# Most delusional thing artists say about their work **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 15, 2008, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-delusional-thing-artists-say-about-their-work/477210 "2008-12-15T05:57:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![installLSC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/54ee81/32.png) [@installLSC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/installLSC)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-delusional-thing-artists-say-about-their-work/477210/1 "2008-12-15T05:57:58Z")
In the late nineties, Billy Joel did a brief interview with Rolling Stone. He said he hated being called soft rock and that “half the music on my albums is hard rock”.😕. I’ve got both “The Stranger” and “52nd Street”, and I wonder has Billy even listened to his own music? I’ve also read a couple of books about Miles Davis. Davis often claimed his '70s fusion work was an attempt to attract the audience of Sly Stone and James Brown. If you’ve ever heard albums like “Bitches Brew” and “On the Corner”, it’s safe to say music like that wasn’t ever getting on Soul Train. What other times have artists said something about their work that makes you wonder if you’re observing the same thing? ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-delusional-thing-artists-say-about-their-work/477210/2 "2008-12-15T06:12:54Z")
Peter Gabriel’s “Shock the Monkey” was kind of a tribute to the vocal style of Marvin Gaye. ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-delusional-thing-artists-say-about-their-work/477210/3 "2008-12-15T06:49:45Z")
In [this](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vn6sE0kcPaI) interview, Andy Warhol is somewhere between absurdly perceptive about his own work or mocking the reporter. Probably both. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-delusional-thing-artists-say-about-their-work/477210/4 "2008-12-15T14:19:53Z")
Roger Christian’s director’s commentary track for **Battlefield Earth**. He seems convinced he made a good film. Even worse was the quote from Phil Tucker, director of **Robot Monster** , who said he felt like he had achieved greatness. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-delusional-thing-artists-say-about-their-work/477210/5 "2008-12-15T14:40:04Z")
Kanye West says something incredibly stupid every time he opens his mouth, but his latest is calling himself “the voice of this generation” or something equally stupid. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-delusional-thing-artists-say-about-their-work/477210/6 "2008-12-15T14:49:04Z")
> [@DigitalC](#): > > Kanye West says something incredibly stupid every time he opens his mouth, but his latest is calling himself “the voice of this generation” or something equally stupid. Kanye West: “I want to be the next Elvis.” Jimmy Kimmel: “Elvis died sitting on the toilet with a half eaten donut in his mouth, you may want to rethink that.” ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-delusional-thing-artists-say-about-their-work/477210/7 "2008-12-15T15:03:04Z")
Kanye actually called himself “the voice of this generation of this decade”, about which which Stephen Colbert has mocked him mercilessly. I don’t think that you can be more delusional about your “art” than [Michael Stone](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/6193169.stm), however. I have to give him props for a creative defense, though. ---
**Author:** ![RiverRunner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/977dab/32.png) [@RiverRunner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RiverRunner)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-delusional-thing-artists-say-about-their-work/477210/8 "2008-12-15T16:34:07Z")
> [@Kyla](#): > > I don’t think that you can be more delusional about your “art” than [Michael Stone](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/6193169.stm), however. I have to give him props for a creative defense, though. From the above link: > [@](#): > > Stone, whose licence for the Milltown murders has been revoked, is also charged with possessing home-made explosives and a real or imitation gun with intent. Apparently, he was a double-o agent. RR ---
**Author:** ![Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/half_man_half_wit/32/21766_2.png) [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Half_Man_Half_Wit)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-delusional-thing-artists-say-about-their-work/477210/9 "2008-12-15T17:21:45Z")
Well, R Kelly _made_ **Trapped in the Closet** , which in itself is kind of a delusional statement, but, not content with that, he also evidently regards it as a work of genius. Here’s a nice [essay](http://www.alternatetakes.co.uk/?2006,5,75) on Mr Kelly’s _magnum opus_, and if you haven’t seen it yet, here are the [first five parts on YouTube](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCXlCkY4Y5g). ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-delusional-thing-artists-say-about-their-work/477210/10 "2008-12-15T17:36:27Z")
I read once that [Truman Capote,](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truman_capote) referring to his performance as Lionel Twain in the forgettable comedy [_Murder by Death,_](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_By_Death) said, “What Dom Perignon is to champagne, I am to acting.” One **hopes** he intended it ironically; an impartial viewer of the film would substitute “Mad Dog 20/20” for “Dom Perignon” in that assessment. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-delusional-thing-artists-say-about-their-work/477210/11 "2008-12-15T17:40:33Z")
Just to balance things out, from the other end of the scale we have Akira Kurosawa’s acceptance speech for an Oscar he received at the age of 80: > [@](#): > > Upon receiving his Oscar, Mr. Kurosawa touched many with an uncharacteristically humble acceptance speech in which he said that at the age of 80 he had yet to fully master the essence of film. ‘‘I will continue to devote my entire being to understanding this wonderful art,’’ he said. Directors worldwide were rumored to have been bummed out by this statment. ---
**Author:** ![overlyverbose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9dc877/32.png) [@overlyverbose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/overlyverbose)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-delusional-thing-artists-say-about-their-work/477210/12 "2008-12-15T18:30:42Z")
I’ve heard a couple of artists say that their music was “organic.” What the hell does that mean? ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-delusional-thing-artists-say-about-their-work/477210/13 "2008-12-15T18:58:17Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Roger Christian’s director’s commentary track for **Battlefield Earth**. He seems convinced he made a good film. > > Even worse was the quote from Phil Tucker, director of **Robot Monster** , who said he felt like he had achieved greatness. “The Onion” has a regular feature called “Commentary Tracks of the Damned” which mocks the pretentious pronouncements made by the ‘creative forces’ behind some of the worst dreck produced. Roger Christian sure ain’t alone. As for new contributions, let me just add pretty much everything & anything uttered by the members of Pink Floyd about their own work. I’ve never heard any of them ever say anything about their music that wasn’t gushingly reverent. And often delivered in the most sneering, condescending tone of voice. [Here](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Xvy6vFbslg&feature=related) is a good example of Roger Water’s narcisisstic attitude, actually yelling at the audience for _cheering_ too loudly, making it hard for him to hear his own voice! ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-delusional-thing-artists-say-about-their-work/477210/14 "2008-12-15T19:27:07Z")
