betaband
08-18-2005, 12:34 AM
Beastie Boys
Top 50 Most Influential People in Pop Culture
Raygun, 08.98
A dialogue between Ian C. Rogers and Eric C. Gladstone
Eric Gladstone: Think about pop culture today: Judging by such a mainstream indicator as a Pepsi “Pop Culture” game I picked up in the AM/PM (in which players match up current buzz phrases to win promotional prizes), it’s become either cynical (“In it for the Benjamins,” “As if,” “Been there, done that”) nihilistic (“Hasta la vista, baby,” “Shop til you drop”), attitudinal (“Don’t go there,” “You talkin’ to me,” “I’m outta here”), or sarcastic (“Talk to the hand,” “Let’s get ready to rumble”) and only in one out of 11 examples, positive (“It’s all good”). Despite all the glitz and glamour, it seems pretty clear we live in dark times – and it’s not all Marilyn Manson’s fault. Fifteen years ago, a teenager with a beef used a spray can or maybe knocked down a mailbox. Today, kids are shooting each other and everyone around them at school (Thank you, Quake. Thank you, Arnold. Thank you, NRA).
Ian Rogers: I’m not sure where you’re going with this. Are you saying the Beastie Boys have continually positive influence? Let’s not forget “I shot homeboy but the bullet was a dud so I reached in the Miller cooler, grabbed a cool Bud,” or the chorus from “The Scenario.”
Eric: No doubt. And that’s 1986, Mr. Cube. Here’s where I’m going. Look: Cynical, nihilistic, attitudinal, sarcastic, positive. All of these elements are reflected in the Beasties’ image and output, both past and present.
Ian: Past and present is really an important point. I think a lot of their past, whether they like it or not, is still influencing the present. They still believe in being jackasses as much as the next guy, but when you see other people acting like jackasses because of you, you tend to want to change your public appearance.
Eric: It goes all the way back. The Beasties have almost always had a close relationship to the pop zeitgeist, always been on top of it, and pretty quickly put their mark on it. “Cookie Puss,” not technically their first record, but the first worth mentioning, had both: it referenced the perennial hero of Tom Carvel’s soft ice cream empire – and it got picked up in hip circles as nearly the first record (not including Blondie’s “Rapture”) to make rap safe for white suburbanites to like (even if in a humorous way), believe it or not.
Ian: Or did it start before that? Pollywog Stew hit me at age 14 as a fun hardcore record, perhaps the same way “Fight For Your Right” hit the frat boys. It was hardcore without the idealism, self-referential like hip-hop (B.E.A.S.T.I.E.), snarling and inspired. I really like that record, though I don’t know a soul who agrees with me (expect childhood friend Ryan Timmons).
Eric: Anyway, by the time of their Def Jam reinvention they showed those skate kids – maybe that was you – that sideways baseball caps, fat laced Adidas, and gold chains were “hype.” If the Beasties didn’t invent the style they certainly opened the door.
Ian: This, to me, is really the key to the whole thing. To say the Beastie Boys invented all that stuff will get you in trouble, but it’s hard to argue with the fact that they drew a lot of disparate shit together and to the forefront.
Eric: Whether they’re proud of it, the Beasties’ No-Sleep-Til-Brooklyn-She’s-On-It era formed a new blueprint for middle America’s mainstream morons: short hair, sweats, chanting and pointing, pouring Budweiser on everything. Now you know why they’re working so hard in the other direction: this is a lot to answer for. Parking lots everywhere are still playing out this paradigm.
Ian: I think it’s hard for both the fans and the band to admit, but this is what picked them up and put them in a position to influence anyone. They had a hit party record that spoke to the masses. They’ve had to backtrack from there, but if they hadn’t gotten there to begin with there wouldn’t be any ground to backtrack on…
Eric: And though Run DMC were already sampling rock guitars, the Beasties showed just what it meant, in a post-punk, chezz-metalled, neo-MTV world to truly not give a shit: take loops of Barry White, Creedence Clearwater and Zeppelin, mix and match, cut and paste: Licensed to Ill indeed. Is that record the Dark Side of the Moon for the ‘90s or what? Something like 362 weeks on the catalog chart…
Ian: DJ Shadow once said he herd (but wasn’t certain) that the Led Zeppelin loop that starts that record was the first looped drum beat on album. (Any way that’s true? He really told me he thought that was the case).
