Why I'm Not A "Fanatic" Anymore (long, sorry!)
QriusChild
I'm really not a Prince basher. I'm not a nay-sayer either. I'm just a
disappointed former "fanatic", probably just going through Prince withdrawal,
and it brings a lot of things to my mind. ;-) I still love him, I just don't
like him very much right now. So I think this will sum it all up.
I'm not ashamed to admit that I was once a card-carryin'/ globe-trottin'/
bank-breakin'/ extreme-collectin' / every-project-supportin'/ idol-worshippin'/
palpitatin' "fanNaddict." A front-line soldier, battling all of his detractors
for l6 years! Prince could do no wrong in my book. Fool that I was! ;-) Then
Prince started doing some things that opened my eyes and miraculously cured me.
And I sincerely thank him for that.
I think it started with Darling Nikki on the Love4Oneanother TV special, the
girl he defined as the "fanatic," representative of all of his fans.
Everything changed for me forever when he said, "I don't need any more
fans...," then continued with the strange addendum, "...the most you can be is
my friend."
What?! "I don't need any more fans?" This coming from a man with "slave" on
his face whose album sales and concert grosses had plummeted dramatically in
recent years? A man who had become the easiest joke in the nation? A man
whose Paisley Park Records, Glam Slam nightclubs and NewFunk stores had all
folded? He had the unmitigated gall to say he didn't need any more fans?!!
I was so insulted by the kind of arrogance and disregard for his fan that
statement represented that I threw my fan card away! ;-)
As for the other part of his statement, "...the most you can be is my friend."
"Friend?" Such an intimate, relationship word, coming from Prince's mouth?
This from the man who surrounds himself with gargantuan body guards who try to
break your face if you even look like you wanna speak to him, let alone come
near him? A man who was reportedly estranged from most of his past musical
associates, life-long friends and family members? And now we were supposed to
believe that he wanted his (now former) fans to think of themselves as his
friends? True, he was freer when walking aroud Paisley Park with fans present,
but not in "public" settings. "Friends?" LOL! Yeah, right!
I guess it was offensive to me because I speak of and define a friend the way
most normal people do, I think - people who cherish and share a close, mutually
supportive relationship with each other. He, on the other hand, must have
meant "friend" based on the more "distant" definition - i.e. "a financial
supporter, as in 'friend of the arts'." In that context, I was definately one
of his best "friends!" ;-) Of course I knew he didn't really mean the term
literally. In the skit, Nikki was a true fanatic, in the worst sense of the
word, and she deserved to be set straight. But it still felt like a slap in
the face meant for all of us.
I don't remember the exact sequence of events that followed from then on, but
in the months thereafter Prince kept saying and doing more and more things that
proved he was right in later saying, "the idolatry must cease." Truer words
were never spoken, and I truly thank him for the enlightenment. It finally
knocked some sense into my head.
Admittedly, it was a lot of fun the other way - the "fanatic" years were a
helluva ride! Racking up frequent flyer miles, camping out for tickets, queing
up for hours outside of venues in all kinds of weather, standing and waiting
for hours inside venues (sometimes only in hopes of a show), racing around
trying to find the aftershow, then repeating the queing and waiting - unless
you got guest-listed! ;-) Sure, it was often aggravating as hell, but the
adrenaline rush left you immune to it, meeting other fans was so much fun, and
the performance usually made it all worth while.
But then Prince started "phoning in" some of his performances during the
"slave" years, and even during the JOTY/Emancipation tour. Ticket prices
sky-rocketed, with so-called "gold circle" seats often worse than the "cheap
seats". And that inane voucher system increased the hassle factor 10-fold for
the fans! Admittedly, I'd been spoiled by the privelege of
up-close-and-personal performance experiences, so these high-priced,
anonymous-until-will-call-seats-God-knows-where were a total bust! Ironically,
the true performance jewels became the the free performances at Paisley Park!
So, I gave up my globe-trotting ways. If there's a concert near home, and if I
can get through to Ticketmaste for a close seat with a decent view, then I'll
go. Otherwise, I don't even sweat it anymore.
