From: owner-support-system-digest@smoe.org (support-system-digest) To: support-system-digest@smoe.org Subject: support-system-digest V5 #177 Reply-To: support-system@smoe.org Sender: owner-support-system-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-support-system-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk support-system-digest Thursday, September 12 2002 Volume 05 : Number 177 Today's Subjects: ----------------- vintage Liz continues [Kenneth Lee ] Pete Yorn [Andy Peters ] Re: support-system-digest V5 #176 ["Gez Hartland" Subject: vintage Liz continues With encouragement from Steve, Dan, and Valerie, here is part three of the 1995 Liz interview: ***** WR: How do you find dealing with record company people? Liz: It's a drag. I don't want to be a businessperson, but you have to be. If you don't play the power game, you don't get what you need. You either play and win or you play and lose. Or you don't play. There's no "don't play-win". I'm in the world that I started art to remove myself from. Business was the place that I never wanted to find myself, so I became an artist. Where am I now? I'm a businessperson. That's the job part of it all. WR: I thought I'd ask you about a line from Soap Star Joe: "They say he sprung from the skull of Athena". Were you acquainted with the myth? Liz: Oh, absolutely. I was well-educated. I used to like Greek mythology a lot, and I just thought that was an apt metaphor. You know, like those dolls that keep popping out? I figured, "What would pop out of Athena but the crass American supermale?" It's only fitting. I got schooled to death. Kept dropping out, kept going back. I only went to art school for a semester. I dropped out of Oberlin saying, "I only want to be an artist!" and I didn't need to learn all this other stuff, but I found there was nothing to stimulate me to create, what had compelled me to draw in the first place. Suddenly, that was my whole job and there was nothing to put back in. So I just found it really deadening and went back to Oberlin. And then every time I had to write a paper, boy did I feel like drawing! The sleeve for Guyville has this whole theme of visual art and being a female in front of a camera. "Did he fire six shots or only 5?" It's the photographs. I'm on the front cover doing my character, and on the back cover, I'm me. It's two totally different poses. And on the inside are like "gaw". It's about women being manipulated, visually and behind cameras. But no one got it! Everyone's like, "Ok Liz, whatever. As long as the color's really sharp." WR: There's irony there! Liz: And they're like, "Gee, I didn't know you had such big tits." And I'm like, "Those aren't mine! That's not me!" WR: Do you find that men treat you differently now? Liz: I noticed no one ever hits on me anymore. You're a power player now. You're a de facto male pretty much to them. In that sense, they do get really threatened. And that's not how I was ever treated before, so it's very clearly about who I am now in their eyes. I'm just thinking "boy-girl", and they're like, "So, you been on the road long? You selling places out? You know, we used to tour," and you're like, "Oh, God. Give me a fucking break. Like I care." WR: Most music journalists are male, too. Liz: Yeah, I think they get really freaked out by the lyrics. Some people even get offended to the point that you've done something wrong and they are incredulous that you don't realize this. And you can see that they are quite literally very, very upset that you've said this. I went to an in-store down in DC and it was all adults. There were no children there whatsoever, and they programmed the CD to play certain tracks. I don't even want to think about how many CD programs for my album go like 1,2... skip, skip. It's totally silly. WR: It's not as if 3 year olds are going to be like, "Oh, Liz Phair!" Liz: And they don't even get it. My friend, who directed my first video, she played it for her kids all the time. And Erin, who's about five, was like, "flunk and run, flunk and run..." She was dancing all around. To her, the song is clearly about getting out of work or getting out of school. She's really bright; it's not like she couldn't figure out what I was saying, but she doesn't really care. ***** The conclusion tomorrow... - -Ken kenmlee@ix.netcom.com MeSmErIzInG - AnOtHeR LiZ PhAiR WeBsItE http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Club/2471/ ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 11 Sep 2002 06:57:55 -0700 (PDT) From: Andy Peters Subject: Pete Yorn I finally listened to some of the Pete Yorn album. If this is what inspires Liz Phair these days, and if Pete Yorn worked with Liz on her new recordings, I am plenty worried. Yorn's songs are very dull, derivative, unimaginative and overproduced. Please don't let Liz's new album sound like Yorn's. Andy in Decatur Ga. __________________________________________________ Yahoo! - We Remember 9-11: A tribute to the more than 3,000 lives lost http://dir.remember.yahoo.com/tribute ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 11 Sep 2002 20:14:47 +0100 From: "Gez Hartland" Subject: Re: support-system-digest V5 #176 Speaking as a Brit I kinda agree with most of Liz's comments. There is good food (but you gotta search for it). We are "stiff" (that depends largely on the individual) The weather is lousy, (although thanks to global warming that's changing) I reckon though a visitor from the US would be most shocked at, 1, How expensive everything is (particularly petrol (gas), and clothes, food) 2,The lack of any manners, willingless to help, or dignity (I think Thatcher had something to do with it) 3,The litter, abandoned cars, and filth that decorate our streets. 4, Spiralling levels of crime. So, may I raise my Bowler hat, lift a pint of Vimto, and drink a toast to you all and our "special relationship". ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 12 Sep 2002 00:58:12 EDT From: Sexililgurl@aol.com Subject: Re: support-system-digest V5 #176 it feels like an eternity since i left you guys. and it has been. . . i hope not much has changed. i seriously havent check the mail on this name since i moved in may. so hi ya'll agian, and glad to be back in the loop of things. peace taryn ------------------------------ End of support-system-digest V5 #177 ************************************