"Cheap Copies" Follow-Up

Steven Knight took my last blog-entry and re-posted it on the Emergent Village blog, which is not where the post was intended to land - but I also gave him my permission. It has definitely engendered some response. Let me make some clarifications.

For me the Third Day album cover was not the main point. It was the presenting issue. What I observed on Gary's blog and the reposted and commented on is what has become to me a culture of cheap copies within this American brand of Christianity.

I can hardly go into Christian book stores any longer because of the phenomenon (in fact, I have been percolating a post chronicling my most recent foray into such a place). On many occasions I have walked through the Christian "alternative" section (among others) of many bookstores and seen some kind of blatant music key that states, "If you like Coldplay, then you'll like (fill-in-the-blank)." Surely some of you have seen that? That is what I am talking about: a bifurcation of the world into "us and them" categories where we are different/better/not stained by the world, except...man, do we love their music. If only "our" artists could do something like that, but about Jesus.

I don't think this is a problem with the artists, by the way. I have some friends connected to the CCM thing and we have processed this for years. One person in particular has shared with me the number of good friends who feel neck-deep in the struggle with this whole deal and it is killing them...or should I say, their artistic integrity. There is a machine and it is real. After reading yesterday's post, he wrote me: "It's funny to be in the middle of all that in Nashville and realize the degree to which that stuff is...happening." He goes on to tell a story about being with another writer in a writing session for a third, young artist. He began to be uncomfortable with the direction of the theology of the song, how it reinforced some of the things that many of us are trying to move beyond related to the church and the world. He told me that when he expressed that and tried to take the song in a different direction the other writer looked at him and said, "Wow. You've really got a conscience, don't you." He was stunned.

Jason, a commenter on the last post, and wrote, "Here's the thing - what if they didn't rip it off? What if the artist sat down, listened to the album, perhaps just after visiting salvation mountain or whatever, and responded with this piece of art for the cover idea?" It's a fair question. That is possible and if so then in this instance I am wrong to use the Third Day record as an example. It is hard for me to imagine that that could be the case given the high profiles of both artists within their respective genres, but I don't know. And that is not to say that artists, visual and otherwise, don't use references all the time. No one creates ex nihilo. But having a reference and making something so starkly similar (my opinion) - well, in the classic words of Derek Smalls of Spinal Tap, "There is a fine line between clever and stupid."

And let me say again, the Third Day cover was an example illustrating a larger issue about creativity and Christians, not some kind of referendum on them as a band. I am sure they are really thoughtful and creative guys...who are making their art in a system.

Comments

[Kai Schraml]

Thanks for your observations. Especially this one:

"That is what I am talking about: a bifurcation of the world into "us and them" categories where we are different/better/not stained by the world, except...man, do we love their music. If only "our" artists could do something like that, but about Jesus."

I'll add another...exchange the music for videos.

Godtube.com

I wrote my response to it here.

[Kai]

Well, I meant to give you the link. http://kaischraml.wordpress.com/2008/08/08/what-if-there-were-a-god-tv-god-tube-god-channel/

[Ty]

You might find this book interesting, A Broken Beauty by Prescott and Herman, I saw Bruce Herman talk last year on beauty and Christian art. Very fascinating...the topic is a bit different but has similar undertones.

[Jason]

Thanks for this follow-up, Tim. I'm often struck by the lengths to which people are willing to go to stay isolated. Christian therapists, Christian accountants, Christian web-designers, Christian everything.

Like I said before, I had no intention of specifically defending the Third Day album since neither of us have no idea, but I'm glad you got a chance to clarify. Thanks for thinking and writing.

[Deana]

Agreed on the knock-offs. i have a hard time believing the best we can do for talking about Jesuson a t-shirt is to rip off the coca-cola symbol or as you show, Gold's Gym. This stuff is crazy and buys into all that Jesus did not buy into. So much for creativity and counter-culture, eh?

[Julius]

see again http://www.salvationmountain.us/notables_art.html

[Tim]

Thanks, Julius.

[j.d.]

