For reasons which remain obscure to me, certain “personalities” become prominent in the media despite having next to no talent, ability or even that much of a personality (Myf Warhurst springs shudderingly to mind).
Another mystifying “personality” is musician Ben Lee.
I have no strong feelings about Mr Lee either way (other than he appears to be something of a cunt) but really, some people should just shut up and sing.
The Age quotes him as saying;
Lee says that as he approached 30, he also began paying more attention to what was going on in the world in a broader sense. He has read heavily about foreign policy and climate change. "We've become incapable of looking after each other," he says. "When Obama was sitting down and talking to the enemy, he was criticised. The message was that it was unmanly to sit down and talk. The very qualities frowned upon were the ones I wanted to make this album attributed to. It requires a shift in attitude and the way we look at things."
Actually Ben, that’s probably a bit too humble – do you think you could compare yourself to Jesus, Buddha and Allah instead?
In a break-out piece which only appears in the dead-tree version, the paper also quotes him as saying;
“Central to his spirituality is his relationship to India. “It feels like India is the heart of the world,” he says. “It’s not a hugely materialistic culture.”
Gee Ben, thanks for stereotyping a nation of several million people.
Next from Ben
“Those darkies really have a sense of rhythm.”
“Women are all gentle and nurturing”
and the ever populate favourite
“Jews are obsessed with money.”
The only disease I’d catch from you can be cleared up with a good dose of penicillin.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
24 comments:
I had hitherto never heard of him. But thanks to you Ramon, I now think he's a complete arsehole. And if they're accurate quotes, with very good reason.
I've wanted to punch that little cunt since the moment i laid eyes on him.
If ego were talent he'd have the game sown up.
I sat at my favourite Kallista coffee shop one afternoon with Mr Lee and friends at the next table. A two hour nonstop name drop session, at a volume clearly intended to impress the locals.
Total fucking tosser.
I've wanted to punch that little cunt since the moment i laid eyes on him
Michael Leunig has much the same effect on me.
Yes, I am part of the International Zionist Conspiracy, now that you ask.
I don't even know what he sings
*some youtubes later*
Oh HIM
He's what, 15?
No, no, we do not want him to shut up and sing. Have you heard his god-awful new single 'I Love Pop Music'? A sample of the lyrics:
I love pop music, this is how we do it
It’s politics you can romance to
I love pop music, sprinkle sugar through it,
Philosophy that you can dance to
The price of oil is at an all time high and rising (yeah)
Global warming threatens life as we know it on this planet (ohh ooh)
And leaders have not committed to a plan of action on renewable energy
The food crisis is currently affecting a hundred million people world wide
I would like him to move to India and take a vow of silence.
Oh dear God, Louche!
Are those the actual lyrics?
but wait there's more!
There are over 6 billion people on this planet and not enough fresh drinking water (we’re in trouble)
Religious intolerance creating geopolitical instability (shine a light)
Politicians battling each other like professional wrestlers (ooh)
Further division is not the answer, division is not the answer
I think I prefer Billy Bragg's take on this;
So join the struggle while you may,
The Revolution's just a t-shirt away.
Other than the fact that he's a self serving pratt (who certainly does look more like a 15 year old than an "approaching 30" there Squib), what's is the problem with the message he's trying to bring across*? It sounds like the sort of stuff that everyone's saying these days, one way or the other. Just wondering...
*ducks for cover*
*not the unfortunately** quoted generalisations, the first bit.
**and by unfortunately, I don't mean by you Ramon, I mean by the press.
It has all the wit and subtly of being struck repeatedly about the head and neck with a sack of bio-dynamic wet wheat, Aesophia.
If you're going to mix pop and politics, can you at least do it well*?
*cf Billy Bragg.
OK, I get that bit, but I didn't mean the music* (which is kind of like cardboard with lyrics), I meant the bit where the Age quoted him, etc, etc.
And my question still stands, it doesn't matter who it's coming from, everyone's on the same gravy train. The world is in turmoil, we need to start looking after it and each other, etc, etc.
Or is it just that Ben Lee's saying it? The whole famous for being famous thing. (Although with Ben Lee, I think the only reason we still hear about him is that he's an Aussie and for some reason we need to have that Aussie connection everywhere. Not that he's actually at all talented.)
*I heard the track you're referring to on Triple J's 2009 (or was is 2008 at the time, whatever) program, where they play the latest music. This one was played for the segment 'hit or shit'. The results were the biggest landslide of shit ever received since the segment started!
Because it's a stream of platitudes and cliches.
When Obama was sitting down and talking to the enemy, he was criticised. The message was that it was unmanly to sit down and talk
What enemy? Who did the criticism? Why even bring Obama into it?
The very qualities frowned upon were the ones I wanted to make this album attributed to.
That's not even coherent English.
And I object to being lectured at by well-off hippies.
Much of his fame was fuelled by his long-term relationship with Claire Danes, but I for one am prepared to state that she's also over-rated.
Now he's shacked up with the ex-wife of one of the Beastie Boys, who were the group who took him under their wing and made him popular in the US.
Poor form.
Ahhh, OK then :)with the well-off hippies. With you now :D
I'm glad you're not going to do the "look at this ant" sign at me, Aesophia.
Hey look! I'm famous. I rated a mention in the followers cheeky comment. Not sure I like being referred to in the same sentence as Jim Jones though.
I saw something on Discovery about that recently, nearly a thousand people. Bloody hell.
Consider it now 50 per cent more tasteful, Wari.
He looks like a koala.
I'm going to get a t-shirt with "look at this ant >.<" printed on it, just for you Ramon... So when we happen to be wandering the same street in Melbourne you'll know who I am.
And with that information, you will either run away very fast or start a conversation on the joys of communism with me out of the blue, leaving me completely baffled for a few mintues until I catch on.
Consider it now 50 per cent more tasteful
According to whom? I never realised what a fame whore I am. Completely shameless.
I think Ben Lee has just married the Princess of all the hippy tribes, one Ione Skye (daughter of Donovan, ex lover of Anthony Kiedis of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers).
I get comments from alot of the hippy/sailing types here that go something like "Oh You're an Aussie, how great is Ben Lee"
Oh and guess where they were married Ramon? Check out the pics from the big day below
http://www.people.com/people
/article/0,,20251957,00.html
Put me down for a "look at this ant >.<" T, as well.
Post a Comment