Robert Smith Is Not Sorry

After making some disparaging comments about a misunderstood perception of “The Radiohead Model” (which Maura helpfully defined correctly) and kicking up a consequent shitstorm, Cure lead singer Robert Smith has, refreshingly, expanded on his ideas rather than backing away from them—though, regrettably, in all caps. I will retype it for you so it seems more credible.

In the way of our bright and brave new wired world, these idiot critics have tried very hard to turn my general point – a point I made using Radiohead’s ‘In Rainbows: pay what you want’ marketing ruse as it is the most widely known example – into a mock shockhorror “how dare anyone question the famously independent and anti-capitalist Radiohead, they sell more ‘product’ than The Cure so their strategy obviously ‘worked’ (huh?!!)…and anyway, Robert Smith is way too old to comment on contemporary culture” moment…

Any famous artist with a huge and devoted fan base (often arrived at with a little help from a wealthy and powerful ‘patron’ or two?) can afford to do what he, she, or it wants…

Including giving their art away as some kind of ‘loss leader’ to help ‘build the brand’…

PS I wonder how many of the professional apologists out there write their shit for free?

He has a point.

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