Its great to have your voice writing, even ranting, about the same issues and struggles as artists of all disciples....many of whom work in business systems whose goals of profitability consistently trump originality. The enviable luxury of working without the layers of a marketing team, producer, creative director, etc., all with big $ales agendas, is rare indeed... and one reason Sam and Mike are enjoying the freedom to create to their own vision. These layers, as you describe by telling the writer's story, are completely invisible to most viewers/listeners.

As you know, the great majority of artists are in relentless pursuit of originality..... some to the point of creative paralysis. It's so rare (in my experience as an art director) that an artist would propose doing anything that would rip off another artist. What point would there be in it for them? It seems we desperately need people in the layers of approval and direction, of company's that produce artistic works, who won't bend to the happy sales figures of what's been done before....whether inside or outside the Christian context. The revolution against "sameness" has always been on the mind of the artist. Where it really needs to happen is in the board room (or its equivalent). We need more people with a seat at that table making the case for originality and conscience over copying. There is more than one way to get the sales dollars that eventually end up putting food on an artist's table.

[Tim]

Thanks for the wonderful response, JDM. I love the way you describe the layers and the challenge to the system and the way in which artists are working within such layers. Also, the challenge to work creativity "up" the system. Some things are the same across disciplines.

I don't know whether or not artists would or would not want to recreate or imitate something someone else has done. I agree that originality fuels many artists. However, I think about my own field of endeavor: the local church. As you know, the impulse to succeed and to imitate those who have is rampant and unyielding. Technique, models, and experts rule the day for many...not necessarily because they want that but because they may not know any different or because they have their bottom lines, too. I believe that many don't even know that they could ask a different set of questions. I have to believe that the impulse is the same for many working artists as it is for pastors. What happens to originality in such a scenario?

Fortunately, I see signs of hope. Here's a different, perhaps bridging, example.

Mark the ways filmmaking seems to be changing. I have read for years how studio heads kill the vision of creative directors in order to make something more "marketable" to a wider audience. Integrity is sacrificed for safety, which rarely materializes. Then witness the ensuing creative travesty: the cruddy box office, the muddled narrative, the disenfranchised audience, and not least, the heart-broken directors (whose visions are only seen after the fact in "director's cut" versions that have been restored to something approximating what they originally wanted). But with Peter Jackson and "The Lord of the Rings," the trend seems to be changing. Weird and quirky is in. Source material matters. Characters are being developed. Creative integrity is producing at the box office. "The Dark Knight" has made almost $500 million dollars. Guillermo del Toro can make movies like "Pan's Labyrinth." It is a good time to be a fan of films.

I think this is part of the age of creativity that is emerging. The age of the organization that uses creatives as a means towards an end is shifting to the age of the creative that uses organizations as a means to distribute art. Of course it must "produce," but not just money. This is hopeful, but it is not fast. Thank God that there is, as you say, "more than one way to get the sales dollars that eventually end up putting food on an artist's table."

Tim

[Micah Redding]

I like Tim's comments about the film industry. People want something real, and for a long time, it's been hard to give it to them. The new takes on Batman and on James Bond are trying to find something real and gritty to deliver.

I think Christian music has a built-in issue, because it has defined itself into a box. A realization that all music is ultimately a gift from God would do better at informing songwriters, and enabling them to create material that could change the world.

Instead, Christian music has substituted preaching to the choir, and offering cleaned-up versions of popular material for the youth group audience.

It would be much more dangerous, but much more satisfying, for Christian musicians to produce music for the unChristian world. In order to do that, they couldn't take short-cuts...they would have to be delivering something truly valuable.

That's why when people ask whether my band is Christian, I don't answer "yes". I'm not making music for the churched or Nashville's Christian music machine.

I'm making music for God, myself, and the world.

[Tim]

Thanks for your reflections, Micah. Good stuff.

[Katie Dennis]

I've actually never listened to Third Day, but I struggle with this part of Christian culture and what to think. Mostly it just makes me sad that we're thwarting the creativity God put in us by ripping off or separating ourselves intentionally from the rest of the artistic world.
This all too often occurrence is half of the reason I'm wanting to quit working at the Christian book store/coffee house that employs me. No originality, no good music, very little literature and no expression. eh and it's in Lawrence to boot! Our mission is to be a "light" to downtown, but we only sell things that Christians will buy. But, our coffee is amazing!