Normally, I don't push for charities in a forum such as this, but I couldn't resist commenting on the new project, Cage Against the Machine. The concept is simple--get a bunch of celebrities together to record John Cage's masterpiece, 4'33", and donate all the proceeds to charity.
Admittedly, the idea is hokey and has been overdone by numerous parties, from revivals by Tudor himself to my own undergraduate students (love you guys!).
The idea gets complicated and much more intriguing, however, when you begin to discuss issues of celebrity and record charts, and account for the cultural divide--the top Christmas-week single is an American-Idol-huge deal in the UK.
Exhibit A: many of the recent toppers have been the winners or contestants of X-Factor, Simon Cowell's pop show there.
Exhibit B: revisit Love Actually. Or don't, and just remember the burnt-out rocker storyline, also admittedly lame but illustrative for our purposes here.
I'm a bit of a humbugger myself, and although it's not exactly a stroke of brilliance, CATM a cheap and fun way to give this season. And Billy Bragg coughs on it, by Thor. I'll pitch in for that.
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