Chaser Articles/Reviews

I don't think it invalidates your opinion on comedy. Everybody has an opinion. I just dont take you seriously, so smile. I am. To be honest, I have no idea who you are, nor do you know who am I, but I do find this website very funny when everybody gets to personal and fires up, so keep it up!

Anyways, you can't dismiss Helen Razer as an overated radio personality without making a comment on her comic ability as she was a comic who who presented a radio show, a comic like every other person who presented a JJJ program you refered to (with the exception of jen oldershaw), so call a spade a spade and dont hide behind semantics and italics.

If everyone raves about her and you dont see it, then that probably says something. I really dont want to defend her since I never thought she was any special, but I enjoyed her show at the time. So who cares if some obnoxious gits blame it on their childhood, while others moderate comedy messageboards...

Keep rockin.

[hellokitty]

Originally Posted by Newtie

Wow so many people cranky at the J's and unable to just turn it off when its poo. Tony Delroy is great tho, whoever posted that, I agree.

i fucking hate it when people say shit liek that

we are having an intelligent conversation about a radio station here, nhot just bagging it for the sake of it.

It's like people saying, if you don't like something don't go or whatever, it's called having an opinion, it's part of a democratic society.

[kebab_oner]

hey sharleen - I dunno if you've noticed, but hip hop IS music for the youth. it's no coincidence that just about every PCYC and youth drop in centre in the country is covered end to end in legal graffiti.

the notion that rap is "mainstream" is something I find particularly offensive - given that the majority of rap originates from people's bedrooms and garages. the proportion of hip hop artists on major labels pales in comparison to the number of artists pushing their shit out of their own backpacks and the boots of their cars. hip hop is a street level culture, always will be no matter how many artists hit the charts or how many record companies try and cash in ("hey, put Method Man in a guest spot and some b-boys in the video and we've got ourselves a hit, man!").

there's still very little hip hop on triple j by comparison - but kingsmill's been introducing it slowly and credibly. we've come a way from when the only rap you'd hear on JJJ would be Beastie Boys affiliated or influenced (*cough* 1200 Techniques), or one of those gimmicky tracks that JJJ loves (like Jay's Hard Knock Life, Mass Mc's BBQ Song, The Herd's Scallops)

I get a real kick out of hearing local acts like Hilltops, Downsyde and Koolism in heavy rotation - those guys have been at it for years, so it's good to see some deserved recognition. same goes for the majority of the international quotient of their playlist - never thought I'd see the day cats like Atmosphere, Looptroop or Akrobatik would get played in drive time. you'll NEVER hear that stuff on commercial radio, simply because guys like that don't have a major label backing pushing them financially.

the issue of Obie Trice getting played on JJJ is not, I believe, tied into Kingsmill's considered move towards playing more hip hop - there's A LOT of mainstream music been making it's way into JJJ playlists lately... maybe the station's low on funding and needs to pimp out airtime to record company "donations"? just a guess.

I'm not knocking hip-hop as a whole. Nor am I denying that hip hop is appreciated by youth. But I wouldn't see it as the be-all and end-all of what youth like - it doesn't define youth as a whole. Just like the period of grunge didn't define youth as a whole in the early 90's.

I say, all the better for hip hop on a playlist, as long as its an intellegent selection, something that is different to the millions of hip-hop tunes played on the other stations. You would hope that record companies wouldn't have such a strangehold on what gets onto the Triple J playlist. I mean, I know that stations receive donations (as do record stores etc etc)... it would be stupid of me not to realise that. But Triple J is independent and govt funded, there to provide youth with an alternative to the majority of crap thats pumped out on the mainstream stations. Should it happen? I think not.

After reading that blog further, I agree with the assertion that alternative is harder to define now... the likes of Nova play 'indie' sounds, and Triple J has lost its difference, its edge because of it. They just need to find it again (it will be difficult cause of the emergence of FBI and the popularity of other community stations). I just don't think this 'enemy of the average' PR campaign is the right way. Its like saying everything that doesn't get played on their station isn't 'cool' or good. And as I know from hearing conversations at countless BDOs, some youth can be stupid enough to believe that shit.

I'm retring from this discussion now. I've got bigger fish to fry in this world.

[Beckslee]

Originally Posted by kebab_oner

hey sharleen - I dunno if you've noticed, but hip hop IS music for the youth.

ummm I think I'm part of this youth that you speak of, sure I'm not a teenager anymore.

Hip Hop in my opinion is not good, it is one of the only musical styles that I do not like, and I have a vary broad range of likes.

It doesn't particularly require good musical ability, and a musical genre where every artist sounds the same and has no defining characteristics.

But luckily JJJ doesn't play it all the time, they support Australian unsigned bands, many of which do have talent, and through the J's have been able to get a good following.

But that said they are also a radio station who needs to remember that you don't always have to play new music, people also like to listen to songs they have known for more than 3 months

[Munchkin]

Originally Posted by Newtie

If everyone raves about her and you dont see it, then that probably says something.

I don't see it either, Helen Razer made me turn off the radio.

[Mythor]

Originally Posted by Newtie

semantics

Semantics?!?!

