They Are, Unfortunately, From Rolling Stone

The open call for "I'm From Rolling Stone" applicants breezed my way early on, and I remember taking a deep breath upon reading about the show. Friends of Resonator and I had little to say, and a reaction wasn't really allowed to surface. I knew I wasn't going to apply.

Now that the show has begun to air, many months later, I'm appalled by most of the behavior of the one episode I've seen so far. I've never seen such bad interviewing skills, nor have I seen such a push and pull of egos that can be blown up and deflated at various speeds. Aside from the most painful interviews I've ever witnessed - the one conducted with Colin and We Are Scientists in Toronto - the candidates on the show seem to have one major problem: getting starstruck. Russell's reaction to Nelly Furtado coming to lunch at the RS offices, Krishtine's "OMG!?" expression every time Joe Levy hands out another assignment, and the writers' relentless attachment to their notebooks.

It's a business. All of it. The best musicians are the ones that - regardless of how fun, wild, crazy, etc. they are - remember that being an artist or musician is their occupation...career...job. The image is secondary, and subjective to each and every character.


Some further thoughts on the show here: We Will Not Be Sending Out Rejection Letters: My Hate-Hate Relationship With Rolling Stone

With that, I have little else to say. Personally, I do love Rolling Stone, and I would jump at a chance to work for them. A writer friend said to me, "But [Charles], you know that they're not going to have writers who know how to act like writers, right? You know that they're going to have kids who fuck up, act stupid, or whatever else because the bottom line is that it's a reality TV show on MTV. Of course it's going to need to be INTERESTING."

Fine, fine.

http://www.rollingstone.com/imfromrollingstone