Despite all the pre-release hype, I didn't find "Gold" to be his best work
ever, and musically, I didn't connect with why Emancipation was "the album he
was born to make" - except for Disc 2, and "I Can't Make You Love Me"! "Chaos
and Disorder" was just that. "Come"... well, it almost made me! ;-) ) And I
do like much of "Newpower Soul" and "Come 2 My House." But over all, I'm not
as enthralled with the music as I once was. So, thankfully, gone are the days
of buying multiple formats of releases, all in the name of fan support. My
check book thanks you, Prince! ;-)
Need I even rehash "Crystal Ball", the long-awaited vault release, and how it
morphed from the
"free-standing-sphere-worthy-of-your-coffee-table"-internet-only-release-w
ith-"The Truth"-free-to-those-who-pre-ordered-for-$60 into a
$30-retail-release-including-"The Truth"-for-anybody? I loved "The Truth", I
appreciated getting "Kamasutra" on cd, and I liked my "NPG Representin' The
Funk" t-shirt. Admittedly, it was my own fault for having heard most of the
songs on CB beforehand. But the edits and remixes were such a waste, and the
whole ordeal was such a let down, that the whole "xperiment" left a bad taste
in my mouth.
It wasn't the price change that bugged me the most, since he did include the
extras. It was the unexplained delays, the unexplained change in packaging,
the disorganized, back-asswards delivery scheme that left the loyal supporters
waiting for weeks and weeks while retailers enjoyed their cds - and some fans
never even received their pre-orders! It was the dishonesty in bragging about
the success of this falsely claimed internet-only release - even receiving an
award for it! It was the repetitive bragging about being "#1 at the bank",
never acknowledging that it was at the expense of the loyal devotees who
pre-ordered. It was his refusal to ever admit to and apologize for the fiasco
that the CB markettig scheme became.
Over all, it's been the L41A website, and the things he has said in interviews
since the site went up, that have made me lose my admiration and respect for
Prince. Not just the mistreatment of many of the fans who jumped on his
bandwagon, as usual, to try to help design and support the site. Not the fact
that the "charity" component of the sight got lost early on, except for the
coat and food drives at concerts. Not even the fact that he, even to this
date, has refused to provide documentation of L41A's true status as a
recognized and legitimate charity. It's probably just another example of
shoddy follow-through on projects he begins - that pesky state paperwork!
Primarily, it's the fact that this official website has failed to provide the
timely, accurate, honest, and informative information that we were promised and
had hopes for - information that non-official sites regularly provide! It's
the annoyingly cryptic and mind-straining Princebonics that detract from the
potential positive impact of the messages delivered. It's the hypocrisy and
inconsistency in what he says on the site (and in interviews), which is often
in such stark contrast to what the site is purported to represent. Like the
cease & desist letters for daring to use his name!; followed soon after by
another request for our help in getting his masters from Warners! Like the
repeated threats - of the "karmaboomerang", "the perils of pestilence", "El
Nino [taking] prisoners of nonbelievers", and warnings that quoting from his
site violates "Universal Law" and we will "seriously regret it." Like daring
to ask for "Newpowerpak" orders, after all the complaints about CB, without
admitting honestly that these were really "pre"-orders for another
no-release-in-sight project! Those are the kinds of things that have turned me
off to Prince, the person.
Go back and read the mission statement at L41A, which includes this statement:
>>...the definitive place of gathering 4 all who love life, love God,
lovesexy... a place where music, poetry and positive vibes can be shared freely
without fear of retribution and every page offers a new awakening...a
collective conscience of unity, love and truth so great every human will want 2
join.<<
Don't worry. I won't list any more ways his words and actions have been a
disgraceful insult to that sentiment. I think it's glaringly obvious.
So tell me, Prince, "Do U Lie?" Where is the love4oneanother? Why not do
something truly shocking and redeeming for a change. First, be honest with
yourself! Then confess to yourself, and to God, all of the mistakes that
you've made, perhaps inadvertently. Maybe then you could actually apologize -
to your fans, former associates, lost friends and family, and anyone else that
you may not have treated as fairly as you would have liked to. Then follow
that up by issuing a cease & desist order to yourself - to end the arrogant
sarcasm, and stop the sniping, in the name of real "truth" and "positivity."