You tried to turn my words into meaning something they clearly did not, and then implied something about my character/intelligence because of your twisted interpretation of what I said. You're damn right I'm going to go into semantics if you can't read a simple fucking sentence and then allude to failings on my part because of your own inability to read. I will not stand by and allow myself to be misinterpreted. To suggest that I should let people twist anything I say with nary a peep just because I might be in danger of engaging in semantics is bull. Get ya hand off it, son. I'm never going to sit by and let that happen. Haven't before, won't now, don't give a rats that you're "famous" and thus must be "better" or more "right" than anyone else. :frustrat:

As for commenting on Helen's radio presenting abilities - yes, I can comment on them without saying she's a piss poor comic. Her personality made me dislike listening to her.
She wouldn't be the only "comic" that I dislike that still manages to grind out some funny jokes from time to time.
What you are saying is that people can't dislike, for example, Steady Eddie's style of delivery, without commenting on his comic talent.

And that's crap.

If listening to someone is a chore, makes you feel uncomfortable, makes you annoyed at their personality or whatever, that person's level of regard, in your eyes, is going to plummet. No matter how funny they might be.

And for the record - yes, I do think Helen isn't funny.
Annoying personality + me not finding her funny = me not listening to her.
By your own admission, you don't think she was anything special. Is it such a gigantic stretch that other people might find her.... Crap?

[Mythor]

Originally Posted by kebab_oner

it's no coincidence that just about every PCYC and youth drop in centre in the country is covered end to end in legal graffiti.

Is it that hiphop is popular amongst graffitti artists, or graffitti is popular amongst people who listen to hiphop?

I wonder if I could get government funding to conduct some research on this?

[Beckslee]

Originally Posted by Munchkin

I don't see it either, Helen Razer made me turn off the radio.

what a mean bitch, :p

my boss does makes me turn off music too, although more usually she just stops me whistling or singing

[kebab_oner]

no need for a study, myth - the link is historical

/me puts on his old school hat

hip hop is not just a style of music, it's a life philosophy that emerged from new york in the late 70's - early 80's

it is a subject of debate, but it's generally accepted that there are 4 elements of hip hop... which are:

* rapping (or emceeing, rhyming, whatever)
* DJing (cutting, mixing, juggling, whatever)
* b-boying (breaking, popping, waving, whatever)
and last but not least
* writing (tagging, piecing, thrashing, getting arrested, whatever)

you'll find anyone that's active in one element will likely be an exponent (or at least dabble in) another. if you have one foot in the culture, it's hard to not want to immerse yourself. it's also worth noting that every element makes you more attractive to the opposite sex

and before anyone starts, I'd rather not get into any debate about the moral or social implications... leave that topic on right wing talk back radio where it belongs.

in response to Beckslee's comment regarding hip hop requiring no "musical talent", I suggest you check out The Roots or Outkast's recent releases - both featuring heavy live instrumentation. and the notion that rap has little "musical merit" is flawed to say the least - if anything, it's hip hop artists that have been pushing the musical envelope since day 1, see public enemy, dj premier or pete rock's rhythmically complex intricately layered production for evidence of this. in fact, the DJ as he exists today wouldn't even BE if it wasn't for Grandmaster Flash (who invented the cross fader). and note the influence hip hop has had on other styles of music (Blondie, Madonna, I could go on).

[Sam]

Fashionably late as usual - who are the guys doing the Sunday arvo show (the young liberals/nationals) - I gathered they might have been CNNN blokes or something???? As for Kingsmill organising the playlist for JJJ - I accept, but organising each shift I'm not so sure. As was said the presenters might chuck in a couple ......... A COUPLE!!!! There is DEFINATELY a different sort of style surrounding each shift, sure they play a couple of songs that all the shifts play - obviously the album of the week and the ones that are supposed to be played more often than not; but I'd rather listen to Cosi's show than to say a Kingsmill show or Myfs' to Trannys'. I second the motion that I'd rather listen to 4 in a row absolute shit songs to any amount of ads. Anyway one persons shit is another persons love. Go JJJ for continuing to play new and up to the minute stuff, I'm one of the oldies on the board and there is no way I want to listen to stuff that was played 6 months ago let alone 6 years ago. If I'm that desperate to hear the things I'll buy the CD.

Erm.... has this thread drifted slightly off topic? how did the announcement of Chris and Craig lead so quickly to an analysis of hip hop? surely you've all missed the bigger story here: how can there be a CNNN next year if Chris and craig are doing radio all year? Does this mean the end of the chaser team???

[kebab_oner]

yo, I didn't mean to digress...

it's just that chumps was straight up dissin my culture, yo! can you blame a nigga fo getting hott under the collar? sheeeeeeeet!

[Munchkin]

Originally Posted by bewtie 2

how can there be a CNNN next year if Chris and craig are doing radio all year? Does this mean the end of the chaser team???

Radio presenters rarely just do radio.

But back to the discussion...

I just don’t like the way the music on JJJ is heading so with the exception of a small amount of time in the morning, or the Morning Show if I’m home, I don’t listen to it. JJJ used to be music you wouldn’t or couldn’t hear on other stations, now its music you can hear everywhere else or soon will. I don’t care about history and influences and what everybody else is doing, to continue overusing an overused quote “I don’t know much about art but I know what I like” and right now I simply don’t like the music on JJJ. I don’t like the way its structured, it feels rigid. It’s the same all the time now, every week it’s the same segments with the same song but the ones more then 30 days old get replaced with the same songs but with a different name.

[hellokitty]

absolutely greed munchkin

and totally with kebab on the hip hop debate too.

I didn't know much about hip hop before but i ahve been running a regular spot on my Australian music show for the past few months where a local MC comes in to talk about hip hop culture and i have learnt a lot and completely respect it, in it's purest form. I still don't know much about it, but i'm learning!