Who bought the RATM single?

[SextusMaximus]

I bought it. I don't like it... but... I bought it.

If you kill a man to save 10 others then that is a good thing.

That's kind of where I'm at.

 

[Gildan Bladeborn]

The only reason I knew about either was thanks to a thread here at The Escapist, so no, I didn't go buy a single from a band I don't actually like to spite some (publication?) I'd never heard of before because Facebook told me to.

 

[GeneralGrant]

As Rage Against the Machine sucks, no I did not.

 

[Taerdin]

Can you really tell me they haven't been brainwashed in exactly the same way RatM supporters are accusing Cowell of doing?

Yes. I know its fun to make everyone look like contradictory hypocrites, but maybe if you used all that effort towards understanding instead of antagonizing you would see the difference.

The Xfactor creates a "star" and they put out a single every christmas. This song is bought en masse, and then not even a year later, everyone completely forgets who that person was. They are forgotten, as once the xfactor season ends so does all the hype around it.

RATM's single is like 17 years old. Its one of their better songs, and if you mention rage against the machine many people actually know who they are. They aren't a product of a tv show hype machine, to be forgotten almost immediately.

Something tells me this will end just like the L4D2 boycott. Only more expensive.

One can only hope. That really was a pretty resounding success for what it was. Except for the fact that not enough people understood it, and L4D is still seemingly dying/dead before I was even done enjoying it.

 

[Flushfacker]

Well the exact same thing happened the year before except not with RATM. Obviously it failed.

I will not be buying either even though I do like RATM because only 12 year old girls care about the charts and even they gave up on it when TOTPs died.

 

[Vern]

After seeing their tour that was sponsored by Nokia, I kind of felt they stopped Raging Against the Machine. Never really liked them before that though. I'm fine with corporate sponsorship, but if you're claiming to be against "THE MAN" then you probably shouldn't have corporate sponsors. If you want decent punk that actually practices what it preaches, I'd go with Against All Authority or The Dead Kennedys... well at least Jello Biafra. East Bay Ray, Klaus Flouride, and D.H. Peligro can suck a fat one. I still have to wonder who decided that Holiday in Cambodia, a song about the killing fields, mass murder, and slavery would work well in a Levi's commercial.

 

[Taerdin]

Well the exact same thing happened the year before except not with RATM. Obviously it failed.

You mean when they got a song to number 2? Or is this some other year? Isn't number 2 a pretty good step considering how hard it is to organize anything amongst the apathetic masses of the internet.

 

[Flushfacker]

Well the exact same thing happened the year before except not with RATM. Obviously it failed.

You mean when they got a song to number 2? Or is this some other year? Isn't number 2 a pretty good step considering how hard it is to organize anything amongst the apathetic masses of the internet.

I cant remember what # it got to or even what song it was but I distinctly remember a facebook group attempting the same thing last year and seeing as Xcraptor was number one I consider that a fail.

 

[edinflames]

Well considering both are on the same record label ergo Mr Simon Cowell is still receiving the money I could not care less who gets the number one hit single, but in answer to your question, no I have not purchased their single.

This is correct, however...

I did buy the single, and here's why: Whilst I am fully aware that most of the people who have purchased the song did so out of spite, thinly disguised as a protest for musical 'good taste' I do so for sentimental reasons.

Many of you might be too young, but even back in the 90's when I grew up the concept of the Christmas No.1 still meant something. Since then it has mostly been eroded by changes in how real music lovers acquired new content and thus the demise of the relevancy of singles chart, this was followed by 'Top of the Pops' popping its clogs (again, this was actually a worthwhile show back in the 90's). Gradually people cared a little bit less.

The capture of the Xmas No.1 by Cowell's X-Factor essentially robs the accolade of any meaning. It seems that no UK artists attempt to compete, and the X-Factor singles barely sell enough copies for it to be worth being called 'a No.1 record'.

Simply put, the campaign to make RATM the christmas no.1 returns meaning to the concept. There is now competition for Cowell's latest product, should whatever-his-name-is win he will be more deserving than if there hadn't been this campaign (and I suspect that he will win, X-Factor have already cheated by having the original FB page taken down - it isn't much of a stretch to imagine them purchasing 50,000 copies in order to save face).

P.S. If 10% of the X-Factor's average audience of 17million bought the CD then RATM wouldn't stand a chance, it is only because the TV audience aren't even prepared to buy the single that this thing is even possible. This, in my mind, is tangible proof that the audience don't confuse what they see on the show with good music.