That would be a true testament to the loss of ego that you profess. And it
might settle a lot of your karmic debt! ;-)
Come on, Prince, take the first step!
Rick .T
the word fan, is short 4 fanatic, now look up that word in a dictionary,
it's not a very nice word 2 be called. so... if u don't want 2 call people
a fan, what can u call them.... followers ? no way, another unpronouncable
symbol 2 cover all the people who like his music no i think one is enough,
so whats left, friends, people who he shares his music with, people he
performs for.
he dosen't mean friend in the way that springs 2 mind, but simply in that it
sounds better than saying that somebody is a finatic, or obsessed.
Summatra
>disappointed former "fanatic", probably just going through Prince withdrawal,
>and it brings a lot of things to my mind. ;-) I still love him, I just don't
>like him very much right now.
>
>bank-breakin'/ extreme-collectin' / every-project-supportin'/
>idol-worshippin'/
>palpitatin' "fanNaddict." A front-line soldier, battling all of his
>detractors
>for l6 years!
BOY !!! You must have a lot of stuff... you gonna sell it?
D~
What good is Time if you Take Up every day to Complain?
TheRebel06
TheRebel06
bottom line is, you can't say one word means something then go and say the
other word doesn't mean what you think. The fan/fanatic comment was an insult
to a lot of people. And his use of the word "friend" is conditional at best.
So look up friend in the dictionary, since you suggested that fanatic be looked
up, and tell me does that apply to Prince and his minions.
I think not.
SaTim
"Rick .T" <Ric...@townsley.freeserve.co.uk> wrote:I watch you as you
sleep.....
Aaron
SaTim wrote in message <36543c2c...@news.mindspring.com>...
>SaTim = FAN and Proud of it!
>
>
>
Aaron = FAN. I don't need friends like Prince.
MichelleT7
>I don't think it is you that get it. Or maybe you do, who knows, but the
>bottom line is, you can't say one word means something then go and say the
>other word doesn't mean what you think. The fan/fanatic comment was an
>insult
>to a lot of people. And his use of the word "friend" is conditional at best.
>
>So look up friend in the dictionary, since you suggested that fanatic be
>looked
>up, and tell me does that apply to Prince and his minions.
>
>I think not.
you said a mouthful and i agree 100%. a fan is an admirer of something or
someone. there are extremes, yes. but to classify everyone who is a fan as
obsessive or something to be shamed is unfair. if it weren't for his "fans",
the obsessive ones and the casual admirers, he wouldn't be a millionaire.
unless he's growing money in his backyard, the loyalty from his diehard fans is
probably what kept him out of bankruptcy.
even though i haven't purchased his music since "come" (guess i didn't want to
go), i still consider myself a fan, albeit to a lesser degree. like tavis
smiley asked "are we supposed to change our names too?" i don't think so.
michelle
Reckhavoc
but with talent, realizing you're no better than anyone else, but having
throngs of people gawk at you, or react to you as if you're not a human being,
but some sort of idol. It's very difficult for anyone to be put in that role.
Some people handle it better than others, but he seems to be the type who
really is not good at handling that well, you can tell by the way he hides.
Also, you enjoyed your role being a fanatic, but he was uncomfortable in his
role being the idolized.
As for his other problems, he could have used some counseling as to how to be a
better businessman, and probably a better person, maybe in the future he'll get
his act together.
Bart Van Hemelen
>I KNOW why Prince reacted the way he did. Imagine being just a normal person,
>but with talent, realizing you're no better than anyone else,
You surely are not describing Prince? If you think this is even
remotely accurate, dream on.
>but having
>throngs of people gawk at you, or react to you as if you're not a human being,
>but some sort of idol.
Who's the one creating a gap between him and his admirers? I've
personally talked to several rather famous people I greatly admire,
and as long as you don't behave like a deranged lunatic and don't
expect miracles, they usually are incredibly accessible. Prince is the
one demanding closed VIP quarters at parties he throws.
