Random Thoughts About Thoughts Random

[A_B]

Beyonce pretty high on the list, IMO.

[rass]

Beyonce pretty high on the list, IMO.

OK Kanye

[Johnnie]

Beyonce pretty high on the list, IMO.

OK Kanye

But he let him finish! (That interaction was 14 years ago, btw.)

The way Taylor ascended to this level in that time is remarkable. I just figured her for another pop star that stuck around instead of flaming out and not the juggernaut she is today.

So yes, at least in terms of white women, Taylor Swift definitely has the highest VORF.

[The Sybian]

Beyonce pretty high on the list, IMO.

OK Kanye

But he let him finish! (That interaction was 14 years ago, btw.)

The way Taylor ascended to this level in that time is remarkable. I just figured her for another pop star that stuck around instead of flaming out and not the juggernaut she is today.

So yes, at least in terms of white women, Taylor Swift definitely has the highest VORF.

You bring up a good point. I've been vaguely aware of Taylor Swift seemingly forever. I've heard a lot of her songs over the years. I still sort of see her as a teenaged popstar. When did she change from a standard issue popstar with staying power to the biggest act in the world? It feels like her tour this year suddenly made those not paying attention realize she is huge.

Last night one of the partners in my firm offered his tickets to see Sting. He wrote something like, "If any of you Millennials or GenZ'ers ask 'who is Sting' there will be consequences." Which led me to ask my kids if they ever heard of Sting, and they both said no. So weird how fragmented culture is now. That's like someone in our generation at age 17 saying they never heard of Frank Sinatra or the Beatles, right? I guess Sting is quite as big as the Beatles, but still. And I'd guess the majority of kids his age don't know Sting, unless TikTok used one of his songs.

[duff]

IT"S STIIIIIIIIING!

[govmentchedda]

That's not the shape of my heart.

[Johnnie]

When did she change from a standard issue popstar with staying power to the biggest act in the world?

Not quite sure. And this is where I have to say to myself "I'm not the target demographic, so why would I know?"

[Shirley]

Michael Jackson was way bigger than Taylor Swift in the early-mid 80s (and probably for a decade or so later). As someone pointed out, music is way more fragmented now. It had its fragments then, but MJ crossed over most (other than country probably).

Before any of our time, but I'm sure the Beatles and Elvis were both way bigger as well.

[EnochRoot]

The problem pop music has always been the most popular artists drown out acts that were as good, nearly as good, or even superior, but for whatever reason, timing wasn't on their side, or the singer wasn't as photo/tele-genic, etc. We're seeing this x a million with Taylor Swift.

FOH that she's some elite greatest-of-all-time artist. She's a good artist, but the acumen going on behind the scenes is a master craftsmanship in social media manipulation.

"Taylor Swift decides to gift the truck drivers on her tour $100,000 each."

"OMG Taylor Swift is at a football game! Is she dating Travis Kelce?!"

It's all designed to generate clicks, and to procure/maintain a sweetheart image.

Her team is beating us over the head with it.

I mean, I'm fucking exhausted with that little nit, but it is a masterclass all the same.

[Ryan]

Oooookay

[rass]

It's all designed to generate clicks, and to procure/maintain a sweetheart image.

Her team is beating us over the head with it.

Taylor, I got two gold-plated words for you:

The National

[EnochRoot]

It's all designed to generate clicks, and to procure/maintain a sweetheart image.

Her team is beating us over the head with it.

Taylor, I got two gold-plated words for you:

The National

So, an indie band with less than a tenth of a percent of her following decides to answer the phone when she calls. They’d be foolish not to do so.

Social media and music streaming platforms have caused this vacuum, and her team has taken full advantage of it.

[duff]

It's all designed to generate clicks, and to procure/maintain a sweetheart image.

Her team is beating us over the head with it.

Taylor, I got two gold-plated words for you:

The National

So, an indie band with less than a tenth of a percent of her following decides to answer the phone when she calls. They’d be foolish not to do so.

Social media and music streaming platforms have caused this vacuum, and her team has taken full advantage of it.

The vacuum has always been there.