Eric: Could be. I remember Mike telling me that most of the “sampling” on that record was done live off the records while recording. Tape loop technology was also used then – but I think someone else might have done it first. Another thing, though, Rick Rubin made a good point not too long ago that the first record, musically, was really him, and the second was really the Dust Brothers, and it wasn’t ‘til Check Your Head that the B-Boys were really, musically, of themselves.
Ian: Blame Rubin if you’d like, but it was the Beastie Boys who brought it to the masses.
Eric: Granted, and in those later records, the palette continued to widen: Paul’s Boutique was so intense people are still catching up to it, Check Your Head sampled Rashaan Roland Kirk, Hendrix, turtles, Nugent, Bad Brains, Modern Jazz Quartet and Richard “Groove” Holmes. Every effect the Beasties have had on the culture has been inspired by their own influences – and more importantly, how they’ve used those influences. I looked through this ’94 interview I did with them and Mike and I talked a lot about their “formative years” as a band, and the vibe we both remembered from early ‘80s New York. Here’s a good quote: “For me, in high school, I was almost totally shaped by radio. [In New York] you had all these fringe radio shows that were totally influential. You go from listening to [Tim Sommers’ hardcore half hour] Noise the Show to the Zulu Beat Show with Afrika Islam and Red Alert. I remember we went out to Long Island, and Dr. Dre, before he was our DJ, before MTV, and Hank Shocklee came out of that show, and they used to play the Public Enemy demo.” Around the same time, Yauch was interning in dance remixer Arthur Baker’s studio.
Consider the attitude towards sampling: that it wasn’t just about finding one beat to cut for a soundbed (even if that dumb concept has produced hits for years), it was about creating entire new collages of soundbites. Ninety percent of ‘90s hip-hop has followed this formula.
Ian: Keep in mind, there are two separate groups of people being influenced here, the creators, and the masses. Don’t forget that there’s a huge listening audience that has no idea that there’s a Turtles sample underneath “Jimmy James” and that the lyrics to “Time For Livin’” are originally found on Sly Stone’s Small Talk. That’s the beauty, they’re taking their influences and wrapping them up into something that makes the masses just go, “I love this!” without analyzing. The beauty of the Beastie Boys is how they manage to make fans out of both groups. They snag the creators and collectors when they say things like, “This on’es for Newcastle…where Venom’s from” (on “Dedication,” from Hello Nasty and they still manage to gather in those people who only own 10 CDs, with Ill Communication and Check Your Head making up exactly one fifth.
Eric: As far as lyrical references, I don’t know if sales of Reddi-Whip topping, Rod Carew baseball cards or Billy “the fifth Beastie” Joel records have seen a sales spike since mentions by the Boys, but certainly Antonio “Huggy Bear” Fargas’ career has improved (seen that Backstreet Boys video cameo?). On “Intergalactic,” it’s all about the Flintstone Flop. Of course, such an embrace of pop culture was already present in both genres the Beasties worked: rap name checked brands since Sugarhill Gang’s “hotel, motel, Holiday Inn” refrain and hardcore always took a sardonic eye to the headlines of the day (well, except for maybe Circle Jerks or the Meatmen).
And in fashion? Well, after the sideways ball caps and sweats, you’ll note Yauch wore a van dyke beard (a frightenly popular style now) for a bit, promoted bootleg logo T-shirts with the first X-Large fashions, wore khakis before the Gap called them cool, and have since been on a campaign to legitimize coveralls in the color of choice (we chose electric Blue with racing stripes for the GR Demo Derby team. I’m proud of that one.)
