Thanatos

Hell...I'd even vote for a "$2...or best offer" yard sale toaster oven as opposed to ANY of the current GOP candidates...assuming yellow dog drops out of the race or fails to get the nomination.

On a somewhat related note...anyone seen the recent Target ad set to a cover of the Beatles' "Hello/Goodbye"? Basically a montage of happy, attractive people dancing around and enjoying a myriad of products available at Target. During the refrain of the song, the words "Hello...Good Buy" pop up on the screen. I realize it's not the same as the Wilco/VW ads...but it's still an example of the way advertising attempts to foster brand loyalty by associating a product with a popular song/artist.

I think there's a clear difference between art comingling with commerce and art comingling with marketing. I'm more than happy to spend money to see a concert, buy an album or t-shirt with the band's logo, etc. because I feel a connection to their music and that's what I'm paying for. When that connection is manipulated in an effort to sell a product that has nothing to do with the music, it's natural for some fans to feel a bit cheated or start to doubt the sincerity of the music, imo.

Cold hard CASH!

This seems like a great way to teach our nation's youth the value of a good education... From the NY Times: New York City students could earn as much as $500 a year for doing well on standardized tests and showing up for class in a new program to begin this fall, city officials announced yesterday.

What does A Ghost is Born have to do with a story about a handful of survivors living in Australia following a nuclear war?

Have they heard of Volkswagen in Springfield?

I sort of question the rationale behind Wilco's statement that the VW ads will give them a new avenue with which to reach a wider audience, due to the skant amount of airplay they get on the radio. When I first got into Wilco they were playing venues like Lounge Ax and getting tix was relatively easy. I think they have long since ceased being a small, struggling band playing to a cult audience. The venues have gotten bigger and bigger and getting tickets has only gotten more difficult (at least in Chicago). They tour internationally and are a featured act at bigger festivals such as Lollap

It never ceases to amaze me how each new day brings with it yet another reason to loathe and detest this administration.

No worries, AWATT....I certainly understand how some may be suffering from battle fatigue as a result of this topic. Just defending my right to free speech! Thanks! Picked the screen name after reading "War is a Force that Gives Us Meaning" by Chris Hedges (great book, imo). He discusses the relationship between Eros (man's urge to create & embrace life) and Thanatos (Man's urge to destroy/corrupt life) and the roles they play during war. Yes, it is a German Painter...Caspar David Friedrich. The painting is called "Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog". I originally saw it on the cover o

Honestly, this really mystifies me. Are you being forced against your will to read this thread? There's certainly no shortage of other topics on this site, so why is it unacceptable if others might want to continue this discussion?

If it bothers you that much, why do you read/respond to this thread?

After reading the majority of the posts on VC regarding the Wilco/VW ads, it's apparent that most of the folks on this site are either in complete support of the band's decision or are somewhat indifferent. Of course, this is not all that surprising since it is a fansite. But I found myself wondering what the reaction might be if the situation were reversed. For whatever it's worth, here's the bizarro scenario I dreamed up: Rumors begin to circulate that Wilco may be licensing songs from Sky Blue Sky for a new VW ad campaign, timed to coincide with the release of the album. Chatrooms and

I believe the proper pronunciation would be wanker.

Not sure if this has been posted yet....From Tiny Mix Tapes: VW:

I just played one of these ads backwards, and Jeff can clearly be heard saying "VW is bigger than Jesus!"

Apart from some particularly ill-conceived and rather nasty remarks (fascist sympathizers? ) by a few people, I thought it was a healthy debate dealing not only with Wilco and the ad in question, but also the relationship between art and commerce. Also, I can't say for sure, but I'd be willing to bet that Jeff & the boys would rather have their fans voice their honest opinion (whatever it may be) instead of just blindly applauding everything they do without question.

"It saddens me that these people seem to believe that the VW campaign will somehow affect Wilco's future activities or Jeff's commitment to his songwriting. From the outcries I

I now declare this thread both silly AND pointless, and I call on the moderators to close it at once, post-haste!!!!

Thanks, Kidsmoke! I don't want to kick a dead horse, but I do have one more question if you'll indulge me: Does your decision to close a particular topic have anything to do with technical concerns (using up too much memory on the website, etc.)? I guess I would personally find that easier to understand than an administrator saying, "This topic has been fully explored and there's nothing more for anyone to say about it." Thanks again for answering my questions. Keep up the good work!

I guess I really didn't think his initial post was "a big shot out at the community"...just my opinion of course. He was initially questioning the band's/Tweedy's decision to sell one of their songs to a car company because he didn't agree with it for his own personal reasons. It's true that he may have come across a tad strident or accusatory in his delivery, but it was directed at the band. Of course, this was a rather hot topic and it unfortunately ignited some sharp-tongued remarks and even worse...a heated debate over gas mileage worthy of Consumer Reports!

Thanks for the clarification. I see your point, but I think one could also make the argument that he was just responding to other posts responding to his remarks. Also, the thread could have quickly died out if no one was interested in joining the conversation. If it's obvious that someone is trolling, what purpose does it serve to respond to them? P.S. - Please warn me if I am in danger of becoming a troll with this thread!!

What is the definition of "trolling" as it pertains to VC or any other message board? Honestly, I'm unfamiliar with this term. Also, why do you have a problem with someone only posting in a thread they created? If it's his first post, how can he be expected to post anywhere else, at least at first?

Sorry, couldn't resist! Thanks for your response. I have to say that I'm still a bit confused, though. There seems to be no shortage of threads on VC that are allowed to go on regardless of personal attacks and/or degree of silliness. Apart from some of the uglier remarks in the "sellout" thread, most of the posts seemed genuine in their interest for the topic. Just my opinion...Thanks again for the explanation!

Kidsmoke- Just curious as to why the infamous "Sellout" post was closed recently. I should say that it is not my intention to point fingers or cry foul (or to re-open the debate over the recent VW commercial), but I was wondering if you could explain how the administrators of VC go about making the decision as to when/why to close out a particular thread or topic. Honestly, I'm not sure if you closed the thread or jnickerson did, but you did make a request that it be closed. The fact that this thread had grown to over 40-plus pages seems to illustrate that people were fairly interested in t