More on Cookie's Music Views

Cookie responds to my post responding to her post on Shiny Shoe Music.

She agrees with me that the Shiny Shoe concerts are ridiculous.

She doesn't agree with my views on the business or advertising side of the Shiny Shoe music industry.

On Business:

I don't think it is evil to want to sell as many CDs as possible. If I own a pizza shop, no one condemns me for wanting to sell as many pizzas as possible. If you don't like the pizza at the shop, you can always buy elsewhere, or, if there is no other shop, open your own and compete. Still, if you can't, or won't, or don't compete, but just keep complaining, you just end up sounding kvetchy.

Remember, if enough people don't like the pizza at the first shop, and stop buying it, the business will shrivel up and die. Apparently, if the business isn't dead, people like it - or like it enough. So in your opinion, they have bad taste. So sue them.

I never said it was evil to want to sell CDs. Anyone who ever produced a CD wanted it to sell. My point is that unlike pizza, which is not intended to have soul, Jewish music should. If the main reason you are producing music is to sell CDs and make money, it is very unlikely to have soul.

Cookie's point about competing completely misses the point. Once real Jewish music tries to compete for 'market share' by employing the tactics of the Shiny Shoe industry it will no longer be real Jewish Music.

Finally, I concede that I am kvetchy on this issue. Sue me.

On Advertising:

Cookie is right that dishonesty in advertising is rampant, and not isolated to the JM business, especially when it comes to local Jewish newspapers. Still, on an ethical level I can't come to terms with the idea of writing and planting your own music reviews. None of the musicians I know would even imagine doing such a thing. While I still think that it is genaivas ha'da'as, perhaps Cookie is right that because readers know that these reviews are shams, it is not genaivas ha'da'as. Simcha, any thoughts?

Finally, Cookie writes:

Do I wish things were different? Certainly. But I don't see that JM deserves any more ire than any other sector engaging in this behavior.

Sorry, Cookie. I disagree. There is a very big difference between 'other sectors' and Jewish music. I think this point is the very nekuda (focal point) of our disagreement.