Ian: I think there’s even more than that. I think they made it okay to wear Dickies and T-shirts, which was definitely already happening all over (skate culture was already a couple years ahead on the Dickies, then later cargo pants), but they spread it around, you know? But more than that, I think by wearing what the core of their fans were already wearing, they made themselves more available. I know I, for one, felt like they were similar to me in some way because of it. I was looking at these stars, but going, hey, they’re not so different. They dress the same, listen to the same records, think the same sort of ridiculous shit is funny, etc. That’s the beauty of them.
Eric: And sports: Did snowboarding or golf seem very popular before the B-Boys were hipping us to them? From low rider bikes to longboards, if the Beasties didn’t introduce any of these trends, they sure were on top of them.
Ian: That’s what they’ve done so well, they’re not just giving us music, they’re giving us culture. They’ve taken their own, and their own friends’, interests and even beliefs, and handed it all to us as something we can all enjoy. These are times when I’ve found it offensive, especially when you realize how few people are dictating this culture – Spike Jonze, Adam, Adam, and Mike, Eli Bonerz…does it go any further?
Eric: Oh sure, the white Russell Simins, Jake Fogelnest, Matt Sweeney…um…Tamra Davis…point taken.
Ian: But they’re not forcing it, just putting it out there, and it’s been picked right up. It’s undeniable. Not that they’re inventing it, but because of their reach, they’re spreading it. And that reach dates back to License to Ill! Which is what makes it so unique and amazing.
Eric: There’s also that little magazine that they did, which of course had many of its own inspirations – from Motorbooty to Mad – but we’ll humbly say it seems to have had its effect on a few competitors (not this magazine, but its sister Bikini for sure). I mean, let’s just talk mullets. The word has practically gotten an entry in the dictionary. Everyone uses it. Far as I know, it sprang from Bob Mack’s head.
Ian: Careful.
Eric: Well, so I’ve been told…. And in politics, well, no disrespect to the efforts of Richard Gere and Steven Segal, but the issues of China’s oppression of Tibet and exploitation of labor to produce the cheap goods we (God Bless) Americans love were falling off the back of the political shelf before Mssrs. Yauc et al. Brought them on tour. They have set an example for growing a conscience without looking like soul-searching celebrities (certainly at least all the performers at the TFCs have been affected by this) nad also in creating a social concern without looking contradictory (oh sure, they have their pundits, but the harshest commentary they can make is that the Beasties are more concerned with a country thousands of miles away instead of the injustices under their noses. Fair enough.)
Ian: The Tibetan Freedom Concert has grown into a powerful force, to be sure. With the bill getting stronger each year, not weaker, you can see what kind of momentum the Beastie Boys are capable of creating, even without “new product.”
Eric: That’s true! All three concerts have happened between the last album and the new one. The overall effect is that, not only have they promoted eclecticism in both music and style, but they’ve encouraged people to seek their own mixes with whatever works for them. Roots are only as corny as you want them to be (ask Mike about Chris LeDoux), there are no wrong answers (except maybe Peter Lemongello) and all roads are valid. Self-determination, clearly one of the most significant marks of the currently maturing post-X generation, leads back to the Beasties more than to any other cultural icon or social leader you can think of.
Ian: You know, we’re really too close to it.
Eric: I know. But probably the fact that we’ve been that influenced by them, and thought about it so much, is why we’ve gotten close.
Ian: Exactly. I felt close before I was even near. When I heard Paul’s Boutique I was floored. I thought someone made an album out of my record collection. Sly, the Sweet, and Johnny Cash? I didn’t know these people but I was pretty sure I identified with them more than anyone in my Indiana hometown. At the heart of their influence is how easy it is to identify with what they are for so many people. They’re unique enough, but different enough, and cohesive enough as a unit to make a great number of people go, “I bet they’re not much different than me and my friends.” But they’re still at least one step ahead, so you and your friends want to try to keep up.
Eric: Okay, here’s my snappy wrap-up: The most impressive thing is that in the year 2000, the Beasties will still be On It. And as James Brown would say, that’s “Future Shock.”
Ian C. Rogers is webmaster of the official Beastie Boys and Grand Royal sites. Eric C. Gladstone is the last standing editor of Grand Royal magazine.
