(no subject)

[rosiedoes]

trickismytreat just left one of the dumbest comments in the entire history of my journal.

After a long rant in which she completely failed to comprehend that the 'Jolly Old Saint Pete' scam was basically just a way to get more money out of kids who will buy "over priced" shirts (which was never actually a complaint I made, because I think the shirts count as designer and I have readily paid that much for them, myself), she came up with this little moment of genius:

So ... sorry. Want to discuss how Joe is ripping off his fans via his sig. guitar? Way more sacreligious than ripping off fans with clothes.

Would that be one of these?



OH! No, wait. That's Pete's Clan bass, isn't it?

Let me point something out, here. Designing a guitar - a good quality guitar that he genuinely endorses (as opposed to pimps like a bitch) and has played on stage for some time - is not the same as creating a ruse to essentially get the kids to pay money to meet you. Joe's guitar is $400.00. I paid more than that for my first bass, ten years ago.

Personally, I fail to see the connection. I know the real reason that Anthy even said that was because she knows how fond I am of Joe and she was in the middle of a pissy fit. But come on, kids. What a fucking joke. There is a vast difference between Joe, or anyone, wanting to share his love of an instrument with people (and at that price, chances are that it will be kids' first, or one of their earliest, but it'll last them through to when they start bands and play shows) and giving others a chance to buy a guitar that they know is worthy and won't turn out to be a pile of crap, because you've seen one played for the last few years. The guitar itself is endorsed by everyone from Scott Ian, to the late Casey Calvert, to fucking Def Leppard. Each of those guys had their own version - along with a bunch of others.

When I realised that the guitar was only $400.00 I was actually astounded. I assumed that it would be closer to $1,500 because of the brand and the fact that it is a signature guitar. It is clearly, clearly not about making a bunch of easy cash. Joe genuinely loves guitars. He loves them and he's passionate and competent with anything in regard to them; he sure as hell didn't just churn out an instrument kids will buy just because it's Joe's (although, we can probably name someone who did). He doesn't even have a big enough profile for that.

The fact of the matter is, you have a choice as to whether you buy a guitar (or Andy's drumkits, or Pete's bass) - there's no con there, because whatever your motivation for choosing that particular instrument, there are no terms and conditions: you buy it, it's yours. Have fun! See you at the Grammys. But there's something very, very underhand about using the fact that kids love you to get them to guarantee they'll spend an extra $50 on your t-shirts in order to meet you for a few moments and then get bundled out the door by security. I probably wouldn't have minded as much, if it had been a case of "buy a giftcard as a ticket" and you could redeem that during those two hours - if it hadn't been about the money. Because I'm sorry, anyone who bought the cards and went to that - but you were had. If Pete just wanted to limit the numbers of people coming in, with the $50 giftcard, he should have allowed people to use it in the two hours he was there. If he was still allowing people to spend them on the day, where was the harm in letting them redeem them while he was by the till? The only reason, kids, is that he wanted you to make an extra purchase and spend more money in order to meet him - which is a long, long way from desigining an instrument.

And really, that just leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

Comments

[anjak-j.livejournal.com]

For serious. The guitar really is one thing - and I'm all for anything that makes people pick up musical instruments. But that shit with the store and the giftcards, that is just something else.

I mean, I don't have a big aversion to the famous making money - let them endorse whatever they like and watch it roll in - but taking advantage of your fans? No fucking way.

[xxtaste-of-ink.livejournal.com]

I would like to say that I 100% agree with you on all of this. That whole gift card thing was ridiculous. But the thing is, you can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink. Sure, Pete is (obviously) taking advantage of these fans but they're still the ones thinking that $50 is worth 4 seconds with Pete or living in overpriced Clandestine clothes out of their parent's pockets. It amazes me they can't see this. Pete's got all those little fangirls right where he wants them... and has for years.

[rosiedoes.livejournal.com]

I just honestly don't get it. Surely he's not that hard-up for cash that he needs to do that?

