Buy my album!

Now eligible for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame


Congratulations, Jeremy. I hope you get in this time...I know you've felt snubbed the last few years, what with never putting out an album of really anything...ever...but I'm sure it's going to happen for you now.


Halls of Fame suck.

In a world where we pay way too much attention and money to things that really don't matter (sports, movies, etc...), celebrities have become so absurdly obsessed with themselves and their accomplishments that it's getting a little weird. My main issue with this type of nonsense is, of course, awards ceremonies. I just saw a commercial saying that the Grammy awards were coming up. That's for music...but wasn't there a whole bunch of ruckus about Taylor Swift's acceptance speech being interrupted not all that long ago? Isn't she a musician? So maybe I'm wrong here, but if we very recently had an awards show for musicians, why are we now having another awards show for musicians? Apparently, musicians have nothing better to do than get dressed up and receive award after award for the same song. If they're so bored, how's about coming over to my place and shoveling the driveway or something?


You couldn't afford that.


Building on this premise, the ultimate awards ceremony is the Hall of Fame. People gather in a building to look at a non-stop award to somebody for a job well done. Be it somebody who used to be good at Baseball, Football, Hockey, Lacrosse (It's in Baltimore, don't bother looking it up), Curling (also not making it up...Orleans, Ontario), Polka (Euclid, OH), or being a Robot (Pittsburgh, PA). Seriously? Fricking HAL 9000 is in a Hall of Fame?!?!

The main purpose for Halls of Fames' existance is so that they can hold induction ceremonies. Yes...an awards show. It's a great way to bring in people who are interested in seeing somebody or something they admire in person getting an award. This works out well for the Hall of Fame because people actually come to the place they normally wouldn't go to and spend money that they normally would spend elsewhere. Aside from Induction Ceremony Day, Halls of Fame barely exist. The inherent issue here is that invariably, Halls of Fame run out of people worth inducting. Since they MUST hold an induction ceremony to make money, SOMEBODY has to get elected and inducted every year. To that end, they decide to induct somebody who had been passed over previously, since people apparently get an indeterminate number of tries to get elected, or somebody who's not quite up to the previous standard of quality required for election. All that really happens is over the years, the quality of the Hall of Fame and the prestige associated with being inducted is decreased.

This week brought news that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, OH is lowering their election standards because they've run out of worthy people to induct. Rather than accept that there aren't any good bands left who are induction-worthy, it is apparently more important to the Hall of Fame to hold an induction ceremony, so they will elect a lesser band. Good job! You've officially sold out.

Maybe I'll start a Sell-Out Hall of Fame....