that someone has the right to take a Prince song and present it to others in a way that is against the vision Prince has for said song. That, to anyone with a modicum of IQ, is obviously wrong.

The quick defense of people online is "fair use"- but their interpretation of fair use is often incorrect and pointless. The slope is far too slippery in dealing with fair use. So, you put a video up of your babies dancing around the kitchen to a Prince song- it's "fair use". No- it's not. Prince probably doesn't envision that song being used in such a fashion- and only he has the right to decide that, not you. Where things get slippery is if you apply "fair use" to that instance, then what's to stop someone from putting up a "silent" movie, where they just "happened" to have Prince music playing in the background? The concept is too open to abuse. The real issue at stake here is a lack of respect for the rights of the artist's work. And trust me- this is a serious issue, because if you disrespect the artists, they will stop producing- and our society cannot survive without quality art. It's an impossibility.

Already because of the actions of so many online ignoring copyright law, damages have been done to consumers. Prince has withdrawn his presence from the internet (pulling down his 3121 homepage)- which stops consumers like me from having access to one of the most important things in our lives. Because of other's actions, I lose the ability to find official merchandise to buy (it's illegal to be selling it on eBay, you don't have the rights), I lose the ability to have affordable, guaranteed front row seats to concerts- my next concert I'll probably have to spend up to 500 percent more for a ticket to guarantee I'm in the front. And that's not my fault- it's the fault of those breaking the laws, and then blaming Prince and his companies for doing the only appropriate thing- nicely asking to stop breaking the law.

The biggest misconception- actually, lies- that are being told/reported/spread throughout these cases is that Prince, due to his ego and desire for money, money and more money, is suing his fans. Flat, bald-faced lie. Prince contributes more to charity than most other artists combined. He is not taking action based on "greed" or gaining financial leverage. Also, Prince has not sued anyone. A DMCA takedown notice is not being sued. It is a polite notice informing the copyright law breaker that they are in violation. In fact, the woman that broke the law in the first place with her dancing babies video is the one suing- SHE's the one being vicious despite being wrong in this matter. This is the type of person that we should be railing against, calling her out for her negligence of the laws or her unwillingness to comply when educated.

Yet instead the worst elements of our society are at work- the vitriol is being spilled out upon Prince- name calling, homophobia (despite Prince being heterosexual), demands for boycotts- things that only children or those with children's minds would espouse. These people are welcome to stop buying Prince albums- their actions won't impact his legacy as the greatest artist in the whole of human history- that fact is established through his work to date, awards and contributions to society. There's a reason Prince is in the Smithsonian's "national treasures" exhibit.

In fact, the actions of this vocal minority, mostly consisting of kids and the uninformed, won't even begin to dent the sales of his albums as they continue to come out each year. Prince has a built-in sales pool of millions of buyers who recognize the genius present- any album he sells automatically sells -at worst- more than any the majority of other artists on the charts, on their best days- despite being "blackballed" by the recording industry and radio industry as a whole. While the bands of today will be forgotten in twenty or thirty years (if not sooner), new Prince albums will be coming out for up to the next 100 years or longer. Prince's music will continue to be studied in leading universities of music even 500 years and longer from now. In a thousand years, there will still be Prince music played. There's only a single handful of bands or musicians for which this is true.

And at some point in the future not too far down the road, artists are going to look back at Prince's role in standing up to the recording industry, radio industry and lawlessness of the internet and say, "without him, we'd be screwed."

So thank you Prince, for your leadership and genius- some of us are smart enough to recognize and appreciate it- and want you to keep on fighting for your rights, so we can all win in the end.

Effect 37's Ultimate Entertainment List

Everyone has their own favorite entertainment products, and there are countless top five or top ten lists to find everywhere online. Sounds like a great idea- but I'm not satisfied with silly lists that leave any room open for debate. No, I want something monumental- something that chisels the point in concrete, and records it for all time as a fact of existence!

Therefore I present to you... Effect 37's Ultimate Entertainment List!



Category: Best Movie of All Time

Winner: Lord of the Rings, Return of the King

Why: Seriously, there's simply no denying the sheer brilliance of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. Since this category is a single movie, I'm forced to choose Return of the King- but in actuality, the whole trilogy is one long movie filmed at the same time- the whole trilogy should win. But, if you have to choose one of the three, this is the end-all-be-all. Perfect acting, perfect casting, perfect plot, perfect dialogue, perfect action, perfect special effects... I give up- everything about it is perfect. What could you change to improve it? Absolutely nothing whatsoever- this is the bar for which all movies aim- if you can pull off art this great, you've done something truly amazing. And no one has yet to do it since its release. (Relax, Dark Knight- box office doesn't tell the whole story.)

