Selling out
Encyclopedia
"Selling out" is the compromising of (or the perception of compromising) integrity, morality, or principles in exchange for money
or "success" (however defined). It is commonly associated with attempts to tailor material to a mainstream
audience. Any artist who expands their creative path to encompass a wider audience, as opposed to continuing in the genre and venues of their initial success, may be disdainfully labeled by disapproving fans as a sellout. Sometimes a sellout is seen as a person that is disloyal to one's group that he or she belongs (usually ethnic group
) in order to gain money or become "successful". Selling out is often seen as gaining success at the cost of credibility
.
ideology, only to follow these claims up with actions directly contradicting them, often (whether actually or implicitly) supporting capitalism
. Equally it could be utilised by supporters of parties for persons that subsequently formed coalitions with those they seemed to oppose, such as the Liberal Democrats
' leader Nick Clegg
's coalition with the Conservative Party
in the United Kingdom. This was also true of the Labour Party
in the years succeeding the death of John Smith when Tony Blair
started to embrace the free-market and dropped various democratic-socialist ideals to gain more public support. It could also apply to any revolutionary group originally claiming to fight for the people of a country, but acting rather differently upon coming to power, mostly because the covert goal of the revolution was not to benefit the people of the nation, but for the national government to be overthrown so that the revolutionary leaders could themselves have the perks and prestige of being in power.
, who have released an extremely large range of consumer products with their brand on it, including burial coffins. Other bands, like Metallica
and Cradle of Filth
, have been branded the "sellout" claim, primarily in the heavy metal scenes, as a result of an increase in fans and revenue and what many perceive to be an overall change into a "mainstream" approachable sound. After the release of their major label debut, Dookie
, American punk rock band Green Day
was accused of selling out by the nation's underground punk community. Linkin Park
are also often accused of selling out since they released Minutes to Midnight
by the fans they have adopted in the time of Hybrid Theory
and Meteora
. The "old" fans call their new music "poppish" and commercial. A further claim has been made about celebrities like Britney Spears for using product placement in their music videos.
In Wayne's World
, Wayne breaks down the fourth wall
, mentioning he would never sell out; in this case, to make his public-access television
cable TV show more successful. To humorously contradict himself, as he talks, he displays several products, with the corporate logos highly visible such as Pizza Hut, Reebok, Pepsi, and Doritos. Wayne and Garth also spoof a Nuprin commercial where it is black and white, save for the signature little, yellow, different Nuprin pills.
George Carlin
was accused of being a sell-out for appearing in television commercials for MCI
's 10-10-220. Carlin had previously spoke of his dislike for MCI's commercials in his album Back in Town
. In his album You Are All Diseased
, which contains rants against advertising and business, Carlin admits the dichotomy but makes no attempt to explain himself, stating "You're just gonna have to figure that shit out for yourself". In interviews, Carlin revealed he appeared in the advertisements to help pay off a large tax debt to the IRS
.
Comedian/actress Janeane Garofalo
can be considered a sellout based on her participation with the TV show 24
playing Janis Gold
. Garofalo initially turned down the role because of the way the show depicted torture scenes, however changed her mind later on, saying in an interview, "Being unemployed and being flattered that someone wanted to work with me outweighed my stance [on torture].”
author Tom Clancy
has been accused of being a sellout for giving the rights to his name to French video game publisher
Ubisoft
. Tom Clancy sold the rights to his name to the company. Any war game Ubisoft comes out with — such as the Splinter Cell
series, Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter and its sequel, and the newest title H.A.W.X., Ubisoft Entertainment can put Clancy's name on the cover art, though he had nothing to do with development.
Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe
is thought to be symptomatic of creators Ed Boon
and John Tobias
selling out, primarily due to a crossover with the likes of Superman
or Green Lantern
. In addition, the Mortal Kombat
series is known for its exceptional violence and gore, which was removed from the game to achieve a family-friendly rating.