[xxtaste-of-ink.livejournal.com]

Things have changed. It seems now Pete is primarily a businessman and secondarily a bassist. He seems to be off with Ashlee more than spending time with the band. I'm not saying he's not allowed to, I'm saying this is a fact. I'm worried it's going to get to a point with all these business ventures there's not going to be time for music anymore.

[rosiedoes.livejournal.com]

It is a fact, sadly.

And while I understand him wanting to spend time with his girlfriend, it just doesn't seem all that fair on everyone else, who can't have their girlfriends there all the time.

But the issue with the businesses... it disappoints me. I know he's always been ambitious and stuff, but it's kind of getting out of hand, now.

[edgiko.livejournal.com]

Or partying.

He parties pretty much with himself. It's very rare that you see Andy, Joe, and Patrick at a hollywood type of party [at all, really] without a fellow bandmate where as Pete is constantly at them by himself.

Yeah, I get that he's the public figure and he's rubbing elbows but he's halfway across the country from the other band members. That's eventually going to drive a wedge between them.

Pete's a good business person, but I think his ego has probably started to get to him. He's also a rash thinker, it seems, when it comes to things.

Anyway, that didn't make much sense. I'm still a bit out of it from last night.

[rosiedoes.livejournal.com]

I always kind of wonder about that. How it feels to never really see him, if Patrick still spends a lot of time in Chicago, and the other two are up there.

They've toured so much this year, they've probably enjoyed the distance, but I wonder how that's going to work over the next year.

[edgiko.livejournal.com]

I know distance can be a bad thing when it comes to recording or even practices.

I mean, they can probably keep channels of communication open, especially thanks to the internet and mobile phones, but eventually that may do something when it comes to being a band as oppose to being friends.

[xxtaste-of-ink.livejournal.com]

No, no. You're right. I see exactly what you're saying. Pete's gotten into this partying and this is his 'scene' now. But what else are you going to expect from Mr. Magazine Cover and DJ Extrodinnaire? You're only lying to yourself if you think Andy, Joe, and Patrick would blend in at any of these places Pete is hitting up. I know I'm just preaching to the choir here but all I can keep picturing is three boys sitting around an xbox with controllers in their hands and an empty bean bag in the corner of the room with no butt in it and no 4th player. :(

[edgiko.livejournal.com]

You know, reading her original comment, she was handling her opinion well until she ended it with that.

If you want to make an opinion, fine, but it's bad idea to tag something at the end that seems like a personal attack.

[rosiedoes.livejournal.com]

Yeah, she was handling her opinion fine until she got to that, then she made a fool of herself.

Not that she wasn't already one for falling for the scam in the first place. *facepalms*

[ashe-frost.livejournal.com]

I would've probably paid too much money to meet Hanson when I was a huge fan, or some other celebrity back before I decided I was too cool for that concept (and am probably very wrong), so I can't be mad at the people who did pay to meet Pete.

I'm also astounded at the people who are shocked that the douche did something like that. Or maybe it's just his "people". I'm sure he has people. Pete gets more and more Hollywood the longer he's in the public eye. I'm just waiting for a car wreck and a stint in rehab. He's already got the nude photos out.

Also, I am sorry, but I think Joe's guitars are ugly. It makes me sad. I like pretty guitars. I like the one he was playing with in the picture, though. And it makes sense how he modified all that stuff to play. I admire his taste for the simplistic.

[rosiedoes.livejournal.com]

That's Pete's guitar, not Joe's. I was being sarcastic, because she bitched about Joe, but Pete made one first.

[ashe-frost.livejournal.com]

I clicked on the link.

[rosiedoes.livejournal.com]

That's his personal guitar, though, which is a customized Washburn Pilsen. His signature guitar is a Washburn Idol.

[moondarri.livejournal.com]

i don't even know. i don't understand the whole thing, but i've got a growing feeling of bye-bye pete as time moves on. it's like watching a trainwreck.