Secrets of the infomercial
Interview of sorts by Eric Gladstone
Some artists are flattered to be included in a list of Top 50 Pop Culture Influences; others are bashful, humbled, or dismissive. The Beastie Boys don’t even want to know. “You guys are doing the dreaded pop culture issue?” Mike D says. “You know, I’m tired of getting asked the ‘pop culture’ questions. Because, really, Eric, what do I know?”
Alright, we’ll leave the tough stuff to Charlie Rose. Since the Beasties have chosen an archetypal pop culture forum, the late night infomercials, as the centerpiece of their Hello Nasty marketing campaign (look for their own version on www.grandroyal.com or check your local TV listings), we just decided to talk to Mike about that unique art form.
Ray Gun: What’s your favorite infomercial? Who’s your favorite infomercial star?
Mike D: I don’t really know much about them. I just did a little research when we did ours. But I was very impressed with Christie Brinkley’s delivery. I’m not sure what it was. I thought she had very good gesticulation.
RG: What do you think makes a good infomercial?
Mike: I think you have to take it to an extreme, what you’re actually offering or selling. The more preposterous or unbelievable, probably, the more successful [you’ll be].
RG: Is the actual product or service being offered an issue?
Mike: Doesn’t really seem to be. I think really, more, you’re selling the headspace.
RG: Do you think it makes someone more a star or celebrity to be on an infomercial, or less? Does it raise or lower them?
Mike: I think that probably depends on who you ask. But I think what’s amazing, I don’t even really know who it is that infomercials are really watched by. That’s what I think is most interesting and certainly intriguing to me about it. You kind of have an idea in your head of who’s gonna watch MTV or who’s watching Letterman or something. But think about being a large celebrity among people who watch infomercials. That’s some shit, right there.
RG: That’s the real people.
Mike: You’re large like Thom McAnn.
RG: Is that why you decided to take that particular marketing approach?
Mike: Yeah, I think it was Thom McAnn that personally came to me. Thom McAnn spoke to me. So, what are you now, you’re the Infomercial director at Ray Gun? Good luck with your endeavor.
Top 50 Most Influential People in Pop Culture
Raygun, 08.98
A dialogue between Ian C. Rogers and Eric C. Gladstone
Eric Gladstone: Think about pop culture today: Judging by such a mainstream indicator as a Pepsi “Pop Culture” game I picked up in the AM/PM (in which players match up current buzz phrases to win promotional prizes), it’s become either cynical (“In it for the Benjamins,” “As if,” “Been there, done that”) nihilistic (“Hasta la vista, baby,” “Shop til you drop”), attitudinal (“Don’t go there,” “You talkin’ to me,” “I’m outta here”), or sarcastic (“Talk to the hand,” “Let’s get ready to rumble”) and only in one out of 11 examples, positive (“It’s all good”). Despite all the glitz and glamour, it seems pretty clear we live in dark times – and it’s not all Marilyn Manson’s fault. Fifteen years ago, a teenager with a beef used a spray can or maybe knocked down a mailbox. Today, kids are shooting each other and everyone around them at school (Thank you, Quake. Thank you, Arnold. Thank you, NRA).
Ian Rogers: I’m not sure where you’re going with this. Are you saying the Beastie Boys have continually positive influence? Let’s not forget “I shot homeboy but the bullet was a dud so I reached in the Miller cooler, grabbed a cool Bud,” or the chorus from “The Scenario.”
Eric: No doubt. And that’s 1986, Mr. Cube. Here’s where I’m going. Look: Cynical, nihilistic, attitudinal, sarcastic, positive. All of these elements are reflected in the Beasties’ image and output, both past and present.
Ian: Past and present is really an important point. I think a lot of their past, whether they like it or not, is still influencing the present. They still believe in being jackasses as much as the next guy, but when you see other people acting like jackasses because of you, you tend to want to change your public appearance.
