Criticism over not writing own material

[Lord Nibbler]

Why is it that nobody objects to actors performing other peoples work, but criticise musicians for not writing their own songs? Is there a major difference that I'm missing?

[apsham]

People probably see it as actors are paid before their movie comes out to act in movies, and musciians make thier money after they release an album.

Maybe...

[Guest Bluesman]

By their trade, actors are paid and trained to portray someone else.

[Benji]

Because a script is written with multiple parts, bands write music for their own performance, dumbest question of the year for me.

[SeanDMan]

Actors get props for adding in their own elements with emotion or ad-libbing.

People who sandbag their way through movies get shitcanned just like Ashlee Simpson.

[Lord Nibbler]

Because a script is written with multiple parts, bands write music for their own performance, dumbest question of the year for me.

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[apsham]

Fact of the matter is, they're two different industrys.

[Guest Bluesman]

I don't see your point?

[britneyspearsisgod]

Not writing your own stuff makes you seem just like you're in it for the money and the fame, and it makes it seem like you are another cookie cutter star just being apart of the corporate machine that keeps churining out the same shit or whatever. Personally, I think as long as it feels real to yourself, then who cares what others think... but, as a Britney fan, I suppose it's expected of me.

Of course, this is my own interpretation of the whole debate.

[Cole]

An actor's job is too act as someone who isn't there self. If an actor wrote a script that would make them a director or a person on the creative team of a movie, so they would no longer be an actor.

[Benji]

Personally, I think as long as it feels real to yourself, then who cares what others think... but, as a Britney fan, I suppose it's expected of me.

Of course, this is my own interpretation of the whole debate.

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I've begun to actually respect Britney because after a while she has realised the aforementioned facts and she now co-writes and writes quite a few of her own songs IIRC.

I was a bit of an ass earlier so let me explain...

Films are written by writers, writers have their own jobs and so within a script they have multiple characters, they spend their time writing and that is what they are paid for, in fact they just write the script and write up someone elses idea usually, actors act the script and change it to fit their choice of character and that is the way of the film industry, everybody specialises in their job and does it.

The music industry is far less specific, someone can produce, own, write, sing and all that kind of stuff on music, it's a personal expression not simply for entertainment, yes it is entertainment, but you relate to music far more than film do you not?

[britneyspearsisgod]

I've begun to actually respect Britney because after a while she has realised the aforementioned facts and she now co-writes and writes quite a few of her own songs IIRC.

[Guest Bluesman]

There is a BIG difference between doing covers, and being someone in music who does material created for them by someone else. To begin with, you have genres like blues and jazz, which is so deeply rooted in covers. Not every song is a cover song, unless you are a cover band. At the same time, many of those who aren't doing their own music or aren't doing covers, are essentially industry created tools to move merchandise and make the companies a bunch of cash.

[The Hardcore Canuck]

My personal view is that music is supposed to be an artistic representation of those creating it. Music is supposed to have the heart and soul of the musicians in it. Acting on the other hand is only supposed to be an actor protraying the heart and soul of a fictonal (or non-fictonal as the case may be) character.

At the same time, many of those who aren't doing their own music or aren't doing covers, are essentially industry created tools to move merchandise and make the companies a bunch of cash.

[RPS]

Because we as individuals worship these musicians and we create certain standards for them to fullfill. Their are certain people who will expect that musicians wrote their lyrics because it becomes personal to them, they almost develop a relationship with the musician and believe it to be true. People see it as almost a point of legitimacy, that puts extra meaning towards the lyrics.

But really, it is the standards that we as a collective whole create. Because honestly, I think that is an added bonus that someone writes their own music, but as long as they can still sing the part, can still rip a guitar solo than it still means the same thing.

[SlickNick187]

Well I'll answer this from a hip-hop fan's perspective. A rapper must write his own rhymes because lyrics are a very important part of the music. You should be writing what you really feel and think. It's not like the ghostwriter can read your thoughts. Rappers that write ther own shit try their hardest to make sure peopl like their lyrics. They work their ass off to come their best, get their message across, or their own story. While someone like Dr. Dre or Puffy just sit back and pay someone to do it. If someone is spitting some great metaphores and punchlines you might think he is real nice, but then if i find out he had a ghostwriter I'd lose respect for that rapper and would wonder why the ghostwriter ain't got no deal. Puffy didn't write "I'll be Missing You" which I find very sad. If your talkin bout your best friend who just died how can you not write it yourself, those aren't his words, they're Sauce Money's. Now in rap, flow and delivery are also important and that is why some people might not care. Like Dr. Dre is very good at rapping, but he doesn't write his own shit which puts him lower on my list of rapping greats. One part of rapping is having the talent to write and not having that talent means to me that your lesser of an mc.

[Evil Chase K]

Bands who write their own material are seen as more real or genuine. More talented because let's face it...it's harder to write a song than it is to perform one.

I know that when my band plays shows we're playing with bands that all write their music, live their music, and I think it makes for better music overall. You have an emotional attachment to the song or the lyrics or the riff or whatever.

My band was approached by a friend of mine to play a song he wrote and we turned him down because we only play our own stuff. We don't wanna be some fake band taking credit for something someone else wrote.

[Evil Chase K]

Puffy didn't write "I'll be Missing You" which I find very sad.

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[Colly]

Can you imagine the sheer logistical nightmare of each and every actor in a film writing their own lines? In a film the writer is a credited member of the crew, effectively a part of the band. Crap pop writers are usually unrecognised and outside the group, freelancers essentially. Depends how you want to think about it, Elton John hasn't written a lyric in his life, but he does write all the tunes. He's the director essentially. Crazy question, but fun.

[Farmer Reil]

Dumbest. Question. Ever. (Sorry, but it is...)

The whole point of acting is to, well...act.

Unless you're Jim Carrey or Eddie Murphy and play almost every single part in a movie, it's impossible for one actor to write their own scripts.

That would be like every wrestler writing his own storylines. He'd never be able to interact with anyone else because everyone else would be doing their own thing. It would look like modern day WWE

Musicians, on the other hand, are writing a song. That's a completely different kettle of fish. If one person is singing about something, how is that even remotely similar to an actor playing a role in a movie?

It's like saying Zebra's are greater than Sodium.

Edited December 18, 2004 by TheReilDeal