MovieChat Forums > Almost Famous (2000) Discussion > I refute Lester Bangs's "cool" speech

I refute Lester Bangs's "cool" speech

posted 10 years ago by ric_boy
4 replies | jump to latest

Or at least part of it. It's true that a great many songs, most of the very good ones, are written about heartache and rejection, but most of those songs were written by guys who continually got laid and were essentially cool guys harping about not being cool. Then said music was/is packaged and marketed to the actual uncool guys who take it as their own creed.

Bo Diddley, Chet Baker, Elvis, Dylan, Syd Barrett, the Beatles, Hendrix, Zepplin, Iggy Pop, the Ramones, Kurt Cobain...it would be harder to name a rock star who truly did embody the "loserdom" that he shilled, as opposed to these other guys.

Only Morrisey comes to mind, off hand. And I guess Janis Joplin was pretty unlucky in love, from what I've read.

[–] mcgill_j 10 years ago

I think he meant before they were so they became. There is something to that. All the cool actors at some point were the drama nerds, etc. The same with Elvis he wasn't always so cool. Here started off wrote different from a small town.

[–] horsenbuggy 9 years ago

Not many of those guys wrote their own songs.

[–] activista 9 years ago

Most of the musicians the OP mentioned wrote their own songs,pretty much.

[–] davedave11 9 years ago

Syd Barrett and Kurt Cobain had great lives