Eric: It goes all the way back. The Beasties have almost always had a close relationship to the pop zeitgeist, always been on top of it, and pretty quickly put their mark on it. “Cookie Puss,” not technically their first record, but the first worth mentioning, had both: it referenced the perennial hero of Tom Carvel’s soft ice cream empire – and it got picked up in hip circles as nearly the first record (not including Blondie’s “Rapture”) to make rap safe for white suburbanites to like (even if in a humorous way), believe it or not.
Ian: Or did it start before that? Pollywog Stew hit me at age 14 as a fun hardcore record, perhaps the same way “Fight For Your Right” hit the frat boys. It was hardcore without the idealism, self-referential like hip-hop (B.E.A.S.T.I.E.), snarling and inspired. I really like that record, though I don’t know a soul who agrees with me (expect childhood friend Ryan Timmons).
Eric: Anyway, by the time of their Def Jam reinvention they showed those skate kids – maybe that was you – that sideways baseball caps, fat laced Adidas, and gold chains were “hype.” If the Beasties didn’t invent the style they certainly opened the door.
Ian: This, to me, is really the key to the whole thing. To say the Beastie Boys invented all that stuff will get you in trouble, but it’s hard to argue with the fact that they drew a lot of disparate shit together and to the forefront.
Eric: Whether they’re proud of it, the Beasties’ No-Sleep-Til-Brooklyn-She’s-On-It era formed a new blueprint for middle America’s mainstream morons: short hair, sweats, chanting and pointing, pouring Budweiser on everything. Now you know why they’re working so hard in the other direction: this is a lot to answer for. Parking lots everywhere are still playing out this paradigm.
Ian: I think it’s hard for both the fans and the band to admit, but this is what picked them up and put them in a position to influence anyone. They had a hit party record that spoke to the masses. They’ve had to backtrack from there, but if they hadn’t gotten there to begin with there wouldn’t be any ground to backtrack on…
Eric: And though Run DMC were already sampling rock guitars, the Beasties showed just what it meant, in a post-punk, chezz-metalled, neo-MTV world to truly not give a shit: take loops of Barry White, Creedence Clearwater and Zeppelin, mix and match, cut and paste: Licensed to Ill indeed. Is that record the Dark Side of the Moon for the ‘90s or what? Something like 362 weeks on the catalog chart…
Ian: DJ Shadow once said he herd (but wasn’t certain) that the Led Zeppelin loop that starts that record was the first looped drum beat on album. (Any way that’s true? He really told me he thought that was the case).
Eric: Could be. I remember Mike telling me that most of the “sampling” on that record was done live off the records while recording. Tape loop technology was also used then – but I think someone else might have done it first. Another thing, though, Rick Rubin made a good point not too long ago that the first record, musically, was really him, and the second was really the Dust Brothers, and it wasn’t ‘til Check Your Head that the B-Boys were really, musically, of themselves.
Ian: Blame Rubin if you’d like, but it was the Beastie Boys who brought it to the masses.
Eric: Granted, and in those later records, the palette continued to widen: Paul’s Boutique was so intense people are still catching up to it, Check Your Head sampled Rashaan Roland Kirk, Hendrix, turtles, Nugent, Bad Brains, Modern Jazz Quartet and Richard “Groove” Holmes. Every effect the Beasties have had on the culture has been inspired by their own influences – and more importantly, how they’ve used those influences. I looked through this ’94 interview I did with them and Mike and I talked a lot about their “formative years” as a band, and the vibe we both remembered from early ‘80s New York. Here’s a good quote: “For me, in high school, I was almost totally shaped by radio. [In New York] you had all these fringe radio shows that were totally influential. You go from listening to [Tim Sommers’ hardcore half hour] Noise the Show to the Zulu Beat Show with Afrika Islam and Red Alert. I remember we went out to Long Island, and Dr. Dre, before he was our DJ, before MTV, and Hank Shocklee came out of that show, and they used to play the Public Enemy demo.” Around the same time, Yauch was interning in dance remixer Arthur Baker’s studio.
Consider the attitude towards sampling: that it wasn’t just about finding one beat to cut for a soundbed (even if that dumb concept has produced hits for years), it was about creating entire new collages of soundbites. Ninety percent of ‘90s hip-hop has followed this formula.