Where critics are wrong: Comparing movies to their source material, in this case the books, is pointless. They are two different interpretations of the same universe, and have nothing to do with one another. Therefore purists complaining of plot changes or character issues in relation to "how they should be" are wrong- there's no "should be", as the movie universe is its own telling of the story.

Also, the movie is not too long. Movies that are an hour and a half are rip-offs. Movies that are 3 hours are epic, and when they are this good- worth more than your ticket price. Even the extended version isn't too long when captured in such a genius way. Each "finale"/good-bye sequence is necessary, and touching. Again- you're wrapping up an epic tale... if they all looked at each other and said "good job", then went their own ways, it would be a major let down.


Category: Best Television Show of All Time

Winner: Lost

Why: Is an explanation really necessary? Never before in television history has there been a show so unique, so original or so thought-provoking. It is television's first true active television viewing. The brilliance of the character stories, the depth of the mysteries, the edge-of-the-seat/can't wait until the next episode suspense- not to mention the mind-melting twists that no one, anywhere, sees coming. This show redefines what is possible when genius produces a product and is given the support it needs from its network- enough time and money to tell the single best story that's ever been told, in any format.

Where critics are wrong: Sorry, "Heroes" (which everyone must admit, is simply "Lost, Jr.") doesn't cut it. Copy the same elements as the hit Lost, then remove the thing that makes Lost so brilliant- the active participation. Instead, Heroes provides a mystery, and before your brain can register it, the mystery is resolved- so you don't strain a brain cell. No, intellectual minds need not apply here. Heroes is fun, but there are countless shows far superior.

Lost drags on too long without answers? Nonsense. One of the most common misconceptions of the show is that there are filler moments or episodes. Let me make this clear: There is NOTHING in Lost that is filler. No character. No scene. No moment. Everything is a clue (or a red herring), everything fits into the overall scheme, and everything is necessary for the answers to make sense at the end.

Oh, and speaking of answers... two things: Lost will not have one simple, neat "answer" to the show's mysteries. You're talking about matters of time, space, theoretical physics and spirituality here... the answers will require thought and understanding. And to top it off, the only appropriate way for Lost to end is with some mystery remaining. Mystery is the soul of the show, and to have nothing to wonder about left is not likely to occur.


Category: Best Computer Game of All Time

Winner: Spore

Why- wait, WHAT? It's not out yet! Tough cookies. I never said something needed to be touched to be the ultimate winner. And in this case, Spore takes the prize. Simply based on gameplay footage, awareness of game design, and a taste of the creature editor provided this past summer... it's clear that thousands of people are going to spend years on this product. This is one of those few games that come out that you will be playing when you're another ten years older. Probably even twenty. You're talking about a product where you could spend 60 years *in real life* playing and not see everything. 60 years! That's gameplay value! Infinte creatures to create and encounter... I'll probably spend no less than 3 months off the bat creating creatures over and over before even getting into the gameplay. Add in a perfect multiplayer system- grab everyone's creations, but take away the annoying people and turn control over to the AI... the perfect single player game! Have fun making a community that shares its creatures, but no juveniles to ruin your gaming experience. Perfection!

Where the critics are wrong: Sandbox games do get boring, after time. You're not wrong there. It is true that after playing Spore for a while, you will get bored and look to other things. That is true of all games. The difference is- you will always, always come back to Spore, because it will always be new when you return. Even more so than classics like Civilization IV and Diablo 2, the gameplay will be more unique upon returning, as there will be so many options in what you do each time, and how your creatures evolve into their society.


Category: Best Musician or Band of All Time

Winner: Prince

Why: The God of Music is the whole deal, more so than anyone ever has been in music's history. He has the genius of Mozart, the business chops of Donald Trump, and the creativeness of Picasso or Monet. His albums never contain a single filler song, and his "worst" effort isn't far out of the same league as his nearest peers. Despite single-handedly leading the charge to combat the corrupt recording and radio industries in fighting for artist's rights to control their music, he is still given award after award, lifetime achievements hand-over-fist, and sells all his albums by the millions- each and every year. He was one of the earliest pioneers of musicians dealing with fans, music and sales on the web, and even now continues to fight for artist copyright protection against the lawlessness of the internet. He's got enough music in his vault to continue to release a new album each year after his death for 50 to 100 years (based on the date of his death, of course.) As they do now, future generations will study his music at leading musical schools long after many of the bands of today are forgotten.