 

[Taerdin]

I cant remember what # it got to or even what song it was but I distinctly remember a facebook group attempting the same thing last year and seeing as Xcraptor was number one I consider that a fail.

So you're not even sure of the facts, but you'll stand by your statement of "FAIL! AND THIS WILL FAIL AND YOU'RE ALL FULL OF FAIL!" anyways just... cuz?

Sure is the Escapist forums.

Well to be fair I bet most of the internet is like this... and life... but I notice this a lot. People just love to antagonize around here for some reason, its probably all the fun they get out of this forum. Also to not be hypocritical I pretty much have to not quote you specifically here otherwise I could be accused of trying to antagonize you over you being an antagonizing little person who thinks with malice instead of truth and facts.

 

[edinflames]

Well the exact same thing happened the year before except not with RATM. Obviously it failed.

You mean when they got a song to number 2? Or is this some other year? Isn't number 2 a pretty good step considering how hard it is to organize anything amongst the apathetic masses of the internet.

I cant remember what # it got to or even what song it was but I distinctly remember a facebook group attempting the same thing last year and seeing as Xcraptor was number one I consider that a fail.

It was Jeff Buckley's version of 'Hallelujah'. The fans in this case were mainly pissed off about a lame, sanitised cover of their beloved song being churned out of the X-Factory, it wasn't so much an attempt at getting no.1 as a desire to force mass-exposure to a superior song.

At the time I wasn't even aware that there were so many Buckley fans besides me...

[EDIT] Check it out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFpYYbBs3kE

 

[GuerrillaClock]

I bought it, because I think the sentiment of this campaign is just what the music industry needs at times like this.

 

[MiracleOfSound]

So is it number one or what?

When will we know?

 

[Taerdin]

And I agree with all the people who have pointed out that the motto of "Fuck you I wont do what you tell me" really makes no sense when everyone is going out to get this single precisely because somebody told them to.

You know whats funny about sentences, they can be interpreted in many ways. Now I can see that if you're a person who wants to antagonize this group then you can easily say, "haha, you dont want to do what others tell you and yet you're doing this thing that someone told you to do! You're a giant hypocrite because this is the only way this makes sense to me and thus you are stupid."

But if you really can't see how this is a big Fuck You to xfactor, then either you're trying not to see it, or somethign has gone horribly wrong in your mind. Xfactor has had the number 1 single for the last four years running, its practically a guarantee at this point. Therefore the fuck you I wont do what you tell me in this case is obviously NOT MAKING THE XFACTOR SINGLE NO 1. When someone tells me, "hey could you cut off your arm for me please?" and a friend is like "hey man, dont do that!" and I tell the guy "fuck you I wont do what YOU tell ME", I'm allowed to not cut off my arm and still NOT be a hypocrite.

The fact is this statement is specific to one entity (YOU) and not all entities (as in, fuck you I don't do what anyone tells me, or fuck everyone I won't do what anyone tells me). So to not do what one person says, while doing what someone else says is not a contradiction at all, but nice try though.

QED: Learn to understand instead of antagonize for the sake of it. Seriously what the hell is wrong with the escapist forums and seeing any other point of view other than "heh heh, people are so stupid except me"

 

[Flushfacker]

I cant remember what # it got to or even what song it was but I distinctly remember a facebook group attempting the same thing last year and seeing as Xcraptor was number one I consider that a fail.

So you're not even sure of the facts, but you'll stand by your statement of "FAIL! AND THIS WILL FAIL AND YOU'RE ALL FULL OF FAIL!" anyways just... cuz?

Sure is the Escapist forums.

Well to be fair I bet most of the internet is like this... and life... but I notice this a lot. People just love to antagonize around here for some reason, its probably all the fun they get out of this forum. Also to not be hypocritical I pretty much have to not quote you specifically here otherwise I could be accused of trying to antagonize you over you being an antagonizing little person who thinks with malice instead of truth and facts.

Think you're missing the point, the two facebook groups have one objective and one objective only: to stop the Xfactor single from making it to number 1. Last years group clearly did not achieve this objective. This means they failed. Pretty straightforward, Im not trying to antagonise anyone.

snip

Yea that was it, thanks for reminding me. I too love jeff buckly and play his version on guitar as it happens. Although it should be noted that jeff's version isnt the original either, as Im sure you know.

