posted on Dec, 17 2009 @ 04:24 PM
I found this VERY interesting. For readers outside the UK , I'll summarise - there is a highly successful Facebook campaign going on right now aimed
at getting Rage Against The Machine to the Christmas Number 1, and in doing so make a statement against Simon Cowell's annual X-Factor (the British
equivalent of American Idol) release from getting to the top of the charts.
Why would the authorities be at all concerned about such a trivial matter? Well, this is one of the first times that a small, grass-roots internet
campaign has caught the public mood, gathered momentum, and reached the stage where just about everyone in the country is aware of this ongoing Xmas
chart battle.
This particular internet campaign is about protesting against saccharine, formulaic bland pop music. But we are seeing how massively successful it has
been. What, however, happens if the next protest is about something else ; something more important? What if there is a campaign to boycott some of
the big banks after the scandal of the bail-outs and their subsequent massive Xmas bonuses? What if there is a campaign to encourage all credit card
holders to stop paying the ridiculous interest rates and default in their millions? This type of power is relatively new - made possible by the
communication potential of the internet.
A close friend of mine work's at the internet call-centre for one of the online stores of one of the larger British supermarkets. Not only are they
being instructed to massage the sales figures for internet purchases (not counting duplicate purchases ; not counting discounted purchases, etc), but
they have been encouraged to make the Rage Against The Machine album available in their stores. Purchases of the album (as opposed to the single song
'Killing In The Name') will not count towards sales figures, which most buyers won't be aware of.
How do I feel about this? Angry? Frustrated?
No.
I feel optimistic. This apparently trivial issue has shown that it is still possible for the so-called helpless masses to take back the power and have
some kind of impact again. By acting together, we become a unit, and our power rises exponentially. They're scared, people, and it feels great!
John