[Fredslist] Fw: The Health Care Bill

Sat Mar 27 09:35:22 EDT 2010

If you spend any time with me or read my blogs you have heard me say "Up is down and down is up". Below is some confirmation. Thanks for it to Gothamite Corey Bearak. 
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

-----Original Message-----
From: Corey Bearak <bearak at aol.com>
Date: Fri, 26 Mar 2010 23:15:02 
To: <fklein at legal.org>
Subject: Re: The Health Care Bill

 Do not read this on the health care bill but instead the marketing focus.  I will though send it to Axelrod.

Corey B. Bearak, Esq.
Government & Public Affairs Counselor
PO Box 135, Glen Oaks, NY  11004
(718) 343-6779 * fax: (718) 225-3366
Bearak at aol.com  CoreyBearak,com  Bearak onTwitter

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-----Original Message-----
From: Bob Lefsetz <bob at lefsetz.com>
To: Bearak at aol.com
Sent: Fri, Mar 26, 2010 8:33 pm
Subject: The Health Care Bill

What if conventional wisdom isn't conventional?

Used to be you turned on the TV and took the temperature of the nation.  If you 
were truly sophisticated, you read the newspaper.  And learned what was really 
going on.  Or did you?

Turns out the truth is a bit different from what the conventional media tells us 
it is.  Turns out the only stories aren't the ones in the newspaper (and, for 
the record, TV does no reporting, unless someone got raped, killed or 
kidnapped.)  Turns out the usual suspects have lost control of the thermometer, 
if you want to know what the temperature is in this country, you surf the Web 
and come to your own conclusions.

This is big.

Would George Bush be able to con America into believing there were weapons of 
mass destruction in Iraq in 2010?  Doubtful.  Because we're no longer dependent 
on Judith Miller, our country is no longer controlled by one reporter with a 
mouthpiece, rather there's a plethora of voices, and frequently the ones online 
are more informed.  Because they're reporting within their area of expertise and 
not beholden to fat cats, and not on a career path determined by anyone other 
than themselves.

Speak with a newspaper reporter.  They're asking questions.  They're 
investigating.  But what if the person who knew was writing what was going on?  
What then?

That's what's happening today.

Conventional wisdom said health care was dead.  But then the President and the 
Democratic Congress were enlightened by vocal supporters, disillusioned 
Democrats, primarily online, asking WHAT THE FUCK?

We elected you.  We wanted change.  And you're worried about these nitwit 
Republicans beholden to the religious right who can only say no, who are 
refusing to play because they don't have the ball.

Balls?  Suddenly, the Democrats grew them.

And I don't care what side of the debate you're on, I don't care whether you 
support health care or not, you've got to admit it's fascinating how the media 
said one thing and the truth turned out to be the other way.

They tell us people like the beat-infused Top Forty.  They tell us the best way 
to make a star is on TV, preferably "American Idol".  They tell us the major 
labels' model has to be protected.  But IS THIS TRUE?

Everything's up for grabs.  It no longer matters what Rush Limbaugh says, nor 
the RIAA.  Everyone's questioning what's fed to them, they're dong independent 
research and coming to their own conclusions.

Like:

1. Physical formats are dead.

2. Music is overpriced.

3. The concert ticket game is rigged.

4. Today's acts suck.

But, but, BUT you say, CDs still sell and...

You're making the same mistake the mainstream press did.  You're paying 
attention to the fading minority.  Or as Henry Ford once said, "If I'd listened 
to customers, I'd have given them a faster horse."

Market research doesn't tell you where the future lies.  Steve Jobs didn't ask 
people whether they wanted an iPad, HE MADE IT!

Market research said no one would rent videos, and then everybody did.  Market 
research says people don't want to rent music, but if you don't think the 
Spotify/streaming model will triumph, your head is truly up your ass.

It's just a matter of when.

Now is the time to take the ball and run it up the middle.

Now is the time to create truly great music, not worrying about what gatekeepers 
say, taking it straight to the public.

There's no center.

Doug Morris just isn't that powerful.

Nor is Lucian Grainge.

And whatever power Irving Azoff has is limited.  He doesn't control music 
distribution.  He may have a bit of a corner on live exhibition, but that's just 
a piece of the puzzle.

It's a whole new world!  Doesn't matter what the fat cats, the usual suspects, 
those who once had power, have to say.  Not a whit.

It matters what the Web constituency has to say.

Yes, people still listen to radio, but there are people who still buy CDs, DON'T 
PAY ATTENTION TO THE FADING MINORITY!  That's like trumpeting Sarah Palin for 
President.  She can't win.  Numbers will tell you this.  But the mainstream 
media likes the story.  But she's just about irrelevant.

And I'm not saying the Democrats are princes, but when Obama and Pelosi finally 
grabbed the ball, stopped pussyfooting, challenged their critics and ignored 
naysayers, they got something done!

Stop listening to those who say you can't.  Their opinion is worthless.  Doesn't 
matter if the A&R guy doesn't like your music.  Doesn't matter if radio ignores 
you either.

It comes down to this, DO THE PEOPLE LIKE YOU?

Do they?

Numbers don't lie.  How many fans have truly downloaded your music?  How big is 
your mailing list?  How many Twitter followers do you have?  If none of these 
numbers are large, either you're the worst marketer in creation or you suck.  Or 
both.

But if you're good, now more than ever, it's your time.  People don't care about 
the chart.  They don't care about what the mainstream says.  They care about 
what their friends and trusted filters say.  They're making their own decisions.  
Play to them, they're the only ones who count.

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