I Ain't Got No Heart

A couple weeks ago in class we watched a video of Frank Zappa doing an interview for austrian TV. The interviewer asked Zappa about the Cadillac he arrived in and pokes at the irony of the situation. Basically saying what right does Zappa have to be criticizing american culture and values, especially for the emphasis that is put on materialism, when here he is pulling up in a luxurious Cadillac. You can definitely see Zappa getting irritated and defensive, answering with something along the lines of "well if someone gave you a nice car wouldn't you take it?" The two go back and forth for a bit and later we see a video of them making a joke of the situation.


This left me wondering about artists who build a career based on the rebellion against popular culture. What is supposed to come of them if they find not only popularity but financial success? Exactly what are they expected to do with their wealth? If they continue to devote themselves fully to their craft then does it justify having things like Cadillacs - something that potentially represents all that they stand against? When does indulgence become overindulgence?


I think this puts fans in a difficult position because really, what do we expect? Do we expect them to entirely reject any form of payment in an attempt to preserve their image or is there a certain amount of dollars an artist should accept before they simply refuse to take anymore?  Because unless society completely alters its way of functioning, it's inevitable that one needs money to survive which makes it difficult to judge someone based on how they choose spend it.


Ultimately, the reality is that no human is perfect and Frank Zappa wasn't exactly in the business to win the Mr. Popularity contest. So how do I feel about Zappa rolling around in a swanky Cadillac? To be perfectly honest, it doesn't bother me much at all. So far it seems that his financial success never hindered the integrity of his music but, in fact, enhanced it -- in terms of music, if you have more money it usually means better production, better musicians and the means to take projects to a whole new level. Then why is it that Zappa got defensive when this whole issue came up? Maybe because he does see the irony and it frustrates him or maybe because it only further proves how narrow minded people can be, all of a sudden forgetting his work as a musician to focus on an insignificant detail like what kind of car he drives.


I suppose I'm left to wonder, if someone were to offer me a nice car would I take it? I don't know. Probably. But I guess it depends, I'd have to let you know if that ever happens.


Would you?

Hungry Freaks, Daddy

CREATIVE POTENTIALITY

"A mind is like a parachute. It doesn't work if it is not open."


-Frank Zappa

Creativity. What does it really mean to be creative? We all have it… I think. The dictionary defines it as “the use of imagination or original ideas, esp. in the production of an artistic work”. As children we all seem to posses a limitless ability to imagine and create, so why is it that as we grow older the idea of being creative is treated as an exclusive ability restricted only to those who were blessed with this so-called gift? Perhaps it is because society allows us to lose touch with our creative potentiality by putting a strong emphasis on things like materialism and social conformity, the seemingly endless struggle to “fit-in”. Buying something popular or trendy to make us feel better about ourselves is, in principal, an absurd idea, yet few can say that they haven’t fallen victim to this trap, including myself. There’s nothing original about being like everyone else, but to step outside of these social norms takes courage, and the further you stray from what is said to be normal, the more of it you’ll need. Maybe this is what represses that fearless child within and sheds an intimidating light on those that choose to be different. I think that most people forget about how accessible creativity is and choose to dismiss the idea that really anyone can be an artist. Like Frank Zappa said, our minds don’t work unless we open them. Open them and allow ourselves to embrace the artist within. The comparison of our minds to a parachute is a very interesting idea to consider because if we open them up then not only do they start to work but they ultimately save us, and when you think about it, an open mind seems to be the solution to a whole whack of problems we face in today’s society. 
 


When we get dressed in the morning, re-arrange our furniture, make a meal, we are making choices that can be subject to creativity if we choose to acknowledge ourselves as the creative directors of our lives. Musicians, painters, dancers, etc. are not the only people who posses creative potential. If one chooses to treat life as a large, blank canvas, then all that we do in a day and all that we see can be creative, expressive and inspiring. Creativity has no limits. There is a sort of pull that exists between the desire to be different and the desire to fit in and I think that this tension is what generates a lot of creativity. To access this creativity the word original seems to come up a lot. That to be creative one must be original, but the way I see it, these words are synonymous. One cannot exist without the other, and seeing how everyone is born with there own unique set of genetic information – excluding by technicality identical twins – I do not see how anyone can claim to be stripped of the possibility of being original. It’s a scientific fact! So I guess what I’m saying is that when we explore the question of what it means to be creative, the answer lies within the individual and is only limited by a person’s fear of what it means to truly discover and express themselves.

The Man

The Musician

The Mustache.

Unzapping

I have never written a blog before and to be perfectly honest I still don't really understand what a blog is. Although, from what I've been told, it's kind of like an online journal which I am willingly allowing everyone in the entire world to read. Figuratively speaking, I am forgetting my diary in cyber spaces' bathroom stall and whoever happens to stumble upon it may have their way with it. Yes? Well, as creepy as that is, the content of this blog revolves around one man. The enigma himself, Mr Frank Zappa, and the many topics that may surface when exploring such an interesting individual. From his social-criticisms to his endeavors as an entrepreneur, I will be attempting to cover it all. I am a relatively new acquaintance of Frank's but am looking forward to getting a little more familiar with this controversial man.

That's all for now folks, 

M