Think Prince hasn't impacted your listening choices? Think again- 60 percent of the music you hear has direct influence from him... a large chunk of it may even possibly be songs he's written for others. Master of dozens upon dozens of instruments, he's one of the only artists out there who does the whole process- writing, recording, playing, mixing, marketing, packaging and selling- always to critical rave and financial success. His sound is always strong, but also always changing- many people are stuck in 1984, but Prince has proven he's been progressing as an artist all along. He's won an Oscar, had an award-winning Joffrey Ballet performance run nationally to sell-out crowds, sold billions in concert tickets, setting records for his ticket sales, and even recently managed to perform in the most critically and fan-acclaimed Superbowl halftime show, ever.

Where the critics are wrong: There's people's taste in music, and then facts about musical abilities. You can't deny the talent, the awards and the actions he's taken. The amount of charity he raises is extraordinary, often anonymously donated. A true rags-to-riches story, he is an ultimate role-model, worthy of emulating unlike so many other artists out there. His music skills have only improved over the years- there's no finer guitarist that's lived, he surpassed Hendrix a while back. While other bands and artists have more global fame or sales, just like in all cases- sales and income aren't the full story. No one has come before or since that has come close to measuring up- and perhaps never will.


Category: Best Album of All Time

Winner: Purple Rain

Why: While it is a touch cliche to choose- this album hardly is unused to winning the highest prizes. Even a recent Entertainment Weekly chose it as the best album of the past 50 years, and countless other books and magazines have labeled it the best ever or best of the 80's. As with all his albums, there is no filler material- each song is top-of-the-charts quality and truly memorable. There is a timeless quality to the music that few albums succeed at achieving. Most albums of the 80's sound dated, and yet this work sounds as appropriate today as it did 24 years ago. Anthemic, fluid and simply pitch perfect, you could spend five lifetimes as an artist trying to achieve a work this ideal, and most bands and artists will never come close to such success. While Purple Rain is by no means Prince's best overall work, the sales, timelessness and worldwide popularity of this album require it to beat out his other potential throne takers such as Sign O' The Times.

Where the critics are wrong: For the thousandth time, sales are not the only measure of success. There are countless albums and bands that will always be known by all, yet they never achieved something of this magnitude. The Beatles are sound, but the music is always dated- you know you're listening to something old and dusty. Elvis has his hits, but is a running impressionist gag- and his one-trick singing style simply doesn't match the unique range that only Prince has. You can show me who's made more money... but you can't show me who's done it better, and more successful than Purple Rain.


Category: Best Book/Book Series of All Time

Winner: The Shannara Series by Terry Brooks

Why: The only other possible winner is Tolkein's legendary Lord of the Rings epic- but Brooks' Shannara takes the Rings stakes and ups them to epic times ten. With unforgettable characters even more memorable than Lord of the Rings, the Shannara quests are monstrously good reading that simply dares you to ever come close to putting the book down. Evolving over the years, continuing to stay fresh yet within the amazing universe he's' created, Brooks has managed to create a tale that even those who hate fantasy can not only relate to, but love. Combining all of the best elements of storytelling into such riveting plots and unforgettable moments is not an easy task, yet he pulls it off without a hitch- each and every book of the series. If you haven't read this series yet, you are missing out, period.

Where the critics are wrong: Shannara is indeed less known than Lord of the Rings, that's a given- but remember the golden rule: sales and popularity doesn't equate to better. Shannara does everything a step higher- and is so much more deep of a universe. Helping it win is the fact that Brooks is still releasing new efforts into the series as we speak- continuing to progress the work while maintaining the excellence of the original that started it all.


Category: Best Ultimate Entertainment List

Winner: Your own!

Why: The above list is only my own "Ultimate List"- there's no other person on the planet that could create the perfect list for me, but myself! Same for you- don't let others tell you what's the best... think for yourself and come up with your own Ultimate list- let the world know what you think! Why don't you share your "Ultimate List" below (don't worry, you can give the short version!)

