"The World (Wide Web) is Flat"

Dear World Wide Web,

I was driving back from the American Cancer Society Breast Cancer Walk in Monroe, N.Y. with a bunch of friends this morning. It was way too early and everyone wanted to listen to come music that would wake us up. I turned on the radio and the song "You're a Jerk" by New Boyz came on. We listened to it for about 35 seconds before we changed the channel. The next song that came on was called "Whip My Hair" by Willow Smith. I listened to this for about 15 seconds before I wanted to pull over so I could puke.

My friends and I, who do not listen to the radio very often (usually only when we're in the car) began to seriously talk about the direction in which music has turned. Only a few years ago, it took talent and devotion to be a musical artist. It took years of training and you had to stand out among the crowd in order to be considered an artist. The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, the Rolling Stones, Stevie Wonder, Elvis, Michael Jackson, Bruce Springsteen (who i love). All of these people had talent, practiced and excelled in their musical field. And now look at today's artists.

I can use a voice changer, play some beats from the computer, throw 4 words into it and create a hit that plays on the radio. Anybody can become an artist! The standards of our musical taste have hit an all time low.

This is what I also thought about when I read chapter 1 of The Cult of the Amateur by Andrew Keen. He used the phrase "flattening our culture" to describe the loss of a cultural hierarchy. I think that this scenario is a perfect example of what he talks about. I don't know if it is possible and if it is I do not see how we can get back on track and someday have quality music and artists. But what I do know for now is that I will not be listening to songs that someone without a brain put together on the computer.

It is pathetic and makes me feel as though society is being dumbed down in such a large sense when songs such as "Whip My Hair" and "You're A Jerk" are being played on the radio regularly. If someone went back in time and sang these songs, people would think they were stupendously dumb, or should be in a mental hospital,

Here are the lyrics to these songs in case you want to see for yourself.
http://www.metrolyrics.com/whip-my-hair-lyrics-willow-smith.html
http://www.metrolyrics.com/youre-a-jerk-lyrics-new-boyz.html

Kiersten