> [@installLSC](#): > > In the late nineties, Billy Joel did a brief interview with Rolling Stone. He said he hated being called soft rock and that “half the music on my albums is hard rock”.😕. I’ve got both “The Stranger” and “52nd Street”, and I wonder has Billy even listened to his own music? Even his so-called “punk” record, Glass Houses, doesn’t rock out. At all. ---
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-delusional-thing-artists-say-about-their-work/477210/15 "2008-12-15T19:28:46Z")
> [@overlyverbose](#): > > I’ve heard a couple of artists say that their music was “organic.” What the hell does that mean? Often (but probably not every time) it means they recorded their music with actual instruments rather than the digital representations of them. Real drums instead of drum machine or sampled loops. That sort of thing. ---
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-delusional-thing-artists-say-about-their-work/477210/16 "2008-12-15T19:33:28Z")
> [@The New and Improved Superman](#): > > “The Onion” has a regular feature called “Commentary Tracks of the Damned” which mocks the pretentious pronouncements made by the ‘creative forces’ behind some of the worst dreck produced. Yes! [Here’s one of my favorites](http://www.avclub.com/content/feature/commentary_tracks_of_the_damne_0), from Uwe Boll: > [@](#): > > I have the courage. This movie is full of courage. This movie is not pussying out for nobody. This movie is insulting the people that have now the power, who can now destroy my career. They can now sue me. They can now kill me, like the fundamentalists. I give a shit about the fucking Mufti shit, and about the Muslims or whatever, or Muhammad, because I give a shit about the whole religious stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Freejooky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ba8739/32.png) [@Freejooky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freejooky)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-delusional-thing-artists-say-about-their-work/477210/17 "2008-12-15T19:41:37Z")
Michael Stipe, talking to Pitchfork about the new REM album earlier this year: Pitchfork: I wanted to ask about “Sing for the Submarine”, especially what sound like some references to some older songs. It sounds almost like you’re addressing a past self, or trying to explain yourself. MS: I can tell you. It’s really simple. That song presents my dream world, which is way different from my waking world. It’s set in the future and it’s post-apocalyptic. Everything is falling apart and it’s all put together again, propped up with 2x4s and held together with Scotch tape and superglue. The artwork for the record is kind of an homage to that. It’s a collage, which rhymes with homage, I just realized. It’s an homage to this kind of almost like a teenager’s idea of what the future might look like, if he were using a Xerox machine and cut-and-pasting it together. Which is exactly what we did to come up with the artwork. So the song “Sing for the Submarine” is just taken from… I actually made it up. It’s not from my dreams, but it’s placed in that dream world. The older R.E.M. songs in there-- it’s like a legend on a map to all the other songs in our catalog or some of the other songs in our catalog that also come from my dream world. And although they’re not autobiographical-- because I don’t write like that-- for me it’s a pretty familiar place. By writing a song and referencing these other, older songs I’m creating for anyone who cares a legend to where the inspiration for these lyrics and these ideas came from, and also admitting, or kind of outing myself, in terms of that part of my consciousness that comes from my dreams, which is set in the future. It’s a post-apocalyptic future, but it’s not frightening. It’s not scary. I think a lot of people probably inhabit that same universe. I look at other writers or filmmakers particularly-- a handful of photographers, but a lot of filmmakers who do science fiction work or what have you-- seem to inhabit that same dream world, so I don’t feel that alone. I’ve talked to a few people in my life who’ve said they’ve had similar experiences. It’s going back to when I was a child that all my dreams are set in this destroyed future, but I’m fortunate that it’s not a frightening place or a scary place. It just is what it is. Does that make sense? Pitchfork: Perfect. MS: That’s where “Feeling Gravity’s Pull” came from. That’s where “Electron Blue” came from-- electron blue being a drug that’s made out of light. “Sing for the Submarine” is about a guy who in fact has gone so deep into this almost neurotic state that he’s imagined a way to escape from the city with his loved one in the event of some cataclysmic…event. And that escape route is by way of a submarine that is fueled by melody. And that creates the template for the song. I’ve read a million Stipe interviews and have never heard him mention anything like this. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-delusional-thing-artists-say-about-their-work/477210/18 "2008-12-15T19:44:25Z")
> [@overlyverbose](#): > > I’ve heard a couple of artists say that their music was “organic.” What the hell does that mean? Compostable? ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2008, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-delusional-thing-artists-say-about-their-work/477210/19 "2008-12-15T22:54:41Z")
> [@installLSC](#): > > In the late nineties, Billy Joel did a brief interview with Rolling Stone. He said he hated being called soft rock and that “half the music on my albums is hard rock”.😕. I’ve got both “The Stranger” and “52nd Street”, and I wonder has Billy even listened to his own music? > [@John\_DiFool](#): > > Even his so-called “punk” record, Glass Houses, doesn’t rock out. At all. Not to hijack, but don’t these two songs [1](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xx53c_6h-W4) and [2](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYuS7_paGbU&feature=channel) rock? ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2008, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-delusional-thing-artists-say-about-their-work/477210/20 "2008-12-16T01:02:12Z")
They do by 60s-70s standards. But things have changed since then. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-delusional-thing-artists-say-about-their-work/477210.md?page=2)