Where the critics are wrong: Who cares what critics are saying? They can't speak for you- nor should you let them. They don't know what you like!

If you're not claiming your list to be "Ultimate" for anyone other than yourself, how could anyone possibly disagree? There's simply no being wrong when you declare your love of your favorite entertainment sources for the whole world to hear!

"Clone Wars"- Hated by Many, Loved by Me!

I'm used to being the only person to seemingly like most everything that comes out now. I've mentioned on numerous occasions how jaded the younger generations are nowadays.

It's no surprise to me then, that such useless critic sites such as "Rotten Tomatoes" (or as I refer to it- "Waste of Bandwidth") give the new Star Wars movie a lowly 18 rating.

I don't give ratings, nor presume that my opinions on any entertainment product have any relevance to another person- I simply am giving my opinion on the item in question as a source of entertainment and interest, rather than attempting to claim expertise over others and/or stop them from participating in an entertainment source that they might enjoy quite a bit.

The new Star Wars- Clone Wars movie, as you may or may not know, is simply a big screen showing of some episodes from the upcoming television show edited into movie format. The good news in my world is that this movie was great! Why? Let me break down my reasons...

1.) Action from beginning to end. Not an exaggeration- the longest scene with no action in it lasts perhaps 30 seconds. You go from war to more war to lightsaber battle to more war to more lightsaber battles to yet more war.

2.) No "cheesy" dialogue. While I don't agree this was true of Episodes 1-3, the plot (which seems kind of stupid at first glance, Anakin and a Padawan need to rescue Jabba the Hutt's kidnapped son) makes total sense and is actually exciting. The banter between Anakin and Asohka is great and the story is well constructed.

3.) The voice acting is superb. Mace, 3P0 and Count Dooku are all voiced by the actual actors, but if you can convince me that Obi Wan is not a clone of Ewan McGregor (pun intended) kudos to you.

4.) The action sequences are classic Star Wars. Epic, hairy and fun. Typical Star Wars fare- lots of action with humor thrown in.

5.) Asohka is a great character and her banter with Anakin is outstanding- she's a great role model for younger female Jedi-wishfuls in the audience.

6.) None of the things people hated about Episodes 1-3 are present in this movie- and therefore are unlikely to appear in the TV series when it makes its way to TV soon.

7.) The animation style is very, very cool.


Yet despite me obtaining these beliefs after viewing the show, others are having the exact opposite opinions. Frankly, I can't speak on their behalf, but in my opinion (again) on the matter, what is occurring is two-fold.

Part one of the issue is that people (particularly younger ones), find out what is "the word" on things- The Matrix was awesome, until "The Word" came out that the two sequels were bad. Upon leaving the theater for "Revenge of the Sith", I heard no less than 12 people gushing about how amazing the movie was... two days later, "The Word" came down that "it sucked", and therefore the opinions changed. It's just not a fun place to be in, when you're in the minority- so it's a safer choice to follow the crowd and rip on things that you enjoy than it is to stand on your own and speak up against the majority.

Part two of the problem, specific to Star Wars, is that people aren't using their brains when it comes to the recent movies. What is it Star Wars fans want? They want repeats of 4-6. They complain that Anakin and Padme had wooden dialogue, and the story was sappy, and so on, so forth.

Yet, the time the movies occur in is different. Padme is a former queen and eventual senator- she's not a "lowly" Princess from a casual world- she's been bred to be a formal statesman, and therefore would speak in such a clipped and proper fashion. She's not going to be as loose and free as the fiery Leia is years later. Same for Anakin- this is the era of Jedi's still. Anakin is raised in the caste-system of the Jedi, very formal and etiquette based. He's not going to speak or act like Luke- who is nothing more than an adolescent farmer. It would make no sense!

Therefore, much of the complaints of poor dialogue and/or acting really don't add up- we know from other movies that Natalie Portman and Hayden Christiensen are great actors... We know Lucas is a great director. How can you take three great people and create something subpar? I don't believe you really can... I think it becomes an issue where the audience is longing for the past, and unwilling to set aside their stubbornness and move into the future.

So, I personally loved this new Clone Wars movie- and look forward to the TV series when it hits the airwaves. Obviously others aren't going to follow, so it looks like what would have been another quality television show will end up cancelled early- but of course, this is the price that is paid when living in a society of jaded young things who aren't going to find entertainment that will ever please them.