Tag Archives: Dan Savage

Listen Without Prejudice.

19 Nov

This image via Slog, the blog of The Stranger, “Seattle’s only newspaper,” which is edited by Dan Savage. Apparently, they will now be dropping the star system from their album reviews.
It’s a move in the right direction. Whether in a formal class setting or informal conversation, I’ve always tried to point out that we should treat songs like we do people, listening to them on their own terms, not judging/rating them so much as figuring out what they’re trying to say, and thinking critically about why they’re trying to say it.

The rating system isn’t much more than a tool for marketers, and it’s rarely used in the one way I can think of that might be at all productive. Much like letter grades in a composition course, stars should be assigned with an ear to how well the composer/performer is saying what they’re trying to say, and not with an ear to whether the evaluator likes the musical message.

That said, I wish they would drop the new labels that replace the star system. Yeah, it’s Seattle, the land of Archie MacPhee. I get it. Cute. But they don’t exactly promote the open-minded critical thinking that has the potential to keep bridging the narrowing gap between popular and academic music criticism.

Not to mention they’re missing a label, aren’t they? They’ve got “cute,” “magical and/or gay,” “tough,” and “slow.” Can you tell me which one is missing?

Savage Madison Man

15 Mar

He worked at Four Star Video Heaven before I lived in Madison. Searching through a random page of the store’s “Documentary” Section might give you an idea of how Dan Savage likely fit right in. My roommate tells me he’s an excellent and fun cab passenger, and many of us in Madtown are proud to see him succeeding as editor of Seattle’s Stranger. A glance through my shared items should give you a sense of why I enjoy the paper’s blog.

It’s great to see him make it on TV, too, perhaps even more so than the initial thrill of seeing out-and-about Rachel Maddow occasionally smack down Pat Buchanan on MSNBC. (More often than not, she appears way-too-comfortable listening to Pat Buchanan’s incessant screaming.) What’s more, Dan still keeps it real on Savage Love. This Week’s Column makes me wish someone like him was around in the mainstream media when I was a kid. A touching reminder, really.

Update 4/4/08: Dan writes a touching Savage Love response to his mother’s death. This is why I like the guy.