"For Hanson--a genuinely shitty, unoriginal band that was signed as the world's zillionth novelty act and that would be nothing without the major label marketing muscle and radio reach they received eight years ago (and that Island Def Jam had no obligation to boost after absorbing Mercury in 2000)--to come along now and tell students at $35K-per-year universities how to "do it themselves" is just another disingenuous hard sell. And for The Times to fall for it--well, you know, it is The Times: The author writes that the brothers are not in the tabloids, but barely connects the dots reminding us Hanson has not sold magazines since around the time current NYU freshmen sent them Jell-O for their birthdays"

I can't understand this long drawn out paragraph, there are no commas or periods, and you don't seem to have an angle.

I've got to hand it to you, some people would just lock themselves in their room and masturbate. This blog is a whole different approach to basically the same thing.

You know, by the logic you seem to use, since I think you're a pompous, ignorant jackass, the rest of the world should, too. Wouldn't that be nice. But since that kind of 'logic' doesn't hold any validity, neither does your apparent desire for all the world to join you in your oh-so-valiant quest to hate a band you likely know very little about.

Aside from the 50,000+ fans who frequent their website on a regular basis (this, of course, not including the thousands more who may not, for whatever reasons), there is a rather long, impressive list of musicians, producers and music critics who would beg to differ on your notion that Hanson is nothing more than a 'genuinely shitty, unoriginal band that was signed as the world's zillionth novelty act'.

If you don't like them or their music, that's all fine and peachy. But you seem to have a vendetta, which is, to say the least, incredibly pathetic. The only thing separating you right now from the morons who can't articulate their thoughts beyond "OMFG HANSON SUCKS!1!!ELEVENTY!!" is your love for pseudo-intellectual word vomit.

That something like this distresses you as much as it apparently does surely can't be healthy. Why are you so threatened by them?

Seriously dude, what is your deal? I'm not a huge fan but I've heard them and they're not bad musicians at all.

You use a lot of big words and pull together a lot of vague references in the name of bashing a band that has made a name for itself once more since the heyday of 97-99.

I have to ask you....what is your point?

I'm not a fan of Hanson's music, but I went to a show because my local fav band was opening for them, guess what? I ended up liking what I heard. That's not to say I'm a "fan" by any means, you'll never see me up front screaming with the hanson fanatics or trying to push my way through security to break backstage just for a used towel or water bottle sweated on by one of the Hanson brothers but the music: its quality. They got real skills. They aren't the kiddie act I used to think they were.

The documentary played at my school last week. I couldn't get in. You know why? Because it was jam packed with their dedicated fans who traveled across statelines to see them, causing our own student body (the very ones who agreed to pay 35k) to miss out on the documentary unless you were a film student. If that doesn't say something about this band's longevity and continuous challenge to fight the backlash thats dished out by people like you (and me) then I don't know what does.

I may not be a fan or like the band Hanson, but I damn well respect them for their talent and their craft.

You don't have to be a fan of a certain band or a certain type of music to be appreciative of them. Heaven knows I can't stand heavy metal or emo-rock, but I still respect those bands and artists, and I refuse to "flame" or insult them. It doesn't seem like much to ask that you do the same. As to "indie", I don't suppose you ever took the time to find out that when they were still using bikes with training wheels, Hanson put out two independent records before getting signed to a major. When they WERE signed to Mercury, they were 15, 12, and 10. They weren't given a choice as to whether they were "pimped" by the label, because they were so young.

I don't mean to come off as a fanatic, but I guess that's what's going to happen anyway. It's sad that those with the kind of passion Hanson has displayed are ignored in favor of the ones who are willing to be molded into something that's going to sell.

One more thing...this has been brought to the attention of one of the most dedicated, passionate fanbases on the internet. I'm sure mine won't be the only response you'll see tonight. Have fun with this, buddy.

Wow..way to make yourself seem like an ass. Go you.

Furthermore, Hanson's documentary is not meant to self-promote themselves. If that is all you got out of it, you didn't get it at all. It's a head's up, a "This could happen to you", if you will, for other artists or people hoping to get into the music business. It features Hanson, yes, but the bigger picture is a behind the scenes of the music industry.

You really obviously have no idea of what you're talking about when it comes to Hanson at all. If you did, you would realize they have the largest fan community on the Internet with upwards of 50,000 members and that number grows daily. You would also know that they are a real and talented group of young men and they truly are amazing artists.

I leave you with this question. What were you doing when you were six years old?

Zac Hanson, the youngest member of the band you so despise, was writing songs and recording independent albums (which if found on eBay, will bring in bids as high as $300+) with his brothers, and he was performing those songs for crowds of people around the Midwest.

Learn your subject before you start criticising it.

I am a Hanson fan... and I saw this and decided to read it. I didn't come here to disagree with you, because honestly I could care less. You have a right to your opinion, if everyone loved them I'd never get tickets.

The one thing I wanted to say was, I think its funny that people aren't agreeing with you. Bet you thought it was cool to hate Hanson.... How 97 of you.

". . . but judging by last week's robust Hanson defense, that clearly is just not true. About seven people evidently care quite a bit."

A few more than seven - consumer letters to product companies are always assumed to represent many more who have the same opinion but did not write in. That's common knowledge in the business world. Just because you don't make the effort doesn't mean you don't care.