>It's very difficult for anyone to be put in that role.
>Some people handle it better than others, but he seems to be the type who
>really is not good at handling that well, you can tell by the way he hides.
He's in this business 20 years, and if you talk to anyone from the
early period, he's always wanted to be famous.
>Also, you enjoyed your role being a fanatic, but he was uncomfortable in his
>role being the idolized.
>As for his other problems, he could have used some counseling as to how to be a
>better businessman, and probably a better person, maybe in the future he'll get
>his act together.
That's what i was hoping over a year ago. Right now I've realised it's
hopeless: he's too far gone. Each day brings new heartache and hurt.
Props to the author of the original post: it's excellent and says a
lot of things I completely agree with. Unfortunately, it's also just
the gbeginning. I could write a book describing why prince nowadays is
a nobody -- and deservedly so.
BVH
Lynn Maycroft
It doesn't matter. And this is not aimed at you, Reckhavoc, I understand &
agree with you. But it doesn't ultimately matter what any of you think, any of
us think. Are you too young to understand? Too immature? And I'm not meaning
this in a negative way. I mean, don't you think that at 18 or 24 or 30 that you
might have a ways yet to go to understanding some things in life? Or are you so
close-minded that you know for certain that you are absolutely right in what you
know and believe? "Free your mind & the rest will follow" - I think that's from
En Vogue but it means SO much.
Lynn
Sonuvfunk
>>his act together.
>
>That's what i was hoping over a year ago. Right now I've realised it's
>hopeless: he's too far gone. Each day brings new heartache and hurt.
You can't be serious can you? If Prince, or any person in entertainment, can
bring you heartache then you should go get psychological help and see what is
missing in your life....seriously, I'm not saying that to be a smartass
I hope you were exaggerating :)
Sonuvfunk
Sonuvfunk = FAN, always have been, always will be....and proud of it!
Daddy Pop6
Prince is not normal.
He's the strangest lil' motherfucker.
Doug
dP
There is the sound of a child taking a deep, determined breath. And then the
world stops making fish.
http://members.aol.com/DaddyPop6/index.html
remove "pooponu" to reply via e-mail.
Kilio
>>>>>I was once a card-carryin'/globe-trottin'/bank-breakin'/
extreme-collectin' / every-project-supportin'/idol-worshippin'/ palpitatin'
"fanNaddict." A front-line soldier, battling all of his detractors for l6
years! Prince could do no wrong in my book. Fool that I was! ;-) <<<<
These were the people who were shocked to find anything but Prince in my car
tapedeck. The ones who screamed when I was torn between seeing my 8th Prince
concert or my first Lenny Kravitz show. Prince and this ng are my chance to let
go of the real world (sometimes) and have some fun. Fortunately my mother
taught me to differentiate between fantasy and reality so Prince, or any other
artist, did not define my life. When I first arrived here I thought the angry
post where written tongue in cheek but the I no longer believe that fact is
true. How can you so angry at a guy you don't even know.
and i agree with sonuvfunk
>>>You can't be serious can you? If Prince, or any person in entertainment, can
bring you heartache then you should go get psychological help and see what is
missing in your life....seriously, I'm not saying that to be a smartass<<<
Kilio
"I wanna be careful not to lose by laughter
what I gained by tears"
Frank
has been a confused, skrewed-up contradiction since the start of his career.
Why are people just now seeing that he is sometimes a huge asshole. He is.
And sometimes the music he releases suck. And sometimes he's a great, funny
guy; and a genius musician.
It's always been this way. He writes major hits for The Time and then tells
them not to dance a certain step!!!! He goes on an interview on American
Bandstand and gives one word answers. He announces that he's retiring from
performing in 1985 and says he's going to look for the ladder because
sometimes it snows in April (reference before the song).
I decided a long time ago to ignore much of the shit. Because like it or
not, that egotistical asshole attitude led the way to great music. He's as
disgustingly commercial as he is underground. To me prince is the ultimate
alternative artist because he is always alienating his fan base.