Ian: Keep in mind, there are two separate groups of people being influenced here, the creators, and the masses. Don’t forget that there’s a huge listening audience that has no idea that there’s a Turtles sample underneath “Jimmy James” and that the lyrics to “Time For Livin’” are originally found on Sly Stone’s Small Talk. That’s the beauty, they’re taking their influences and wrapping them up into something that makes the masses just go, “I love this!” without analyzing. The beauty of the Beastie Boys is how they manage to make fans out of both groups. They snag the creators and collectors when they say things like, “This on’es for Newcastle…where Venom’s from” (on “Dedication,” from Hello Nasty and they still manage to gather in those people who only own 10 CDs, with Ill Communication and Check Your Head making up exactly one fifth.
Eric: As far as lyrical references, I don’t know if sales of Reddi-Whip topping, Rod Carew baseball cards or Billy “the fifth Beastie” Joel records have seen a sales spike since mentions by the Boys, but certainly Antonio “Huggy Bear” Fargas’ career has improved (seen that Backstreet Boys video cameo?). On “Intergalactic,” it’s all about the Flintstone Flop. Of course, such an embrace of pop culture was already present in both genres the Beasties worked: rap name checked brands since Sugarhill Gang’s “hotel, motel, Holiday Inn” refrain and hardcore always took a sardonic eye to the headlines of the day (well, except for maybe Circle Jerks or the Meatmen).
And in fashion? Well, after the sideways ball caps and sweats, you’ll note Yauch wore a van dyke beard (a frightenly popular style now) for a bit, promoted bootleg logo T-shirts with the first X-Large fashions, wore khakis before the Gap called them cool, and have since been on a campaign to legitimize coveralls in the color of choice (we chose electric Blue with racing stripes for the GR Demo Derby team. I’m proud of that one.)
Ian: I think there’s even more than that. I think they made it okay to wear Dickies and T-shirts, which was definitely already happening all over (skate culture was already a couple years ahead on the Dickies, then later cargo pants), but they spread it around, you know? But more than that, I think by wearing what the core of their fans were already wearing, they made themselves more available. I know I, for one, felt like they were similar to me in some way because of it. I was looking at these stars, but going, hey, they’re not so different. They dress the same, listen to the same records, think the same sort of ridiculous shit is funny, etc. That’s the beauty of them.
Eric: And sports: Did snowboarding or golf seem very popular before the B-Boys were hipping us to them? From low rider bikes to longboards, if the Beasties didn’t introduce any of these trends, they sure were on top of them.
Ian: That’s what they’ve done so well, they’re not just giving us music, they’re giving us culture. They’ve taken their own, and their own friends’, interests and even beliefs, and handed it all to us as something we can all enjoy. These are times when I’ve found it offensive, especially when you realize how few people are dictating this culture – Spike Jonze, Adam, Adam, and Mike, Eli Bonerz…does it go any further?
Eric: Oh sure, the white Russell Simins, Jake Fogelnest, Matt Sweeney…um…Tamra Davis…point taken.
Ian: But they’re not forcing it, just putting it out there, and it’s been picked right up. It’s undeniable. Not that they’re inventing it, but because of their reach, they’re spreading it. And that reach dates back to License to Ill! Which is what makes it so unique and amazing.
Eric: There’s also that little magazine that they did, which of course had many of its own inspirations – from Motorbooty to Mad – but we’ll humbly say it seems to have had its effect on a few competitors (not this magazine, but its sister Bikini for sure). I mean, let’s just talk mullets. The word has practically gotten an entry in the dictionary. Everyone uses it. Far as I know, it sprang from Bob Mack’s head.
Ian: Careful.
Eric: Well, so I’ve been told…. And in politics, well, no disrespect to the efforts of Richard Gere and Steven Segal, but the issues of China’s oppression of Tibet and exploitation of labor to produce the cheap goods we (God Bless) Americans love were falling off the back of the political shelf before Mssrs. Yauc et al. Brought them on tour. They have set an example for growing a conscience without looking like soul-searching celebrities (certainly at least all the performers at the TFCs have been affected by this) nad also in creating a social concern without looking contradictory (oh sure, they have their pundits, but the harshest commentary they can make is that the Beasties are more concerned with a country thousands of miles away instead of the injustices under their noses. Fair enough.)