And then again you're making an assumption that anybody is reading your blog at all. To contradict myself, maybe the "seven" responses you got were the only readers you've got. If you're talking to nobody then claiming that nobody cares doesn't mean much.

"Learn your subject before you start criticising it."

Amen! You may believe you have, but your comments make it clear to those who know that you have not.

"Bet you thought it was cool to hate Hanson.... How 97 of you."

Haha! Touche!

Wow. Two hissy fits in one week about the same band. Pretty impressive! Perhaps if you transcribe a few more tantrums about them (although more than one a day might be pushing it!) you can finally convince us all that Hanson are irrelevant and that nobody anywhere actually cares about them.

wow! you really hit a nerve with this hanson bashing. who knew teen pop and indie film were so pasionately linked. mmm bop's a pretty good song, though.

I must say I find it extremly remarqable you bash the same band... twice.
You truly have a gift.

I like Hanson's music, but most of all I am a musiclover in general.
I am not gonna take my time to get back on all the nasty things you said about them personaly. Because I could care less, only stupid you have to keep bothering us with it, but yeah well...

I quote:
Granted, they have careers doing what they love, so good on them. However, as a general rule, people who cry "exploitation" or "thief" or "wolf" when it doesn't work out with a major record label deserve a special type of loathing. There are plenty of indie artists with their own labels (and documentaries--Ani DiFranco, Fugazi, etc.) who never had the luxury of a major pimping them to a No. 1 record

Are being paid by record labels by saying this?

What do you think Mercury got for Hanson's MMMBop?
Dogshit?
I don't think so. It maked them as welthy and rich as Hanson. And they didn't had to do very much for it aswell.

In this 2005 it is indeed so that big recordlabels make the bands. Because they only are commercially focused. They pay radio's and tvstations to play the music.
And when they could get as many money out of them as they could they're dumped and exhanged for some other halfnaked girl.

Hanson was a band before Mercury, and beyond Island.
They have an extremly great and loyal fanbase and it will always be that way.
So I don't think one second any record label made Hanson.

Hanson left Island because they wanted to be loyal to the music, wanna be able to make the music they wanted, and be as loyal to their fans as possible.
In the documentary there is clearly said that Island Def Jam only is looking for a second MMMBop.
Is that being loyal to the music?
Nobody has any advantage on keeping foot in 97.
We all move forward. Hanson in their talent, and music and we in our listening.

They WANTED to split with the label, because they wanna be loyal to music. Like all indie bands are.
Who cares if they first had a big label or not.
They have it just as hard as any other indie bands. Or should I say harder, because they have to fight to people who only can look beyond, to 97 like you. They have an image of when they were 11, 14 and 16. And some people will always see them that way even if they make kick ass music like they are doing now.
They wanna show us all the storie behind musical business.
To make us all think about what's going on in that world right now.
If you don't wanna hear it, don't listen.
But you could miss a lot of truth.

I really hope you can find another issue to write about next time. We don't need a third article about it.

I even have a suggestion for you!

Why don't you write about the musical business in 2005.

Go investigate. Go out there and see who is in the top 10 of this month. Then spit out if those musicians ever had an instrument in their two hands. Or ever writen a lyric themselves.
Cause you do know Hanson has written and played and sung ALL of their songs themselves right (even on the age of 11,14 and 16).
Then go out and see what big record labels are behind them.
How much they pay to get them played on the radio.
Maybe it would be cool to see the figures of how many indie groups are being played on big stations.
Maybe ask the people on the street if they are happy with music being played on radio today.

Now THAT would be an article I'm interested in.

Ooooh! The fanbase of the band unaffectionately known as "The Thomas Kinkade of the Music World" has spoken. May we all tremble at their approach.

Save some kool-aid for me girls.

Everything Lisi said is true. Hanson did it all for the fans, and Island just screwed them over. The music industaries and radio these days suck. And island/def jam is the worst kind. If you really understood what they were talking about in the Documentary you would get why they left them and went on they're own lable. Hanson has been writing they're own songs since they were young and they've still been going. Most bands from 1997 aren't still around. And when you do get that article about how people feel about radio, like Lisi suggested, i want to be the frist to read it.

It's too bad you can't see Hanson for all of what they are, and for what they are trying to do with music. There are too many bands in this country that think it's all about them. Then here comes Hanson, trying to send a message about the music industry and educate the students who have an interest in listening and telling them what they know. In addition, they stayed true to how they wanted their music and careers- your ignorance in seeing them as just a "shitty" band shows how unimformed you are about them and how close-minded your writing and thinking is.

But then again, I guess it's just not "cool" to like Hanson. You would get more respect and impress a lot more people by seeing things (and people) for all that they are, rather than continuing a stereotype of 3 very talented musicians.

"Save some kool-aid for me girls."

Hey Brandon - I am 46 years old and haven't tasted Kool-Aide for years and years . . .

And FYI, an impromtu pole of PAYING fan club members showed that of those who responded, at least 60 were over 30, and one was a 73 year old male. Most were 20-somethings, just as Hanson are now.

The "girls" you're thinking of have all grew up a long time ago, and so did Hanson. I only wish I could say the same for the author of this blog.

Valerie,

If you're 46 years old, you should have gotten the "kool-aid" reference. So much for a sense of humor. Or taste.

"one was a 73 year old male"

heh heh heh, that makes me think of the dirty old man character on Family Guy.