The Indian episode isn't the only irritating thing that happened with The Cedars recently. A while before that, Darrell received an e-mail from someone claiming to be from MTV saying they had listened to his songs on the Jones Soda website, liked them, and wanted a CD to consider including in their show. Now this sounds like an obvious fake, but the thing is, some research showed that the person who sent the e-mail does exist and does work at MTV, the e-mail address was verifiable, the phone number led to a seemingly legitimate voice mail, and the address was an actual office at MTV. It just seemed quite odd because: 1. The Jones Soda page doesn't seem to get any traffic so why would someone discover The Cedars there, 2. The Jones Soda page only includes 30 second long sound clips, and 3. The e-mail had some typos, which just seemed odd for some reason.

My thought is maybe the e-mail was really from this person at MTV but she hadn't listened to the songs and was just spamming everybody at Jones Soda. Still it seems weird that she'd have left obvious typos in a mass e-mail. So anyway, Darrell sent a CD to the address and tried an email and a phone call asking questions to see if she'd respond and prove herself to be legitimately interested. No response.

She works at a show called "Super Sweet 16" and frankly the Indian reservation thing seemed like a better bet. If you can forgive my stereotyping, Darrell's music is all about poverty, despair, and alcoholism, and that MTV show is apparently about wealth and excess and celebration. Haha. I can just imagine someone on that show accidentally walking into a country bar when they are trying to go to a party and hearing Darrell's music and saying "What is this shit? Let's get out of here!" That's the only way I can envision Darrell's music on that show.

Anyone reading this now knows *exactly* how to irritate us... It just requires adopting a false identity...


Two Replies to Another Irritating Thing

Scott Hardie | October 22, 2006
Seems to me if it was really from MTV and was really in consideration for use on broadcast, they'd have asked for all kinds of contracts to be signed, because if someone on staff played the music on the air by mistake it could have meant a lawsuit. But really I'm just guessing.

I miss chatting with you and I'm sorry you're frustrated. Is there anything I can say to cheer you up? :)

Denise Sawicki | October 23, 2006
Would they really play something on air by mistake? I would think that kind of thing would require extensive planning. Couldn't they provide the contracts once they'd actually heard the CD? If the email was to be believed, they found it on this website where you can only hear 30-second sound clips, and they probably wouldn't license a song on that basis alone. I'm not sure of the motive of whoever would go to such lengths to impersonate an MTV personality. If they'd asked for money or something I'd be sure to agree it is a scam, but they just sent the e-mail with all the contact info and then didn't make any further replies.

I spend so much time trying to analyze people's motives and it never accomplishes anything!

Thanks for the thoughts though!


Prayer for the Paranoid

Denise Sawicki posts whatever she feels able to post without serious consequences Read more »

Gross jelly beans

So, we all know I am a little juvenile for my age. We went and purchased some Beanboozled jelly beans a while back - the box comes with a mix of good flavors and disgusting flavors but you can't tell the difference until you eat them because the color is the same. I was apprehensive but most of the flavors I tried were really not that bad. Go »

Chair

Over the weekend we went to Mills Fleet Farm to pick up the specific present my dad wanted for his birthday. I doubt you have the Fleet Farm in the more "civilized" parts of the world but it is a bit like a Walmart with the addition of things like calf medicine, saddles, fence posts, and a huge amount of hardware, machinery, building supplies, etc. I mostly stick to the more Walmart-like areas of the store, except for that one time when I built a fence :). Go »

More about the coat obsession

I know I already put the pictures on Facebook but I have such an infatuation with this coat that I need to post about it a bit :P. Here is the real dude in the real coat: Here is Darrell in our coat we just bought: Here's me in the coat: Here I am in the coat again (brighter shot): Anyhow, generally when you find pictures of this guy he has on the suspenders and no vest. He does wear a vest sometimes though! Go »

I'm posting a lot

Yeah I suppose I should mention for anyone wondering (besides Scott, who I already talked to) I'm 90% sure I'm too crazy to do this GooCon thing appropriately. But that 10% chance of a successful trip is driving me nuts. I'm really curious to meet some other site users and I know it would be fun if I wasn't so crazy. Go »

False Hope

So the guys' band had a show on Saturday and it went really well. A bunch of people came up to say they did a good job, and the headlining band (another local act) really liked the music and wants to do other shows together. And they even got paid! Go »

Nostalgia from TV shows

We're watching some high school shows lately, notably Freaks and Geeks, which I love, also My So-Called Life which I hesitate to admit I find hard to get into... Anyway Freaks and Geeks sure makes me jealous of the friendships those characters had in high school. Nobody would ever make a show about my high school experience. Go »