[A_B]

Oooookay

same

[Shirley]

So, an indie band with less than a tenth of a percent of her following decides to answer the phone when she calls. They’d be foolish not to do so.

The point isn't that the dude from The National agreed to work with her. Of course he would. The point is that an A-list pop star decided to make two(!) albums with a nearly-unknown dad-rock guy that sounded very different from everything she'd done before. And it worked!

Is she the biggest or most talented star ever? Of course not. But she IS very talented and she's managed her career very well (if not her love life). She absolutely deserves her success.

[The Sybian]

So, an indie band with less than a tenth of a percent of her following decides to answer the phone when she calls. They’d be foolish not to do so.

The point isn't that the dude from The National agreed to work with her. Of course he would. The point is that an A-list pop star decided to make two(!) albums with a nearly-unknown dad-rock guy that sounded very different from everything she'd done before. And it worked!

Is she the biggest or most talented star ever? Of course not. But she IS very talented and she's managed her career very well (if not her love life). She absolutely deserves her success.

Enoch got me thinking, is her dating history a PR stunt? It seems like she is constantly dating famous people and I know it's a cliche (or maybe true) that a lot of her songs are about her bad relationships or breakups with celebrities. I'm sure for someone at her level of celebrity, it's gotta be difficult to meet or date normal people, but it does seem like her relationships are heavily publicized. OTOH, Jennifer Aniston is the same way, and I can't imagine she likes the publicity that came with all of her relationship history.

[A_B]

Enoch got me thinking, is her dating history a PR stunt? It seems like she is constantly dating famous people and I know it's a cliche (or maybe true) that a lot of her songs are about her bad relationships or breakups with celebrities. I'm sure for someone at her level of celebrity, it's gotta be difficult to meet or date normal people, but it does seem like her relationships are heavily publicized. OTOH, Jennifer Aniston is the same way, and I can't imagine she likes the publicity that came with all of her relationship history.

That's a long con!

[The Sybian]

Enoch got me thinking, is her dating history a PR stunt? It seems like she is constantly dating famous people and I know it's a cliche (or maybe true) that a lot of her songs are about her bad relationships or breakups with celebrities. I'm sure for someone at her level of celebrity, it's gotta be difficult to meet or date normal people, but it does seem like her relationships are heavily publicized. OTOH, Jennifer Aniston is the same way, and I can't imagine she likes the publicity that came with all of her relationship history.

That's a long con!

I didn't mean that they were all complete farces, but that her PR team milked her relationships for press to make her more relevant, at least in the beginning of her career.

[EnochRoot]

So, an indie band with less than a tenth of a percent of her following decides to answer the phone when she calls. They’d be foolish not to do so.

The point isn't that the dude from The National agreed to work with her. Of course he would. The point is that an A-list pop star decided to make two(!) albums with a nearly-unknown dad-rock guy that sounded very different from everything she'd done before. And it worked!

Is she the biggest or most talented star ever? Of course not. But she IS very talented and she's managed her career very well (if not her love life). She absolutely deserves her success.

Of course it was going to work, because their ability to harness the power of groupthink is off the charts.

I feel like I'm taking crazy pills.

[Giff]

Yeah, we do too.

[Ryan]

Write a song about it

[Shirley]

their ability to harness the power of groupthink is off the charts.

I honestly don't know what you mean by this. Who is "they" in this case? And what group did they control?

[Nonlinear FC]

I don't think there's any question Tay uses high profile breakups to both inspire her song-writing and as a low-key (maybe not even) marketing/social media pushing technique.

I don't really care because I'm not a 16 year old girl, but I do wonder what sane man would date her knowing you are going to possibly immortalized in one the catchiest "fuck you" songs to ever be written.

[bfj]

I don't think there's any question Tay uses high profile breakups to both inspire her song-writing and as a low-key (maybe not even) marketing/social media pushing technique.

I don't really care because I'm not a 16 year old girl, but I do wonder what sane man would date her knowing you are going to possibly immortalized in one the catchiest "fuck you" songs to ever be written.

Not if you treat her right.

