September 26, 2004

Derision

J. D. Lasica examines the notion that the Google News robots accidentally tend to aggregate right-ward. One theory on why a search for "John Kerry" yields more negative polemical articles than you might expect is this:

mainstream news publications refer to the senator on second reference as Kerry, while alternative news sites often use the phrase "John Kerry" multiple times, for effect or derision. To Google News' eye, that's a more exact search result.

Posted by Dr. Frank at September 26, 2004 04:21 PM | TrackBack
Comments

hey my dr. i'm sorry to post a comment off the topic of your post but.... yeah. i just found this and found it highly nausiating, hilarious and contradictory all in one.

however, the photo can speak for itself.

http://greenday.com/photos/gd_lateshow.jpg

i'd love any comments too, by anyone.

luke black

Posted by: luke black at September 27, 2004 05:30 AM

Hey come on nothing says Punk Rock like campaigning for the (D)s.

As to the derision thing, looks like the Kerry-bashers have gained an web-evolutionary advantage over the Bush-bashers by not being clever enough to work out a popularly agreed-upon derisive nickname for him (a la "Shrub", whatever). Via lack of imagination they just go ahead and use "John Kerry", and this has helped them get links. Funny how that works out.

Posted by: Blixa at September 27, 2004 06:58 AM

nothing says punk rock like "not conforming to one mass ideal just because it's the cool, hip, hollywood, rockstar, punk rock, thing to do." isn't punk rock about thinking for yourself? well billie joe drops the name punkvoter.com every chance he gets, to "get kids to vote." it's nothing more than leftwing propaganda to prey on impressionable minds. if it were a site truly directed at a young uninformed audience, it would present both ends of the spectrum and let the individual decide. now young "punk rockers" if you will, hear about punkvoter, stop by and are essentially instructed to vote democratic if you are truly "punk rock." i just find it repulsive and am very dissapointed to see billie joe endorsing such rubbish. i feel that it is a band's job to be a band and do band things. i hate it when hollywood big namers use their fame as a platform for political endeavours. but it works. i just don't understand how and why people worship celebrity. how can moviestars be so arrogant to think that just because they were in good will hunting, we should listen to them? they are all sheep. they all spout off the same monotonous, derrogatory remarks, when in actuality their political background is probably as deep as paul reuben's oscar cabinet. i'm sure they get all their political knowledge through us weekly, people, and whatever michael moore throws their way during cocktail party small talk. i'm sorry, its late and i'm rambling. i just find it a bit depressing to see billie joe supporting such mass conformity. i mean, they are more or less trying to make a rule being: to be a punker you have to hate bush and like who we like. don't get me wrong, i have no problem with the guys of green day being pro-kerry or whoever, thats expected. i don't hold them in the same light in which i just shined on our movie star angelenos. i just hate the fact that they are completely abandoning the ideals on which punk rock was founded on by encouraging mass conformity. i mean its such a pigeon hole. why don't they also start a website called punklifestyle.com? they could tell us what to wear, what type of gel to spike our hair with, what colour of chucks are acceptable, collar spike length regulations, etc.

they don't want to be american idiots, they do want to be the minority, and they hope we have the time of our lives. i think they should just worry about being themselves and if they find themselves idiots or a minority of sorts, then fine. but, you can't go forcing something if its just not right.

bye.
luke black.......

Posted by: lukeblack at September 27, 2004 10:12 AM

"Punk-rock" was "founded" on ideals?

Posted by: josh at September 27, 2004 09:09 PM

Agree 110% with Luke. I love their music, and their new album is one of the best ever, next to Yesterday Rules that is ;) but these guys are multi millionaires and probably drive Bentleys and have a mansion or two each. They don't represent who I am or how I'd vote, so I don't really give a shit about their political alignment or agenda.

Posted by: Zaphod at September 27, 2004 10:08 PM

thanks zap.

i do know that billie still lives in oakland, supposedly in a bad neighbourhood in a modest house. however.... last year when he got busted for dui, the police report stated that he was in a black bmw. haha. i'm not knocking the guy, hey if i had money, i'd have a vintage muscle car for every day of the week. but "keeping it real" by living in oakland, and crossing the bay bridge in a bmw seems hilarious to me. but for the most part, i don't think superstardom has really changed them. they have always been my 2nd favourite band (mtx 1st of course) and always will be. i just found it a bit disheartening to see them schmoozing with kerry and hugging around on him on david letterman. it just seems like something justin timberlake or tim robbins would be doing. and one last thing to vent about regarding our oakland boys. why on earth are they all wearing eye makeup? granted, billie has always had dark circles under his eyes naturally. (probably permanent reminders of his methamphetamine years) and i can see them wearing makeup staying with the theme of an opera. but it just makes me shudder when i see them plastered all over the place with subtle amounts of makeup on almost made to look like they really don't. it just creates yet another wall between me and them as normal guys i can relate to. they used to look like wreckless hell raisers proving our assumptions through a sonic onslaught of powerful music. now i see middleaged guys in good charolete makeup telling me who to vote for. i feel guilty for saying these malicious things about them but oh well. it just gives me one more reason to offer a kind word to my favourite musician and friend. dr. frank, thank you for not being one of them.

oh oh oh
luke black

Posted by: luke black at September 28, 2004 05:17 AM

oh and speaking of that drunken bmw night, here is what he looked like behind the wheel. ha, ha.

http://www.absolutecelebrities.com/i/mugshot/ArmstrongBillieJoe.jpg

what a luxurient coifure.

Posted by: luke black at September 28, 2004 11:19 AM

Yeah, I used to exchange e-mails with BJ every now and then a few years ago, but haven't heard from him since before the Nimrod album, so I'm sure they're ultra-busy and stuff now, but I think they're also feeling a little "disconnection" in their head. I mean, no shit the new album is by far the best thing I've heard in years (aside from Yesterday Rules of curse ;) but the whole identity crisis thing they and Mark Mothersbaugh tried to pull off (with resounding failure) on the Network Money Money 2020 album was weird, but again the album was AMAZING!!! Plus BJ has his side project in Pinhead Gunpowder and Mike has the Frustrators, so these guys are eating, sleeping and breathing music 24/7. I'm afraid they're going to burn-out. The first time I saw BJ with the teased out hair and the makeup, I thought of Robert Smith!! I don't care what they look like or their political agenda is, just as long as they keep cranking out good music. I agree that Frank is not one of them and that's a good thing because Frank's music is unimmitatable where-as everybody wants to be Green Day or Blink 182 (Good Charlotte, Sum-41 etc..). Nobody puts the level of thought, humor and intellect into their music like Frank. Another thing is, when you go see Green Day or Blink-182, can you walk up to Billie Joe or Mark Hoppus and shake their hand, tell them how much you appreciate their music and buy them a beer? Frank may not be a household name or have millions of dollars, but I don't think Green Day's or Blink 182's fans appreciate them nor have any sort of comradery with them as we do with Frank.

Posted by: Zaphod at September 28, 2004 08:25 PM

Is there a site that "outs" unlikely republicans (eg. johnny ramone) ?
the idea that such a list would anger both
fans with opposite politics and conservatives
ashamed to be in the same party as such riffraff
fills me with such schadenfreude my brains exploding!

Posted by: JFKno1fan at September 28, 2004 09:30 PM

well put zap, isn't it great to be able to have conversations with your favorite musicians? it really puts things into perspective.

-l

Posted by: luke black at September 29, 2004 02:21 AM