The Inside Story of a Reputation-Ruining, Idol-Killing Internet Hoax

Caitlin Dewey for The Washington Post:

Unfortunately for Oberst, it’s infinitely easier to spread a story than to take it back. When you Google his name, stories about the alleged rape still dominate the first page. There’s nothing about his latest album, Upside Down Mountain, which came out in May to pretty rave reviews. Nothing about his current tour.

It’s my eternal hope that stories like this eventually become something we look back on with bemusement*. Like, in the future’s version of Mad Men people won’t be smoking on planes or drinking while they’re pregnant. They’ll be posting vicious rumours about each other on the internet, and instagramming pictures of their lunch. The viewers of the future will laugh and think “My, we used to be uncivilized!” and rape accusations will no longer happen because we as a global society found a way to deter people from raping each other. Blue Ivey Carter will be nominated for an unprecedented third term as President and you’ll be able to buy weed at the corner store.

I admit it’s a stretch, even for the future, but a guy can dream.

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: Prison

C’est la vie.

Taylor Swift Doesn’t Understand Supply & Demand

…the most important lesson of the internet music revolution is that the vast majority of consumers actually reward convenience. That’s why the iPod was a huge hit even though digitally-compressed music sounded terrible at the time, and it’s why teenagers today get most of their music on YouTube, even though YouTube sounds worse still.

Nilay Patel does a good job contending Taylor Swift’s premise that the future of the music industry is a love story. I share Taylor’s optimism but think it’s misdirected. The exciting future of music will (hopefully) rest at the intersection of artistic vision and supply and demand: great bands building a legacy off the presentation and experience of their art rather than album sales/downloads. We’re already starting to see this trend, and it hope it increases in the future.