OT: WE DID IT!

This is what has happened with books.

The big publishers began eating up the small ones. The small ones often were more expensive, so most people were OK with it. But the outcome is that there are few publishers that aren't part of a bigger conglomerate publisher.

Similarly, there are large book stores like Walden, and Barnes and Noble, etc. And Amazon. Thus you have most books being sold by a relatively few book sellers, from just a few publishers. The emphasis is on selling recognized authors to the masses.

Books are sold like movies now. Authors that are popular "stars", and big promotion budgets. It has driven the prices up to, or past, the "more expensive" that helped people abandon the small publishing houses.

For the customer, that means a greatly reduced availability. Scholarly works are still published by trade mags and university presses, but they are not as available to the general public (and in a less intimidating form).

FOR THE AUTHOR AND ARTIST, this trend in thinking is even worse. What happens is that only the most popular is available.

Tina

And how did you do that? It would be useful to know what worked.

Deirdre

It is hard for them to turn away unless they see something that makes more sense to turn away *to*. Hence the need for visible alternatives.

Deirdre

I have noticed a trend in music, maybe I am crazy, but here goes. About 100 years ago, bands were large. Orchestras were popular, even more "pop" oriented music was large town bands and such. Think John Phillips Sousa, who was very popular in his day. Along about the 1930's bands shrank to about 20-30 pieces and this trend stayed until the 1950's. Remember, even though we think of the 50's as being the era of Chuck Berry and Little Richard, many of the big acts were solo singers with dance bands backing them up. As in Dean Martin, Bobby Darin, etc. Then came rock 'n' roll, in the later 1950's through the 1980's. The bands were 3 - 7 pieces for the most part. Usually 1 or 2 guitars, bass and drums. Now we have rappers and such which are 1 guy "singing" (for want of a better word) and one guy running a tape loop machine and turntable. Is it just me or is the industry cutting labor costs? After all, people will like and buy what they hear. Most people don't really care about music, it's just something in the background to dance to. Their favorite songs are the ones that were playing when good things happened to them. So the record industry and radio stations are capable of making people want to buy what they want to sell. Just a thought....

The votes are only in the House. And the Senate has to vote on it too. The battle may be won, but the war wages on.

Yep, and what they end up selling usually appeals to the lowest common denominator. It happens with rock music too. A new style appears, it appeals to a few, but enough to gain interest from the other bands who soften it enough to sell to the record companys who for the most part arent interested in promoting cutting edge music. This is where the internet could well be the saving of artists who march to the beat of different drummers. Diana

I think part of the shrinking bands has to do with everyone wanting to be the stars. Being in the band is no longer a big enough ego boost. By the way, Louis, if you ever get hold of it, you might enjoy Stiffedby Susan Faludi. She's a feminist who uses her discernment to look at the damage of male roles, as she had to female roles. And how history has changed these expectations.

Tina

Well, the other group has the custom of being (1) respectful of others' POV and (2) very careful about sweeping generalizations. I won't say it's *always* followed, but more often than not it seems to work out that way. We also tend to use a variation on the Socratic method, not by fiat but just because it seems to work well; rather than telling someone flat-out that they're wrong, we're more likely to ask questions which lead to exposure and examination of the flaws in their argument.

Celine

I've heard of that. I'll check it out. Thanks

I'll have to look for this book. I agree with the premise that men are as damaged by our unbalanced system as women are... just differently.

Deirdre

This makes sense, and I think dialog has much better prospects than lecturing people about how wrong they are :-)

Deirdre

If a person believes that men and women both deserve to be liberated from stereotyped roles are they then a humanist? femanist, mananist.. humanist. Diana

I don't have a specific label for it, but I sure appreciate the behavior you are referring to...

Deirdre