i just don't understand the music business

i just can't get myself to watch MTV. it just doesn't mean anything to me.

my roommate flipped to the channel and started watching "Making the Band". if you're unfamiliar with this show, it's puff daddy's version of 'American Idol'. already the title is a little confusing. i grew up with the idea that a band consists of people who play musical instruments, but i guess i was wrong. "the Band" in "Making the Band" is basically just a bunch of folks who can follow the choreographer adequately enough and do some fancy karaoke while they wait for their pretty faces in the video to sell the record; the McDonald's version of music - mass produced, low quality, but it sells because the american public is afraid of what's not familiar.

and then there's puff daddy. okay, i know that he calls himself p. diddy these days, but i can't take either name very seriously. the names would be okay if it weren't for the fact that the diddy does take himself that seriously. ¿and how come the music industry takes him so seriously? ever since diddy's CRAPPY remake of Led Zepplin's 'Kashmir' (which followed that awful heisting of 'Every Breath You Take' from The Police) i've been trying to figure out just what the difference is between the puff and Weird Al; two guys with goofy names who take other people's music and put their own words to it. Al isn't unfamiliar with writing his own songs either, so don't start telling me about puffy's "original" works. Al has never had the same kind of respect from the music industry as puff and Al has had plenty of successful records to earn at least some respect.

come on Al. maybe you should just buy a little jewelry, put your name on some gym clothes and maybe you'll weasel your way into the hearts of the mainstream music industry. i'll be waiting to hear news about your upcoming show.