Valve Corporation
was long known for an exceptionally protracted development schedule. Half-Life 2
and Team Fortress 2
, for example, spent an extended period in development hell
before release to critical acclaim. At E3 2009, a sequel to 2008's Left 4 Dead
, was announced for a fall release. Immediately after, multiple parties claimed Valve had sold out and become similar to their publisher Electronic Arts
.
Square Enix
, or specifically Square's part has been considered to have sold out in various RPG gaming circles upon hitting the mainstream (the release of Final Fantasy VII
), with it becoming especially evident in the PlayStation 2 era where it ceased its attempts to be creative and started focusing on Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts series mainly, with a noted emphasis on graphics and easier gameplay. It has been speculated that the Spirits Within's failure caused this, after the much maligned (yet moderately successful) releases of Final Fantasy XIII and XIV, most of the core RPG community has given up on it.
, which may lead an artist in new directions from those that attracted their original fans. Artists' improvements in musical skill or change in taste may also account for the change.
Other times, artists resent the term on the grounds that the perceived desire for material gain is simply a result of the band seeking to expand its message. For example, when questioned about signing to a major label, Rage Against the Machine
answered "We're not interested in preaching to just the converted. It's great to play abandoned squats run by anarchists, but it's also great to be able to reach people with a revolutionary message, people from Granada Hills to Stuttgart
".
Other bands (including those without politically-oriented messages) may also reject the term, on the basis that not going mainstream or signing to a bigger label—to avoid "selling out"—prevents a band from addressing a wider audiences, regardless of whether or not there is any real artistic change, and arbitrarily hampers the artists' course of mainstream success, with the assumption that mainstream success must be against the artists' intentions. When confronted with the accusation of selling out in 2001, Mike Dirnt
of Green Day
said:
Money
Money is any object or record that is generally accepted as payment for goods and services and repayment of debts in a given country or socio-economic context. The main functions of money are distinguished as: a medium of exchange; a unit of account; a store of value; and, occasionally in the past,...
or "success" (however defined). It is commonly associated with attempts to tailor material to a mainstream
Mainstream
Mainstream is, generally, the common current thought of the majority. However, the mainstream is far from cohesive; rather the concept is often considered a cultural construct....
audience. Any artist who expands their creative path to encompass a wider audience, as opposed to continuing in the genre and venues of their initial success, may be disdainfully labeled by disapproving fans as a sellout. Sometimes a sellout is seen as a person that is disloyal to one's group that he or she belongs (usually ethnic group
Ethnic group
An ethnic group is a group of people whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage, often consisting of a common language, a common culture and/or an ideology that stresses common ancestry or endogamy...
) in order to gain money or become "successful". Selling out is often seen as gaining success at the cost of credibility
Credibility
Credibility refers to the objective and subjective components of the believability of a source or message.Traditionally, modern, credibility has two key components: trustworthiness and expertise, which both have objective and subjective components. Trustworthiness is based more on subjective...
.
In politics
In various political movements (usually communists and anarchists), a "sellout" is a person or group pretending to adhere to a genuinely pro-working classWorking class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
ideology, only to follow these claims up with actions directly contradicting them, often (whether actually or implicitly) supporting capitalism
Capitalism
Capitalism is an economic system that became dominant in the Western world following the demise of feudalism. There is no consensus on the precise definition nor on how the term should be used as a historical category...
. Equally it could be utilised by supporters of parties for persons that subsequently formed coalitions with those they seemed to oppose, such as the Liberal Democrats
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
' leader Nick Clegg
Nick Clegg
Nicholas William Peter "Nick" Clegg is a British Liberal Democrat politician who is currently the Deputy Prime Minister, Lord President of the Council and Minister for Constitutional and Political Reform in the coalition government of which David Cameron is the Prime Minister...
's coalition with the Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
in the United Kingdom. This was also true of the Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
in the years succeeding the death of John Smith when Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
started to embrace the free-market and dropped various democratic-socialist ideals to gain more public support. It could also apply to any revolutionary group originally claiming to fight for the people of a country, but acting rather differently upon coming to power, mostly because the covert goal of the revolution was not to benefit the people of the nation, but for the national government to be overthrown so that the revolutionary leaders could themselves have the perks and prestige of being in power.
