3.26.2007

starbucks and lifestyle.

Starbucks sells a lifestyle. This should be fairly clear, because they have to be selling something other than coffee, considering what they charge. They sell a lifestyle of complex names, many options, euro-flavoured sizes, and extravagance. In less words, this is called exclusivity, or class. Taste, even. Which is ironic, because the few insanely dedicated coffee drinkers I associate with find the stuff middle of the road, whereas I love it.

Having taste is a big arrow pointing to your head that says you are better than other people. Music is a great aspect of your life in which to have 'good taste' because it's something that people can experience passively. If you have great taste in literature, that only helps you win people over if they ask what you are reading, or if you pretentiously drop it into the conversation (I know, because I do this all the time.) Music is overheard, it provides social outings (concerts) that have more cachet than a book reading (at least among youth) and it is often seen as a big indicator of personality. I cannot count the number of times a friend has found attraction or distaste based on the musical affinities of a potential love interest.

After that massive aside, the point. Starbucks, through Hear Music, has a music label. This isn't surprising, considering they have been selling CDs and exclusive versions for a while now, in the middle of the store. The issue at the moment is, they have managed to get one of the major cultural icons of our time to sign on. Paul McCartney is, as they say, kind of a big deal. This is something of a coup, considering he's the first signing for Hear Music. Considering these are the people who convinced Alanis Morissette to release an acoustic version of her good album, it makes sense to pick someone who, however talented, skews to the adult contemporary crowd.

What's more surprising is rumours that Radiohead might be up next. I really want to discount this, and am reiterating it is a rumour. But still, scary thing to see pop up in the RSS reader.

I guess the point of this post is that the need to sell a lifestyle is managing to turn the arts into a marketing approach for coffee. Because, at core, that is what signing to Hear Music would make someone, and unofficial promotion for Starbucks. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, and might even be one of those solutions to the 'failing' music industry's woes. Culture as a means of generating interest in material goods, rather than cultural content in object form.

I can't think about this without mentioning that Alexandra Patsavas, the person behind loading music into the OC and Grey's, is launching a record label. I will admit that I was swayed by her choices repeatedly, although I did lament the fact that bands I love would show up, poppiest song in tow, in shows that quickly lost my interest. (I was in the weird contingent that would turn on the OC more to see Dirty Pretty Things songs than for the adventures of Ryan Atwood.) Don't these things seem eerily connected to you? (Hilariously, I just noticed while writing this that the connection was also made in the comments thread to the linked post.)

Paul McCartney is making music, and indirectly it is about selling you coffee. Welcome to the future. Try not to vomit on anything nice.

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