OK, I agree it was mean. It does have funny parts though. It's over the top, but it really is nicer than some of the things people have said in the forums since 0340 came out. I've heard quite a few people use the term "sell out" - not that I ever agreed with them. I hear it said over and over that Jewel made 0304 and the videos that went with it as a "parody." If she did was there a motivating factor behind it - as in did the record company put pressure on her to sex up her style? That could be a primary motivating factor to produce an album that pokes fun at the idea that a woman has to show skin and dance "sexy" in order to sell music today. If it is a parody on Jewel's part then it's so interesting that she decided to do it in order to make fun of it. It's either a parody or it's to sell albums. It's hard to see it as both. I'll sell lots of albums because I'm sexy, but I'm really making fun of you for buying my album because I'm sexy. It's like a cheesy line from a Star Wars love scene.
Jewel went over the top on the videos for 0304 - think of the fire hose and tell me that's not stretching the envelope of folk/pop to the limit. A Mad Parody seems to push the envelope of good taste because Jewel already pushed it to the limit herself. I had problems telling my twenty something year old stepdaughter that I still liked Jewel after the 0304 videos first came out. I specifically remember her saying "I didn't think she was like that." Well neither did I, but so be it. She's still just as talented as she ever was, but more than a few fans were left scratching their heads. Any artist can do whatever they want to do, but fans like them for what they have done in the past. There is risk whenever you make a major departure from your previous work. If you are lucky you win new fans while keeping the old ones happy. In the case of 0304 it was a partial success. Jewel gained new fans, but she lost some old time ones. All is not lost though because artists can "return to their roots" and the old fans will likely be back in full force, but it takes hard work. If her next album contains polka yodling it may sell well in parts of europe, but it will be a hard sell to today's urban music loving youth.
I'm not wanting to make this into another 0304 hate thread. I don't hate 0304. It's not my favorite album, but it has some songs I really like. I also enjoy hearing them live as solo acoustic versions. Jewel has one of those voices that does not need a lot of fancy dance beats in order to sound good. There are many artists that can't sing (does Ashlee Simpson come to mind) who would have no career at all if they didn't hire a bunch of top notch instumentalists to back them up.
And another thing...I have never agreed with making fun of Jewel's teeth. I like Jewel's teeth just like they are.
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Mike
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