Music
The phrase is frequently heard in the musical community, where it implies an artist has compromised their artistic integrity to gain radio airplay or get a recording contract, especially with a major label. Often, the label forces a particular record producer onto the performer and insist on the inclusion of songs by commercial songwriters, or the label may even refuse to release an album, deeming it uncommercial. It has also been used with regards to merchandising and replacing band members. A band often accused of selling out is KissKISS (band)
Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,...
, who have released an extremely large range of consumer products with their brand on it, including burial coffins. Other bands, like Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
and Cradle of Filth
Cradle of Filth
Cradle of Filth are an English extreme metal band, formed in Suffolk in 1991. The band's musical style evolved from black metal to a cleaner and more "produced" amalgam of gothic metal, symphonic black metal, and other extreme metal styles, while their lyrical themes and imagery are heavily...
, have been branded the "sellout" claim, primarily in the heavy metal scenes, as a result of an increase in fans and revenue and what many perceive to be an overall change into a "mainstream" approachable sound. After the release of their major label debut, Dookie
Dookie
Dookie is the third studio album by the American punk rock band Green Day. It was released on February 1, 1994 through Reprise Records. It was the band's first collaboration with producer Rob Cavallo and its major record label debut. Dookie became a worldwide commercial success, peaking at number...
, American punk rock band Green Day
Green Day
Green Day is an American punk rock band formed in 1987. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tre Cool...
was accused of selling out by the nation's underground punk community. Linkin Park
Linkin Park
Linkin Park is an American rock band from Agoura Hills, California. Formed in 1996, the band rose to international fame with their debut album, Hybrid Theory, which was certified Diamond by the RIAA in 2005 and multi-platinum in several other countries...
are also often accused of selling out since they released Minutes to Midnight
Minutes to Midnight (album)
Minutes to Midnight is the third studio album by American rock band Linkin Park. Released on May 14, 2007, through Warner Bros. Records, the album debuted at number one in the United States and in 15 other countries, including the United Kingdom and Canada. The album was produced by Mike Shinoda...
by the fans they have adopted in the time of Hybrid Theory
Hybrid Theory
Hybrid Theory is the debut album by American rock band Linkin Park, released on October 24, 2000 through Warner Bros. Records. The album was a huge commercial success, having sold over 10 million units in the United States alone as of 2010 and peaking at number two on the Billboard 200 while also...
and Meteora
Meteora (album)
Meteora is the second studio album by American rock band Linkin Park. It was released on March 25, 2003 through Warner Bros. Records, following Reanimation, a collaboration album which featured remixes of songs included on debut studio album Hybrid Theory...
. The "old" fans call their new music "poppish" and commercial. A further claim has been made about celebrities like Britney Spears for using product placement in their music videos.
Movies
The term "selling out" is used in a similar sense when discussing the movie industry.In Wayne's World
Wayne's World (film)
Wayne's World is a 1992 American comedy film directed by Penelope Spheeris and starring Mike Myers in his film debut as Wayne Campbell and Dana Carvey as Garth Algar, hosts of the Aurora, Illinois-based Public-access television cable TV show Wayne's World...
, Wayne breaks down the fourth wall
Fourth wall
The fourth wall is the imaginary "wall" at the front of the stage in a traditional three-walled box set in a proscenium theatre, through which the audience sees the action in the world of the play...
, mentioning he would never sell out; in this case, to make his public-access television
Public-access television
Public-access television is a form of non-commercial mass media where ordinary people can create content television programming which is cablecast through cable TV specialty channels...
cable TV show more successful. To humorously contradict himself, as he talks, he displays several products, with the corporate logos highly visible such as Pizza Hut, Reebok, Pepsi, and Doritos. Wayne and Garth also spoof a Nuprin commercial where it is black and white, save for the signature little, yellow, different Nuprin pills.