 

[Taerdin]

I cant remember what # it got to or even what song it was but I distinctly remember a facebook group attempting the same thing last year and seeing as Xcraptor was number one I consider that a fail.

So you're not even sure of the facts, but you'll stand by your statement of "FAIL! AND THIS WILL FAIL AND YOU'RE ALL FULL OF FAIL!" anyways just... cuz?

Sure is the Escapist forums.

Well to be fair I bet most of the internet is like this... and life... but I notice this a lot. People just love to antagonize around here for some reason, its probably all the fun they get out of this forum. Also to not be hypocritical I pretty much have to not quote you specifically here otherwise I could be accused of trying to antagonize you over you being an antagonizing little person who thinks with malice instead of truth and facts.

Think you're missing the point, the two facebook groups have one objective and one objective only: to stop the Xfactor single from making it to number 1. Last years group clearly did not achieve this objective. This means they failed. Pretty straightforward, Im not trying to antagonise anyone.

I fear it is you who missed my point. You stated you did not remember the facts and then you speak as though it was absolute truth; even now. This cannot be disproven or argued against really, as it is simply what you are doing. Well I guess you could argue against it, but it would be pretty silly.

 

[tk1989]

Well considering both are on the same record label ergo Mr Simon Cowell is still receiving the money I could not care less who gets the number one hit single, but in answer to your question, no I have not purchased their single.

That is something everybody seems to pick up on, but for the intents of the 'rebellion' (or whatever) it doesn't matter. Simon Cowell is not Rage Against The Machine, but he is Joe McElderry. The idea is that number one isn't the generally accepted X Factor winner, not who profits from what.

Although I do understand that and by no way am I picking sides in this, but I do feel sorry for the kid as he is an amazing singer, also cowell isn't Joe McElderry it's Cheryl Cole I think.

He might be able to sing well, but he is singing a rehashed Disney safe Miley Cirus song which was written by some over-paid song writers; the rage song was on the other hand written by the group themselves and has some meaning, background and feeling to it. Hell, there is a lot more to being a successful artist than just being able to sing, half the guys ont he x-factor could sing very well im sure and theyre not going anywhere. If Joe can perform then he will do fine, whether he gets this number 1 or not. There is a large difference between the two, and people have just had enough of this crap being forced down their throat xmas after xmas.

You dont have to buy it, no one is forcing you to. Its just there is more to this than Simon Cowell making money.

Ouch what was that for. Like I said I'm not taking sides I was just saying the kids a good singer and feel a bit sorry for him, not saying he SHOULD be number one, I understand he hasn't written the incredibly poor Miley Cyrus song either.

Sorry! I didnt mean to direct that comment in a way to offend you or anything, i was just trying to say that there is another side to this conflict Meant no offense, it just that there is more to this than Simon Cowell making money

 

[Flushfacker]

I cant remember what # it got to or even what song it was but I distinctly remember a facebook group attempting the same thing last year and seeing as Xcraptor was number one I consider that a fail.

So you're not even sure of the facts, but you'll stand by your statement of "FAIL! AND THIS WILL FAIL AND YOU'RE ALL FULL OF FAIL!" anyways just... cuz?

Sure is the Escapist forums.

Well to be fair I bet most of the internet is like this... and life... but I notice this a lot. People just love to antagonize around here for some reason, its probably all the fun they get out of this forum. Also to not be hypocritical I pretty much have to not quote you specifically here otherwise I could be accused of trying to antagonize you over you being an antagonizing little person who thinks with malice instead of truth and facts.

Think you're missing the point, the two facebook groups have one objective and one objective only: to stop the Xfactor single from making it to number 1. Last years group clearly did not achieve this objective. This means they failed. Pretty straightforward, Im not trying to antagonise anyone.

I fear it is you who missed my point. You stated you did not remember the facts and then you speak as though it was absolute truth; even now. This cannot be disproven or argued against really, as it is simply what you are doing. Well I guess you could argue against it, but it would be pretty silly.

I had the only facts that mattered. 1. there was a facebook group that attempted this last year. 2. They failed in stopping Xfactor from reaching number 1. The facebook group has already been confirmed for me by someone else anyway.

 

[Meado]

So is it number one or what?

When will we know?

We'll know on Sunday, at 4 o'clock. RATM is winning at the mo, but it's close.

 

[Taerdin]

I had the only facts that mattered.

I know right. Who needs all the facts when you have just the ones you need to allow you to call something out as a failure. Getting all the facts is for losers on debate teams, or news channels (they used to do that right?).