[Nonlinear FC]

Well, the odds of dating a celebrity actor or musician with narcissistic tendencies and mommy issues is off the charts, so... Kind of her at this point, no?

(I like her just fine and she should date whoever the heck she wants... for the record.)

[Giff]

You called her Tay.

[Ryan]

Wasn’t she just in a pretty long relationship with some guy who I don’t even know (this sadly doesn’t mean he’s not famous)

[sancarlos]

Wasn’t she just in a pretty long relationship with some guy who I don’t even know (this sadly doesn’t mean he’s not famous)

I guess we’ll remember his name if he gets immortalized in a fuck you song.

[rass]

Should I lock this thread now before someone really makes an ass of themselves? Or the swifties find it.

[Pruitt IV]

There was a time in my 20s when I probably didn't see a doctor for 5 years or so.

I now have a rheumatologist, an ENT doctor, a cardiologist, an optometrist and a GP all of whom I see on a regular basis.

[Nonlinear FC]

You called her Tay.

I could've just as easily called her T Swizzle. Just trying to stay hip, cool cat.

[DaveInSeattle]

The last few months I've noticed that my glasses just seem "off"...I wear progressives, but I've been having to take them off to read anything, and I have to kinda tilt my head back when working on the computer (which is all the time).

So I go today to the eye doctor...and sure enough, my prescription has changed a fair amount (especially in my left eye). But all this cost me $180 for the eye exam, because I had an exam in April (where they told me my prescription had changed a minor amount), and it will be about $500 for a new pair of glasses.

And that's WITH my insurance! And I even did the "buy-up" for supposedly better coverage on my vision plan!

• Why the hell are glasses so expensive?

• Why does my vision insurance basically cover nothing? (I think the frame coverage is about $120)

[Ryan]

Glasses are the biggest bargain going. That’s the price of like 10 nice-ish hoodies to able to see for a couple years.

[The Sybian]

The last few months I've noticed that my glasses just seem "off"...I wear progressives, but I've been having to take them off to read anything, and I have to kinda tilt my head back when working on the computer (which is all the time).

So I go today to the eye doctor...and sure enough, my prescription has changed a fair amount (especially in my left eye). But all this cost me $180 for the eye exam, because I had an exam in April (where they told me my prescription had changed a minor amount), and it will be about $500 for a new pair of glasses.

And that's WITH my insurance! And I even did the "buy-up" for supposedly better coverage on my vision plan!

• Why the hell are glasses so expensive?

• Why does my vision insurance basically cover nothing? (I think the frame coverage is about $120)

Because one company in Italy makes something like 90% of all frames in the world and jacks up the prices.

[HaulCitgo]

Glasses are the biggest bargain going. That’s the price of like 10 nice-ish hoodies to able to see for a couple years.

Yes. This and airline travel.

[EnochRoot]

their ability to harness the power of groupthink is off the charts.

I honestly don't know what you mean by this. Who is "they" in this case? And what group did they control?

Her handlers.

The narrative.

[Johnnie]

Her place in the pop culture zeitgeist aside, the fact that she's getting people registered to vote and is pissing off Republicans while doing so makes her a national treasure.

[Johnnie]

Has anyone tried 'Connections'? It's got that Wordle appeal to it.

You're given 16 words. You need to make 4 sets of 4 words. Each set has a common thing about them. You can only guess wrong 4 times. It's pretty fun.

I'd post a screenshot as an example but it won't let me add an attachment because of some quota.

[Pruitt IV]

Her place in the pop culture zeitgeist aside, the fact that she's getting people registered to vote and is pissing off Republicans while doing so makes her a national treasure.

Well, she's no Ted Nugent.

[The Sybian]

Has anyone tried 'Connections'? It's got that Wordle appeal to it.

You're given 16 words. You need to make 4 sets of 4 words. Each set has a common thing about them. You can only guess wrong 4 times. It's pretty fun.

I'd post a screenshot as an example but it won't let me add an attachment because of some quota.

Yep. It’s basically the wall from Connect, but you don’t have to name the reason they connect and don’t get unlimited guesses for the first two, but they are much easier.