Comedy
Stand-up comedians occasionally face accusations of selling out. Comedians who start out in comedy clubs might often use foul language and blue humor in their routines. A comic who alters his or her routine by "sugar-coating" his language and using less-offensive material to obtain mainstream success may be accused of selling out.George Carlin
George Carlin
George Denis Patrick Carlin was an American stand-up comedian, social critic, actor and author, who won five Grammy Awards for his comedy albums....
was accused of being a sell-out for appearing in television commercials for MCI
MCI Inc.
MCI, Inc. is an American telecommunications subsidiary of Verizon Communications that is headquartered in Ashburn, Virginia...
's 10-10-220. Carlin had previously spoke of his dislike for MCI's commercials in his album Back in Town
Back in Town
Back in Town is George Carlin's ninth HBO special. It was also released on CD on September 17, 1996. This was also his first of many performances at the Beacon Theater in New York City.-Track listing:# "Abortion" – 8:41# "Sanctity of Life" – 3:49...
. In his album You Are All Diseased
You Are All Diseased
You Are All Diseased is the title for the 1999 HBO live broadcast stand-up special with comedian George Carlin, recorded on February 6, 1999 at the Beacon Theater in New York City and released on CD in May of that year.-Track listing:-External links:*...
, which contains rants against advertising and business, Carlin admits the dichotomy but makes no attempt to explain himself, stating "You're just gonna have to figure that shit out for yourself". In interviews, Carlin revealed he appeared in the advertisements to help pay off a large tax debt to the IRS
Internal Revenue Service
The Internal Revenue Service is the revenue service of the United States federal government. The agency is a bureau of the Department of the Treasury, and is under the immediate direction of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue...
.
Comedian/actress Janeane Garofalo
Janeane Garofalo
Janeane Garofalo is an American stand-up comedian, actress, political activist and writer. She is the former co-host on the now defunct Air America Radio's The Majority Report. Garofalo continues to circulate regularly within New York City's local comedy and performance art scene.-Early...
can be considered a sellout based on her participation with the TV show 24
24 (TV series)
24 is an American television series produced for the Fox Network and syndicated worldwide, starring Kiefer Sutherland as Counter Terrorist Unit agent Jack Bauer. Each 24-episode season covers 24 hours in the life of Bauer, using the real time method of narration...
playing Janis Gold
Janis Gold
Janis Gold is a fictional character on the TV series 24. She is portrayed by Janeane Garofalo. Gold is an FBI agent, and was first introduced in season 7.-Concept and creation:...
. Garofalo initially turned down the role because of the way the show depicted torture scenes, however changed her mind later on, saying in an interview, "Being unemployed and being flattered that someone wanted to work with me outweighed my stance [on torture].”
Video games
AmericanUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
author Tom Clancy
Tom Clancy
Thomas Leo "Tom" Clancy, Jr. is an American author, best known for his technically detailed espionage, military science, and techno thriller storylines set during and in the aftermath of the Cold War, along with video games on which he did not work, but which bear his name for licensing and...
has been accused of being a sellout for giving the rights to his name to French video game publisher
Video game publisher
A video game publisher is a company that publishes video games that they have either developed internally or have had developed by a video game developer....
Ubisoft
Ubisoft
Ubisoft Entertainment S.A. is a major French video game publisher and developer, with headquarters in Montreuil, France. The company has a worldwide presence with 25 studios in 17 countries and subsidiaries in 26 countries....
. Tom Clancy sold the rights to his name to the company. Any war game Ubisoft comes out with — such as the Splinter Cell
Splinter Cell
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell is a series of stealth video games, the first of which was released in 2002, and their tie-in novels. The protagonist, Sam Fisher, is presented as a highly-trained agent of a fictional black-ops sub-division within the NSA, dubbed "Third Echelon"...
series, Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter and its sequel, and the newest title H.A.W.X., Ubisoft Entertainment can put Clancy's name on the cover art, though he had nothing to do with development.
Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe
Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe
Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe is a crossover fighting game from Midway Games and Warner Bros. Games. The eighth game in the Mortal Kombat series, MK vs. DC was released on November 16, . MK vs. DC contains characters from both the Mortal Kombat franchise and the DC Universe...
is thought to be symptomatic of creators Ed Boon
Ed Boon
Edward J. Boon is an American video game programmer who had been employed for over 15 years at Midway. He now works for Warner Bros...
and John Tobias
John Tobias
John Tobias is an American comic book artist, graphic designer and video game designer. Along with Ed Boon he is one of the creators of the groundbreaking Mortal Kombat fighting game series....
selling out, primarily due to a crossover with the likes of Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
or Green Lantern
Green Lantern
The Green Lantern is the shared primary alias of several fictional characters, superheroes appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The first Green Lantern was created by writer Bill Finger and artist Martin Nodell in All-American Comics #16 .Each Green Lantern possesses a power ring and...
. In addition, the Mortal Kombat
Mortal Kombat (series)
Mortal Kombat, commonly abbreviated MK, is a science fantasy series of fighting games created by Ed Boon and John Tobias. The first four renditions and their updates were developed by Midway Games and initially released on arcade machines. The arcade titles were later picked up by Acclaim...
series is known for its exceptional violence and gore, which was removed from the game to achieve a family-friendly rating.
Valve Corporation
Valve Corporation
Valve Corporation is an American video game development and digital distribution company based in Bellevue, Washington, United States...
was long known for an exceptionally protracted development schedule. Half-Life 2
Half-Life 2
Half-Life 2 , the sequel to Half-Life, is a first-person shooter video game and a signature title in the Half-Life series. It is singleplayer, story-driven, science fiction, and linear...
and Team Fortress 2
Team Fortress 2
Team Fortress 2 is a free-to-play team-based first-person shooter multiplayer video game developed by Valve Corporation. A sequel to the original mod Team Fortress based on the Quake engine, it was first released as part of the video game compilation The Orange Box on October 10, 2007 for Windows...
, for example, spent an extended period in development hell
Development hell
In the jargon of the media-industry, "development hell" is a period during which a film or other project is trapped in development...
before release to critical acclaim. At E3 2009, a sequel to 2008's Left 4 Dead
Left 4 Dead
Left 4 Dead is a cooperative first-person shooter video game. It was developed by Turtle Rock Studios, which was purchased by Valve Corporation during development. The game uses Valve's proprietary Source engine, and is available for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360 and Mac OS X...
, was announced for a fall release. Immediately after, multiple parties claimed Valve had sold out and become similar to their publisher Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...
.
Square Enix
Square Enix
is a Japanese video game and publishing company best known for its console role-playing game franchises, which include the Final Fantasy series, the Dragon Quest series, and the action-RPG Kingdom Hearts series...
, or specifically Square's part has been considered to have sold out in various RPG gaming circles upon hitting the mainstream (the release of Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy VII
is a role-playing video game developed by Square and published by Sony Computer Entertainment as the seventh installment in the Final Fantasy series. It was originally released in 1997 for the Sony PlayStation and was re-released in 1998 for Microsoft Windows-based personal computers and in 2009...
), with it becoming especially evident in the PlayStation 2 era where it ceased its attempts to be creative and started focusing on Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts series mainly, with a noted emphasis on graphics and easier gameplay. It has been speculated that the Spirits Within's failure caused this, after the much maligned (yet moderately successful) releases of Final Fantasy XIII and XIV, most of the core RPG community has given up on it.
Criticism of the term
An artist may also be accused of selling out after changes in artistic direction. This conclusion is often due to the perception that the reason for the artist changing artistic style or direction was simply potential material gain. This ignores other causes of artistic developmentPersonal development
Personal development includes activities that improve awareness and identity, develop talents and potential, build human capital and facilitates employability, enhance quality of life and contribute to the realization of dreams and aspirations...
, which may lead an artist in new directions from those that attracted their original fans. Artists' improvements in musical skill or change in taste may also account for the change.
