The Death of Originality: Long live the 80's

With all these remakes of classic movies/tv shows it makes me weep (even more) for our future generations. Do none of these up and coming musicians or movie makers have an original thought? It's creeping into music now too...I hear so many remakes on the radio these days it's not even funny. Songs that have had lyrics changed but the tune is so similar or a blatant rip off from an 80's song that it's not even funny. Oh sure they'd say it's "sampling" I call it rip off plain and simple. It's pathetic really.

And yes...remakes of songs have been going on for years. I get that. So has sampling of other songs. Shit, even Barry Manilow took part of a Chopin song and made it into a classic back in the 70's - that was even before we knew what "sampling" was, before it even had a name. (Chopin and Mr. Manilow respectively -- I urge you to take the time to listen to both...This song is the reason why I ended up playing piano in the first place, rumor has it I started playing this on the piano and that's when my Mother decided I needed to go into piano lessons).

I guess what REALLY burns my ass is the fact that these new artists aren't paying the original art form the proper respect they're due. IF they were making something of equal quality or perhaps even surpassing their predecessors then I wouldn't complain...but it's a big money grab and they seemingly just don't give a crap, and they shit all over the body of work that they are trying to improve upon. There is the odd occasion where they either get it right or surpass the original, but those moments are so vastly few and far between. I just don't get it.

Perhaps I'm a little...over protective of my youth. Perhaps I need to let go and broaden my horizons. I dunno. But I swear to fuck if that little Justin Bieber twerp ever even THINKS about touching Duran...he'd better grow a set first because quite frankly...they're way WAY out of his league. He'd be better off sticking to singing Usher tunes. (JUST for the record NO I have NOT heard that young Twerp err I mean Justa Beaver err I mean Justin is DARING to tackle a Duran song...I'm just SAYING...a...forewarning if you will).

Anyway, I guess what I'm saying is...can someone pleeease have an original thought? Or, if you want to redo someone's art. PLEASE have the courtesy to at the very least attempt to make one almost equally as good if you cannot surpass the original? Is that really too much to ask?? Thanks in advance...

One Last Glimpse,


~K