For Money or Love?

[TAlderson]

My girlfriend and I were having an interesting conversation about Paul McCartney. He's on the new iTunes ads, and has a marketing deal with Starbucks, too. She thought that he was just being greedy. I said that it's just a new way to get his music jeard by more people.

Now, Sir Paul is kind of a prick, so maybe he's not the best guy to use as an example. But what about guys like Bob Dylan, U2, Tom Petty, the Rolling Stones, and the Who (to name a few). None of them need the money they get from recording and performing. Hell, U2 turned down the 26 million dollars Apple was going to pay them for the ad they did. Is it just greed that keeps them performing, or is it that they have a love of music and performing?

I think it's kind of like how a lot of people play at open mikes and coffeehouses. It costs them money and time to play at these things. But there's something about performance that makes them want to go there. The only difference between them and, say U2, is the fact that U2 doesn't play at open mikes, they play at stadiums. It's like a drug habit. Once you get bigger and better things, you can't get the same buzz from a small show. You have to have larger and larger shows, more flashing lights and more album sales. So Sir Paul is just trying to get the same rush he got from playing with the Beatles and Wings, and that means marketing the hell out of his music.

Or maybe he just needs a new house.

-Tyler

[brandondrury]

My girlfriend and I were having an interesting conversation about Paul McCartney. He's on the new iTunes ads, and has a marketing deal with Starbucks, too. She thought that he was just being greedy

I've never understood this logic and probably never will. So many people assume that monstrously successful people are greedy. I don't even know what "greedy" is.

According to wikipedia "Greed is selfish excessive or uncontrolled desire for possession or pursuit of money, wealth, food, or other possessions, especially when this denies the same goods to others. ".

Okay, now I do.

Mr. McCartney is just doing what Mr. McCartney does. Maybe he enjoys what he does. He's not hurting anyone by being in a Starbucks commercial. (In fact, the people want him in a Starbucks commercial). Does he have a sickening amount of success? Yes! Good for him, I guess.

While I'm not huge on sports at this stage in my life, I do like to equate a lot of my theories with it. It's one of the few arenas where excessive liberalism is tossed out the window.

Back in the day, no one ever said "Take Micheal Jordan out in the 4th quarter. He has too many points!". Well, okay, I'm sure many of his opponent's fans did say something to this effect. The point is a successful person has a right to stay successful. Do they have a duty to sit out and let some of the other kids play? Hell no!

Brandon

[DT Chris]

If you can do something that you love, and can make money at it, all power to you.

If someone is willing to me you $25 million dollars to sing their jingle would I be greedy because I accepted the deal?

I love to sing. If someone wants to pay me for it so I can make a living, why not. Do I just turn it down because someone else might think I'm greedy? That's ridiculous. Nobody should be looking at dollar amounts when they refer to greed. I've known many people who were actually greedy - at the literal 'nickle and dime'. Literally.

[brandondrury]

If someone is willing to me you $25 million dollars to sing their jingle would I be greedy because I accepted the deal?

Great point!

I think the real judge of a man's character comes in how he spends that $25 million. I'm at a point where owning excessive stuff is just ridiculous. Why do movie stars really need $5,000,000 mansions and Ferraris? What's the point?

In the end a person can spend their money how they choose, but I can call that person a scumback motherfuck#r if I choose as well.

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There is such a tricky balance between letting people starve to death and creating bums. I mean, let's just say that Paul McCartney took the $20 million he made last month and gave it all to the poor. No one appreciates a freebee. It's the fast track to apathy.

I think of real life dude that "Pursuit of Happiness" was based on. He was homeless, working like a dog for free in hopes of maybe getting a stock market job in conditions that were way more difficult than his classmates, still getting his kid to day car, sometimes sleeping in public bathrooms, etc.

The dude now is a multi-millionaire.

The point is that if we really want to breed successful, useful, and productive people we need negative situations that people can rise from.

Maybe, buying the Ferrari isn't that bad for keeping the system going. The kid who polishes the Ferrari wheels in Modena has a job because of some rich bastard.

Brandon