Other times, artists resent the term on the grounds that the perceived desire for material gain is simply a result of the band seeking to expand its message. For example, when questioned about signing to a major label, Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1991, the group's line-up consists of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerford, guitarist Tom Morello and drummer Brad Wilk...
answered "We're not interested in preaching to just the converted. It's great to play abandoned squats run by anarchists, but it's also great to be able to reach people with a revolutionary message, people from Granada Hills to Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
".
Other bands (including those without politically-oriented messages) may also reject the term, on the basis that not going mainstream or signing to a bigger label—to avoid "selling out"—prevents a band from addressing a wider audiences, regardless of whether or not there is any real artistic change, and arbitrarily hampers the artists' course of mainstream success, with the assumption that mainstream success must be against the artists' intentions. When confronted with the accusation of selling out in 2001, Mike Dirnt
Mike Dirnt
Michael Ryan Pritchard is an American musician, best known as the bassist, backing vocalist and co-founder of the American Rock band Green Day. While at school, he would play "air-bass." While pretending to pluck the strings, he made the noise, "dirnt, dirnt, dirnt"...
of Green Day
Green Day
Green Day is an American punk rock band formed in 1987. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tre Cool...
said:
"If there's a formula to selling out, I think every band in the world would be doing it", he said. "The fact that you write good songs and you sell too many of them, if everybody in the world knew how to do that they'd do it. It's not something we chose to do."
"The fact was we got to a point that we were so big that tons of people were showing up at punk-rock clubs, and some clubs were even getting shut down because too many were showing up. We had to make a decision: either break up or remove ourselves from that element. And I'll be damned if I was going to flip fucking burgers. I do what I do best. Selling out is compromising your musical intention and I don't even know how to do that."
See also
- CommercialismCommercialismCommercialism, in its original meaning, is the practices, methods, aims, and spirit of commerce or business. Today, however, it primarily refers to the tendency within open-market capitalism to turn everything into objects, images, and services sold for the purpose of generating profit...
- Thirty pieces of silverThirty pieces of silverThirty pieces of silver was the price for which Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus, according to the Gospel of Matthew 26:15 in the Christian New Testament. Before the Last Supper, Judas went to the chief priests and agreed to hand over Jesus in exchange for 30 silver coins...
- Jumping the sharkJumping the sharkJumping the shark is an idiom used to describe the moment in the evolution of a television show when it begins a decline in quality that is beyond recovery....
- Recuperation (sociology)Recuperation (sociology)Recuperation, in the sociological sense, is the process by which politically radical ideas and images are commodified and incorporated within a mainstream society and, thus, become interpreted through a more socially acceptable or conventional perspective. More broadly, it may refer to the...
- Tall poppy syndromeTall poppy syndromeTall poppy syndrome is a pejorative term primarily used in the UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and other Anglosphere nations to describe a social phenomenon in which people of genuine merit are resented, attacked, cut down, or criticised because their talents or achievements elevate them above...
- Acting whiteActing whiteIn the United States, acting white is a pejorative term usually applied to African-Americans, which refers to a person's perceived betrayal of their culture by assuming the social expectations of white society. Success in education in particular can be seen as a form of selling out by being...
External links
- The Art of Selling Out: Compromising the Music
- The Balancing Act Between Art and Commerce (article about musicians "selling out")
- 'Selling Out': The New Radicals and Natasha Bedingfield (article explaining why "selling out" can be confusing)
- Paul McCartney? Is That You?: What he's doing in that Fidelity ad (commentary)
- Tangled Up in Boobs: What's Bob Dylan doing in a Victoria's Secret ad? (commentary)
- Things with indie credibility (commentary), also archived from the dead Baffler site. (Legendary producer Albini's take on "going major". Reprinted in Maximum RocknRollMaximum RocknRollMaximum rocknroll is a widely distributed, monthly not-for-profit fanzine based in San Francisco, USA. It features interviews, columns, and reviews from international contributors...
#133 (June 1994) and later various websites.)