Friday, April 17, 2009

The Sad State of Fame

The only reason I ever watched the movie, "Sling Blade" in the first place, was because Dwight Yoakam was in it. I honestly don't think I've seen any other Billy Bob Thornton movies. At least, not intentionally. It's a pretty safe bet I'll never see another.

Oh, you know, if you follow pop culture news at all, about the now infamous radio interview, featuring Billy Bob at his best. Seems that Billy Bob has a band, called the Boxmasters, or, as a satirist called them, the "Boxcutters".

And, it seems that, through Billy Bob's Hollywood/Texas connections, he managed to get the Boxcutters (er, Boxmasters) hitched to the Willie Nelson/Ray Price tour. Nice gig. One that about a bazillion bands would kill for.

Apparently, one of the obligations for the band was to do some radio promotion. Alas, that was asking waaaaa-y too much of an important Hollywood bigwig like Billy Bob.

Billy Bob seemed to not like the "tone" of the questions posed to him by the disc jockey. The DJ had the audacity to mention that BB happened to be an "actor". WELL! The impertinence! BB showed this guy. He sat in his chair and proceeded to make an ass of himself (as his bandmates frantically looked for a table to crawl under).

You be the judge:



The interview left me feeling really bad for the guys in the band. Did they actually sign on for this?

Seems that shortly thereafter, some of the guys came down with the "flu", and thus the Boxcutters had to leave the Willie Nelson tour.

Here's what those who bought tickets missed:



Ahem, "would you ask Tom Petty these questions?"



I definitely see the similarities. Don't you?

They're both "bands". They both are singing "songs". I mean, it's uncanny!

Sadly, for some ungodly reason, this infamous interview has brought attention to the Boxcutters that they could only pray for. And some fool will buy their CD, just so that he or she can feel close to someone famous.

Meanwhile, all those unknown bands, with singers who can actually "sing", are left out in the cold. They're wondering how they can get on the Willie Nelson tour. And they know that, given the opportunity to do a radio interview, they wouldn't be petulant. They'd be polite.

But, then, they don't have that sense of entitlement that only an actor who had one hit movie could have.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, I'm listening to someone who's keeping (alt) country music alive. He's not on the Willie Nelson tour.

His name is Robbie Fulks. Buy his CD's. Please. He's one of our last hopes.



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