Kids hate CDs for Xmas

Spotted on the insanely cool boingboing.net blog, check out this site warning parents not to disappoint P2P savvy kids by giving them shiny discs.

http://www.whatacrappypresent.com/

 

I have to admit, that was a pretty funny site!

Sean

 

That was great -- really summed up the woes of the industry in one page!

 

Yes, this is a funny site, but it's true.

 

haha, that was good

 

I was going to give my nieces some ceedees for x-mas but now I'm having second thoughts. It's official. I'm an old fogey. Something has finally come along that I simply cannot relate to (i.e. the lure of compressed, downloaded music in lieu of round, plastic discs with cool artwork). Actually, this is the second thing that has come along that I cannot relate to at all. The first was insanely baggy pants.

 

The kids love gift cards.
That is all I give my nieces and nephews.
No way would I try to buy them music or clothes in this day and age.

 

My nieces are pretty cool. I've managed to turn them onto some great music and visa/versa. But yeah, they come over to my place and listen to records and CDs, then they go home and download the same music. On the other hand, I go over to their house and they play music for me on their computer, then I go to the record store (virtual or physical) and buy the disc.

The gap is there, but at least we bridge it!

 

My nephews like videogames. Die cast metal cars. Legos. Thigs like that.

I would NEVER give them clothing, though. I remember Christmas, and I remember how disappointed I was when I was expecting a toy, and I got some sweater, or something.

BTW, I'm 29, and I like videogames, die cast metal cars, Legos, thinks like that.

 

When it comes to CD-Rs that have no artwork, whenever I need more CD storage space, etc. I just record the music onto MiniDisc.

 

Give the kids an RCA 45RPM Victrola and a stack of reissue 45's. Muhahaha!

That'll REALLY go over well. But when I was 3 years old, it was badder than any X-Box suprise today!

 

And to think the presents I looked forward to the most when I was a kid were the flat, square ones.

I still remember how thrilled I was on Christmas Day, 1973 to open Creedence Clearwater Revival's Live In Europe, or 1976, when I opened The Beatles' Rock 'N Roll Music.

 

The parent site also makes some good points about the recording industry.

 

My relatives used to laugh at the number of flat, square 12" packages I used to get. Today, though, I'd actually be thrilled if I got a little RCA Victor record player and a stack of 45s! I don't ask for any CDs or DVDs anymore, since I usually buy what I want during the year. Unless it's something really special like a box set.

Sheesh...nowadays kids are happy with a few spindles of blank CDs.

 

I read the parent site... and I must say I don't agree with their POV regarding filesharing (they basically stop short of encouraging people to steal albums from stores).

 

I remember getting albums from relatives thinking "Oh great, who's going to listen to this?"

Then, in hours of boredom, putting them on and actually getting to like them! Those days are gone, however. Today, there is just too much for kids to do. Plus, now a days, with the remote control and the "skip" button, there is no chance that "odd" music would ever be heard by someone not interested.

Even my wife will "skip" through one of my CDs in the car, listening to the first 10 seconds of each tune, then giving up and going on to the next track or next CD.

There is a lot to be said for having to stop what you are doing, get up off your butt and change the record!

 

They don't even get close to saying that; while downhillbattle.org makes some radical statements, a lot of what they say about the big record labels screwing artists out of money, ignoring independent artists, and suing families and children when they should be fixing their own house makes sense.

 

Speaking of which, has anyone else noticed the mini-turntable systems for sale at various department stores? I've seen them at Foley's, Restoration Hardware, and several other places. IIRC, the box invited the buyer to "rediscover your old records" or something to that effect.

Granted the table wasn't a Sota, but could this be a sign the vinyl renaissance is coming into the mainstream?

 

Did you see their fliers? They encourage "fileswapping, sharing, kazaa", etc., and tell people NOT to pay for their music.

That's theft to me. The RIAA might not be the best entity that ever existed, but stealing music, for whatever reason, is still stealing.

 

I won't be buying CDs for my nephews and nieces this year and that's for one simple reason: they haven't asked for them and it has nothing to do with illegal downloading or friends giving them CD-Rs of their favourite stuff.

The simple fact is they don't actually want any music. Playstation 2 games is what they've asked for so that's what I've bought for them.

Compared to music, games are far more important and PS2 is really where it's at for them at the moment. NOT music. With the current state of 'pop' music being so bad, I don't blame them either.