Having followed prince for many years the only thing I'm waiting for now,
besides a great album, is for him to grow weary of Larry Graham. Because
I've seen just about enough of old Larry and his bombastic religious
beliefs.
oUT
QriusChild <qrius...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:19981115055227...@ng88.aol.com...
Reckhavoc
>>Prince is not normal.
I'd like to clarify Prince being "normal". I actually should have said, a
human being who realizes he is no more superior, nor has anything more than
anyone else,(except talent), thus, he had a hard time "experiencing" the
reaction he gets from people, even though he wanted it all his life. Not that
he doesn't get off on it, mind you, but it has made him a much worse person,
IMHO. (even though I know he always seemed to be somewhat of an asshole.)
Ick1999
and feel the same way about him now. I hope that little weirdo snaps out of it
one of these days.
Peace,
Pete
friend2001
I really really REALLY want to change my name to fanatic2001 but
probably won't. :-)
Shane
------------------------------------------------------
Realize that U are somebody, Come on, y'all, and join the party O(+>
"Push It Up"
jsm...@escape.com
qrius...@aol.com (QriusChild) wrote:
> OK. I think this'll finally get it all out of my system, once and for all.
> I'm really not a Prince basher. I'm not a nay-sayer either. I'm just a
> disappointed former "fanatic", probably just going through Prince withdrawal,
> and it brings a lot of things to my mind. ;-) I still love him, I just don't
> like him very much right now.
Good post. Over the last few days I've realized how silly it is for me to
get riled up over L4OA and other such things. I guess Prince's music has been
so important to my life that I really wanted to believe in him as a human
being. But right now I feel like it's a waste to keep getting upset when he
doesn't live up to my fantasy of who he should be, and posting my complaints
about it only creates negative energy. I'm finding it much healthier to
just love the music and lose my wish to be able to love the man.
Jay Smooth
http://www.hiphopmusic.com
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Bart Van Hemelen
It's the same thing I have with Sly Stone: I just can't believe that
he screwed up his life so much after making such great music.
I don't really have a heartache over it, but in some ways it is one of
them things that shouldn't be...
BVH
On 15 Nov 1998 22:48:07 GMT, sonu...@aol.com (Sonuvfunk) wrote:
>>maybe in the future he'll get
>>>his act together.
>>
>>That's what i was hoping over a year ago. Right now I've realised it's
>>hopeless: he's too far gone. Each day brings new heartache and hurt.
>
>You can't be serious can you? If Prince, or any person in entertainment, can
>bring you heartache then you should go get psychological help and see what is
>missing in your life....seriously, I'm not saying that to be a smartass
>
Sonuvfunk
>he screwed up his life so much after making such great music.
See though...you have to separate life from music. Not everyone's whole life
is music like Prince's has been. Sometimes real life problems become bigger
than music.....
....as far as Sly goes, just be happy that for 5 years or so ( up to Fresh )
the work he released is among the most inspirational music ever recorded. I
believe he did what he was put here to do and if he wants to stay in seclusion
then that's on him.......
I've never seriously looked into the break up of Sly and the family..I heard
the bare basics, but I just don't care to hear anything negative....especially
concerning Sly& the Family Stone
Comparing Prince and Sly does hold some water I guess.....but I think the main
thing is just appreciate what they've done and quit judging whether they've
wasted ( or are wasting ) their lives.....that's for them to decide
BTW.....I don't think either has wasted anything....people just waste their own
time thinking about it
JuvenileHi
>the work he released is among the most inspirational music ever recorded. I
>believe he did what he was put here to do and if he wants to stay in
>seclusion
>then that's on him.......
According to fairly recent interviews with Bobby Womack in Goldmine and Mojo
magazines, he got scared to hang around with Sly because he said Sly was too
busy wanting to be a gangster. If you want to read a heartbreaking book, read
the short little book "Sly and the Family Stone: and Oral Biography" where
they interviewed Larry, Rose, Cynthia, Jerry, and freddie, not to mention other
folks who were with Sly from beginning to end of his fabulous career.
