Ellis on authenticity, in music and beyond

[arbre_rieur]

Six pages from Doktor Sleepless 5. According to Ellis, the series is meant to be a sort of spiritual successor to Transmetropolitan.

Comments

[glprime]

Let's just say you're stating things here much better than in this character's rant.

Also, I've never really given any musician this much credit as an artist. Hype is a backlash of any talent or entertainment.

But then, I do take writing *way* too seriously, so it's interesting to see it from another angle.

[thandrak]

It's not credit as an artist, it's about vibe. It's an intangible that shows up in how much something hooks you. The most 'real' artists that come to my mind right now are the Beastie Boys. They are who they are. White boys. Who rap, punk style. Gangsta rappers, even, if you look at their actual lyrics.
And yet, there's no question about them being anything less than accepted, no question about them being anything less than real.
Immature as hell, but real.

[glprime]

Yeah, I'm just so damn straight-laced with my linguistics, I tend to reject "real" meaning anything except "the opposite of fantasy/imagined."

"Real" being an adjective for evocative aura, attitude, personality, tone, etc. just strikes me as cheap buzz words. I first heard it in the context of salesmen, then industry reviewers. I don't view it as an authentic qualifier.

[thandrak]

In this case, it's shortened from 'keeping it real'. The important thing in keeping things real is _not to be fake_.

This above all: to thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man.

Willy the S, representin.

[starwolf_oakley]

"Keeping it real" reminds me of the Law & Order episode "3 Dawg Night," where McCoy and Co. prosecute a popular rapper for a nightclub shooting.

Jack McCoy: It's one thing to play a thug on the cover of a CD, it's quite another to do it in Sing Sing.

[lamashtar]

Can't get the comedy skit "WHEN KEEPING IT REAL GOES WRONG" out of my head.