From: owner-precious-things-digest@smoe.org (precious-things-digest) To: precious-things-digest@smoe.org Subject: precious-things-digest V9 #127 Reply-To: precious-things@smoe.org Sender: owner-precious-things-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-precious-things-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk X-To-Unsubscribe: Send mail to "precious-things-digest-request@smoe.org" X-To-Unsubscribe: with "unsubscribe" as the body. precious-things-digest Wednesday, December 15 2004 Volume 09 : Number 127 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Old Libel Tori "Review" [e m ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 14 Dec 2004 14:09:17 -0800 (PST) From: e m Subject: Old Libel Tori "Review" Hi Everyone, I was reminded about this on one of the boards today. I brought this here a while ago, but I want to bring it up again. This "review" is so awful in so many ways. I just sent the press another email, which I will include following the article. But I want to urge you all to considering sending them a word or two. I just strongly feel this was extremely libel & in horrible taste & that something should be done. Please write if you agree & have the time. - -Ellen And You Thought Mr. Roboto Was Bad By William S. Repsher Tori Amosgood witch or bad witch? Sprinkle the following fairy dust on your psyche and decide yourself. Promoting her new album, Scarlets Walk, which deals metaphorically with post 9/11 America, Amos had this to say to MTV News: "After the Twins went down, it was a time the masks were down for people, and people were asking questions that they haven't asked in a while. I was asking questions." Fair enough. According to MTV News, "Amos sings from the perspective of Scarlet Scarlet's Walk loosely traces Scarlet's path as she travels 3,000 miles to come to the aid of a friend, an aging porn star named Amber Waves. Her name is a metaphor for America, complete with its myths, misconception and sub-surface beauty." All right, now were getting into sophomore creative writing class. Just heard the skatepunk tearfully read his thinly-veiled narrative about an abusive father, and now we get the mousy, wild-eyed girl in a shawl telling us about an aging porn star named Amber Waves who represents so much more than that. Lets keep moving. Amos again, as Scarlet: "Events happen that make me question what I believe in and make me question what my country has been up to, and I start searching out answers: Who are the good guys? Because it doesn't seem like the ones that are calling themselves the good guys are doing the things I thought they were in the country's name." And heres where the tornado drops a house on Tori while the munchkins cower in the technicolor bushes. One of her most famous songs is "Me and a Gun," in which she details being raped, with lyrics like, "Yes I wore a slinky red thing/Does that mean I should spread/For you, your friends/Your father, Mr. Ed?" Well, to use Amos logic with her new album, the answer to that question is yes, Mr. Ed, unless she seeks to draw no comparison between the personal and political, which seems odd as thats her whole point in using metaphorical characters. But to use her mindset now, America was "asking for it" the same way she was by wearing "a slinky red thing"right? Substitute sexual imperialism for cultural, and that poor rapist who had a go at her was simply responding in the only way he knew how to years of intimidation and repression, the same way the terrorists did on 9/11. Sounds screwy? I hope youre nodding in agreement. If not, Tori Amos new album, Scarlet Walk, is in stores on Oct. 29! To Send NY Press some of your thoughts on this: editorial@nypress.com The letter I just sent them (a bit long): To Whom It May Concern, I recently reread this September 24, 2002 edition of the New York Press newspaper article reviewing Tori Amos' Scarlet's Walk album. I have been fan of Ms. Amos' work, and I do not think that Mr. Repsher got the complexities of her message. In his short "article", he bashes her ideas, and doesn't even mention her musicianship, or songwriting. Maybe you should consider hiring a music reviewer that actually reviews the music for starters. Not one statement is made about the actual music on the album. He uses a metaphor that Tori is a "wild-eyed girl in a shawl" in a sophomore year writing course. Well, I think that Mr. Repsher needs to go back to this sophomore year writing course himself because his interpretations of Ms. Amos' messages on the album were completely off base. He claims that her album gives the perspective that America was asking for what happened on September 11th. This is an atrocious libel statement, and a completely fabricated twist of her ideas. Yes, it is true that she points out some problems that she sees in our nation, that doesn't mean that she thinks we deserved what happened to us on September 11th. It is a far reaching leap from what the album is about, and it is the last sentiment I would expect to come out of a compassionate woman, who puts so much ethos, pathos, and logos into her music. This sentiment is never expressed in her lyrics or by her in any interview, and I think your paper should consider recanting its statements, and start considering having only writers who can actually have an understanding of music review music. I understand that in the time the review was written, America (especially NYC, as I live quite close and witnessed the events of September 11th from my home) was in a place of pride and fear of any criticism of the government, but America is about freedom, and if our nation becomes a place where the administration and leaders get cart blanche just because we were attacked and do not have to hold any responsibilities as to whether or not they are making the correct choices in our name, then the terrorists will have won in the end. Now years later, , it is quite evident that many Americans are questioning the actions and decisions of its leaders, and you know what it doesn't mean that they all think that we deserved what happened on that awful day. So to respond to Mr. Repsher's comment, no I didn't think Mr. Robot was bad, and I don't think that Tori Amos' Scarlet's Walk was anything close to bad, and I would appreciate hearing some thoughts on her actual songwriting, rather than just misinterpretations of her ideas. In no way did Miss Amos state that she felt that America deserved the attack of September 11th. She is always questioning to uncover the truth. Her native roots give her a passion for this land that I don't think that we can understand. Until there is either an official apology to Miss Amos or a retraction in your paper of Mr. Repsher's libel statements, I would be hesitant to trust anything that is posted by such a negligent press. Not only did Mr. Repsher make libel statements about the ideas presented by Miss Amos in her album by misinterpreting them, but he also went on to make an outrageous & crude analogy with her own sexual assault to make his illegitimate point. This really showcased his lack of humanity and understanding of who Miss Amos truly is. If anything, Amos has been a strong advocate for victims in many senses of the word and would never make a claim that the innocent victims deserved to die that day. Miss Amos was in New York. She was deeply affected by it. She was the first musical performer on the Letterman show afterwards, going out of her way to be there for America. You could see the pain she felt for America, you could hear it in her performance. While many artists cancelled their tours in fear, Miss Amos continued on, to be there for her fans, to connect with America & Americans across this great land, making each show special for each city she was in. She wrote this album for America, a larger concept of what America is than Mr. Repsher can understand. There are many examples in the plot of the tale of Scarlet's Walk & in the lyrics themselves, where Amos speaks to the fact that no cause justifies hurting innocent victims, but Mr. Repsher neglected to read them, look for them, or comprehend them. He wanted to write the piece that he did regardless if the content was true or not. It is frustrating time and time again, that music reviewers don't make any reflections upon the music itself, and focus on the image of the performer. It is time that they get judged for the quality of their work, and not their perceived image. I strongly urge that you consider making a formal apology for this article to Amos and her fans since it is clear that the article was filled with lies & crude remarks. Sincerely, a sincere music fan __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - now with 250MB free storage. 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