>I've never seriously looked into the break up of Sly and the family..I heard
>the bare basics, but I just don't care to hear anything
>negative....especially
>concerning Sly& the Family Stone
Sly used alot of drugs that made him paranoid and thuggish. He showed up to
concerts sporadically, late, or not at all. He had a real problem, and no one
would stand up to him. they all said you couldn't stand up to him. And they
still don't. freddie, his own brother, a preacher...and his parents...its just
sad. They all want the royalty checks.
Lee
uh-oh. I have a new CD on the market! Check out the crappy web page for it
at: http://www.angelfire.com/va/RosebudRecords/index.html
http://members.aol.com/JuvenileHi/index.html
EastWestDJ
In article <19981117001015...@ng41.aol.com>, juven...@aol.com
(JuvenileHi) writes:
>According to fairly recent interviews with Bobby Womack in Goldmine and Mojo
>magazines, he got scared to hang around with Sly because he said Sly was too
>busy wanting to be a gangster.
One thing I regret. I attended a concert in New Haven, CT back in 1983 or 1984.
It featured Jocelyn Brown, Nobby Womack, and Sly Stone. Jocelyn had a nice hit
at the time. Bobby, naturally, turned in a great performance. However, I didn't
stay to watch Sly's set. I'm not sure if he was late coming onstage or I jetted
early. But having the appreciation for his music the way I do now, I rue the
fact that I missed the chance to see a legend perform.
Yes, that Goldmine article on Sly is really in-depth. Great stuff.
Joe Kelley
"Let the Music Do the Talking."
EastWestDJ
cherr...@my-dejanews.com
Prince really is living in fool's paradise....
--cherisse
cherr...@my-dejanews.com
"Rick .T" <Ric...@townsley.freeserve.co.uk> wrote:
> u really don't get it do u ?
>
> the word fan, is short 4 fanatic,
Wonderful. And the suffix of fanatic is 'atic', as in attic.
And that's where all the
stupid O+> stuff I bought belongs... hahahahahahahah!
Maria Ellicott
and business life to be stressed over, bills, work, health, whatever...
why am I being stressed over an entertainer? I didn't make any sense,
except that for me, I had a crush on him as a kid, and as I grew older,
the crush didn't end for a while, I took him really seriously...I lived
my life through him, in other words.
But now that I'm grown, I can no longer do that. I've got
responsibilities. So Prince for me now is just someone to look at ( I
still swoon, but no infuatuation) and his music I jam too...but that's
it...I don't need stress in an area that is supposed to bring me
joy....whatever he's doing in his life shouldn't affect me at all, I
realized. I was really acting stupid about it.
But no more...I still love him, and he'll still forever be my favorite
musician/performer, but I've got a healthier attitude towards him now.
Maria
Anuhstesia
>responsibilities. So Prince for me now is just someone to look at ( I
>still swoon, but no infuatuation) and his music I jam too...but that's
>it...I don't need stress in an area that is supposed to bring me
>joy....whatever he's doing in his life shouldn't affect me at all, I
>realized. I was really acting stupid about it.
I do believe she's got it.....
Sparky - "Some folks trust to reason others trust to might. I don't trust to
nothing but I know it'll come out right."
henry vargas jr
dream out loud! H.V
Vincent GAULET
Maria Ellicott wrote in message
<11204-36...@newsd-132.iap.bryant.webtv.net>...
I look at it this way: There are already too many things in my personal
and business life to be stressed over, bills, work, health, whatever...
why am I being stressed over an entertainer? I didn't make any sense,
except that for me, I had a crush on him as a kid, and as I grew older,
the crush didn't end for a while, I took him really seriously...I lived
my life through him, in other words.
But now that I'm grown, I can no longer do that. I've got
responsibilities. So Prince for me now is just someone to look at ( I
still swoon, but no infuatuation) and his music I jam too...but that's
it...I don't need stress in an area that is supposed to bring me
joy....whatever he's doing in his life shouldn't affect me at all, I
realized. I was really acting stupid about it.
But no more...I still love him, and he'll still forever be my favorite