Ian: The Tibetan Freedom Concert has grown into a powerful force, to be sure. With the bill getting stronger each year, not weaker, you can see what kind of momentum the Beastie Boys are capable of creating, even without “new product.”
Eric: That’s true! All three concerts have happened between the last album and the new one. The overall effect is that, not only have they promoted eclecticism in both music and style, but they’ve encouraged people to seek their own mixes with whatever works for them. Roots are only as corny as you want them to be (ask Mike about Chris LeDoux), there are no wrong answers (except maybe Peter Lemongello) and all roads are valid. Self-determination, clearly one of the most significant marks of the currently maturing post-X generation, leads back to the Beasties more than to any other cultural icon or social leader you can think of.
Ian: You know, we’re really too close to it.
Eric: I know. But probably the fact that we’ve been that influenced by them, and thought about it so much, is why we’ve gotten close.
Ian: Exactly. I felt close before I was even near. When I heard Paul’s Boutique I was floored. I thought someone made an album out of my record collection. Sly, the Sweet, and Johnny Cash? I didn’t know these people but I was pretty sure I identified with them more than anyone in my Indiana hometown. At the heart of their influence is how easy it is to identify with what they are for so many people. They’re unique enough, but different enough, and cohesive enough as a unit to make a great number of people go, “I bet they’re not much different than me and my friends.” But they’re still at least one step ahead, so you and your friends want to try to keep up.
Eric: Okay, here’s my snappy wrap-up: The most impressive thing is that in the year 2000, the Beasties will still be On It. And as James Brown would say, that’s “Future Shock.”
Ian C. Rogers is webmaster of the official Beastie Boys and Grand Royal sites. Eric C. Gladstone is the last standing editor of Grand Royal magazine.
Secrets of the infomercial
Interview of sorts by Eric Gladstone
Some artists are flattered to be included in a list of Top 50 Pop Culture Influences; others are bashful, humbled, or dismissive. The Beastie Boys don’t even want to know. “You guys are doing the dreaded pop culture issue?” Mike D says. “You know, I’m tired of getting asked the ‘pop culture’ questions. Because, really, Eric, what do I know?”
Alright, we’ll leave the tough stuff to Charlie Rose. Since the Beasties have chosen an archetypal pop culture forum, the late night infomercials, as the centerpiece of their Hello Nasty marketing campaign (look for their own version on www.grandroyal.com or check your local TV listings), we just decided to talk to Mike about that unique art form.
Ray Gun: What’s your favorite infomercial? Who’s your favorite infomercial star?
Mike D: I don’t really know much about them. I just did a little research when we did ours. But I was very impressed with Christie Brinkley’s delivery. I’m not sure what it was. I thought she had very good gesticulation.
RG: What do you think makes a good infomercial?
Mike: I think you have to take it to an extreme, what you’re actually offering or selling. The more preposterous or unbelievable, probably, the more successful [you’ll be].
RG: Is the actual product or service being offered an issue?
Mike: Doesn’t really seem to be. I think really, more, you’re selling the headspace.
RG: Do you think it makes someone more a star or celebrity to be on an infomercial, or less? Does it raise or lower them?
Mike: I think that probably depends on who you ask. But I think what’s amazing, I don’t even really know who it is that infomercials are really watched by. That’s what I think is most interesting and certainly intriguing to me about it. You kind of have an idea in your head of who’s gonna watch MTV or who’s watching Letterman or something. But think about being a large celebrity among people who watch infomercials. That’s some shit, right there.
RG: That’s the real people.
Mike: You’re large like Thom McAnn.
RG: Is that why you decided to take that particular marketing approach?
Mike: Yeah, I think it was Thom McAnn that personally came to me. Thom McAnn spoke to me. So, what are you now, you’re the Infomercial director at Ray Gun? Good luck with your endeavor.