She didn’t impress me on MTV or the radio, even less so on SNL this past weekend. But I’m not the target audience for her music in the least.
Call me indifferent, but she’s no worse than most of the fluff in pop music. But is her image and clothing “the real Avril” (if such a thing in mainstream culture is possible) or just clever marketing and counterprogramming by her record label? “We need a girl singer who wears enough clothes to not give the parents fits, sales are still way down. But she must have a sassy, “punkish” attitude so she has just enough cred to not be laughed off TRL. We don’t need another Jesse Camp fiasco!”
What is the big deal? What is Avril supposedly “posing” as that she’s not? A skater chick? I don’t know if she skates either way. A punk? I don’t know what music she listens to. And you know what? I don’t care. I like the song “Complicated” because she’s talking about a real phenomenon that I for one have experienced: a guy who is trying too hard to be cool. As for “Sk8r Boi,” again, a true phenomenon she’s talking about. The high school kids like her b/c they can identify with her music. Where’s the problem with that? Don’t like her? Change the channel.
I don’t see why she’s any more hateable than Britney Aguilera, Christina Spears, or any of the rest. At least Avril dresses like a regular kid instead of a super-skank. If she’s what’s wrong with society today, then I guess we’re all OK. Ha.
I was going to post something about how she quit school to pursue a music career, but then I realized that it’s probably not unheard of. I used to strongly dislike her, but when I thought about it, I was just jealous. I would love to be a rock star. I don’t listen to her music, so I can’t say anything about that. My sister and her friends dressed as Avril Lavigne for Halloween…I thought that was pretty stupid though. It’s not even a costume–it’s just regular clothes and eyeliner.
[sub]Wow, in preview, this seems really disjointed.[/sub]
I’m a pretty heavy hitter on the Foo Fighters postboard - and you can imagine that the fans of THAT band kinda like their music played with serious and genuine mumbo - so I’ve seen some pretty full-on payout threads regarding Avril over the last year.
Ultimately, however, it’s all jealousy. Foo Fighters fans are jealous of her coz she’s keeping Foos songs from being top of the pops. Red Hot Chilli Pepper fans are jealous of her coz she’s keeping RHCP songs from being top of the pops. Name any other band, or notable star, and THEIR fans feel the same way.
Good on her I say. It’s bloody hard to make tunes which are catchy enough to KEEP getting played on the radio. And she writes 'em herself, so more kudos to her.
Sure, it’s true that Clear Channel has an astonishingly intricate kick back arrangement with the major labels to get new songs ONTO playlists, but the fact remains, after that, the songs live or die based on merit alone - and young Avril has managed to kick some pretty tasty goals I would suggest.
In short, as I’ve shared with some mates of mine who are in one of Australia’s most famous bands “Powderfinger” - she’s the target of immense jealousy isn’t she? To which they replied “Ive, she’s the real deal. She’s gonna go a long way you know. People we’ve spoken to say she’s amazingly talented…”
There may be worse musical crimes, Mith, but that doesn’t excuse her record company’s shameless promotion of her as an “alternative” when she’s just another manufactured artist. At least Britney et al aren’t promoted with the implication that they’re “proper independent artists”. Personally, I don’t like Lavigne’s image or her music, but that’s neither here nor there.
I can’t believe the hatred directed at some artists just because they “don’t keep their clothes on.” Never would have thought we’d been through the swinging sixties. But, Britney, Avril… there’s no difference. Who cares?
And Avril Lavigne? I’d shag her. Then I’d do it again.
I don’t get the “He wasn’t good enough for her” line though. From my experience, it’d be more like the punk kid turning his nose up at the teenybopper (is there anything more snobbish than a punk kid?)
When I heard Skater Boy for the first time, I laughed so hard that I couldn’t stop giggling until 5 minutes after the song was over. The lyrics were so brilliantly inane that it reached a comedic level not to be found in most pop music today. Avril Lavigne is one of the great satirical musicians of our time.
Just another product, but at least one that doesn’t get on my feckin nerves like the rest that’s been shoved through the ether lately. Lyric wise it’s just as good as the other big sellers… pure gems of the english language, they are…
She is being marketed very smartly. She is the anti-Britney/Christina. “Rebellious” teenage girls are eating up her “punk” attiitude and parents of said teenage girls are happy that she’s keeping her clothes on! $$Cha-ching!$$
She call herself “punk”… well, the record executives who created her have told her to call herself “punk”… but if you listen to her songs, they are the farthest thing from “punk” as you can possibly get. The songs she sings are 100%, grade A, pure “American Pop.” Any true punk artist or punk enthusiast (which I am not) would cringe at her music. Dressing like a punk artist is instantly negated by singing “pop” songs.
That being said, the songs she sings are actually pretty good, but there is no way in hell that she wrote them. Sorry. Like most artists today, she is a completely manufactured product. All the songs on her CD have been written by a professional song writing team. The record executives just needed a young face to sing them - hello Avril. But because a bunch of male, 40+ year old song writers have no idea what “the kids” are into these days, she may have been involved in the lyric writing process. But to give her full “songwriting” credit is just asinine.
Writing lyrics does not make you a song writer - it makes you a poet.
Bottom line: regardless of what image the record company is trying to force feed you, if you like the songs and they move you in any way, then the songs are good.
All I know is if I were 16 I’d probably be a huge fan of her music. As it is, its relatively sanitary pop music that I am way too old for and therefore cannot relate to. It’s pretty harmless, moreso than some stuff out there.
Good for her. Grab the money while its there and get out while the gettins good, girlie.
Well, I don’t think poor, dear Avril is responsible for everything that’s wrong in our society…lol…but no, I don’t really gravitate towards her… But then, I wouldn’t!! I’m in my early 30s and I don’t listen to the radio. My musical taste runs more along the lines of Lamb, Portishead, Arab Strap, The Smiths, The Clash…I’ve seen her on MTV and she strikes me as really bratty.
And no, she’s definitely NOT a punk…Oh gosh, that makes me laugh!!!
This may be OT, but these days, what exactly IS punk? I know a few who hang around in Ithaca, NY, and so far as I can tell, punk-ness is comprised of the following:
–“rebelliously” weird colored and styled hair, often involving glue and/or “hair cement,” I’m told
–leather jackets with really obscure band names on them, spikes optional but preferred
–having no job, or a crappy food service job
–not bathing regularly or partaking of deodorant products
–pushing other people who are trying to listen to the band
Can one blame li’l Avril for not wanting to be a full-flegded punk? She might actually enjoy showering. Many people do.
Anyway, Avril is pop, no doubt about it. However, I spend every work day in high school, and I have to tell you, the preps still rule the school and the punk/skater kids are still marginalized and stigmatized. I can hardly blame them for enjoying Avril as she sings about the skater boy making good and gloating over the preppy ballet queen.
So she doesn’t know who David Bowie is. News flash–very bloody few people under 20 do. It’s all in good fun. Surely there are better targets at which one can spew bile?
