What's The Frequency, Moby?

December 13, 2002 11:15 AM

What's the Frequency, Moby?Techno superstar Moby was assaulted by a pair of mysterious assailants last night after a concert in Boston. "He wrote on his Web site that he is not angry about the attack, just mystified about the motive. He has asked the attackers to post an explanation." Moby's journal has been discussed previously, but is worth a look if you've never visited.
posted by Joey Michaels (47 comments total)

some of his music makes me want to bitchslap him also, but i think they should've done it in a more interesting manner, like the one dude who threw a creme pie in fred durnst's face at a guitar center.
posted by the aloha at 11:20 AM on December 13, 2002

The man himself offers a possible explanation.
posted by Pretty_Generic at 11:27 AM on December 13, 2002

mystified about the motive

Maybe they'd heard his music?
posted by dhoyt at 11:33 AM on December 13, 2002

i love how the boston globe article points the finger at Eminem:
In recent months, Moby has faced threats and insults from rapper and ''8 Mile'' star Eminem.
and
In the song ''Without Me,'' Eminem raps ''And Moby, you can get stomped by Obie'' (referring to Eminem's DJ, Obie Trice). Eminem's most recent US tour also included the mock murder of a Moby impersonator, which culminates with the rapper ''shooting'' the Moby look-alike.
ha!
posted by soplerfo at 11:38 AM on December 13, 2002

I realize that dhoyt and the aloha are making quips, but is it acceptable to attack somebody physically simply because you don't like their music? I'm no great fan of Jennifer Lopez, but does that mean there is an unspoken belief in western pop culture that if I smacked her in the face that I would become a hero to some? Do some people believe that musicians (or other artists) deserve physical punishment for their artistic choices or for their success?
posted by Joey Michaels at 11:44 AM on December 13, 2002

I've got a more cabalistic theory: it was Michael Jackson, in retaliation for Moby's criticism for the whole baby-over-the-balcony incident. Sher, whatch out.
posted by wheat at 11:49 AM on December 13, 2002

You would totally be a hero to me, Joey.
posted by LittleMissCranky at 12:01 PM on December 13, 2002

Ditto...
posted by SweetJesus at 12:03 PM on December 13, 2002

Possible explanation for the attack, from the bio on Moby's site:

"...if you ever hear me complaining about the arduous life of a traveling musician just hit me (but gently, I'm little and I bruise easily...)."
posted by luser at 12:05 PM on December 13, 2002

Um, Obie Trice is not Emenem's dj. He's an mc that's been around for a while and has recently been signed to Emenem's new label. If I didn't know this already it would have taken me about 3 minutes to find it out on the web.
posted by LouieLoco at 12:09 PM on December 13, 2002

Moby? He's that jingle writer, isn't he? Anyone who writes TV commercials is fair game, as far as I'm concerned.
posted by toothless joe at 12:27 PM on December 13, 2002

Conflicting opinions:

Yes, bad artists should be punished. Physically, if necessary.

No, people shouldn't be beaten up.

Moby is a stand-in for the commie pinko homo left in the musical world. He's a pacifist vegan, and, although straight, he's basically treated as gay -- as is non-house electronica. Basically, he's become okay to fagbait, which isn't okay -- though he wears it well. Contrary to what soplerfo says, I think these things are related.

Finally: well, you get what you get when you go to awful places like Boston. Ick.
posted by RJ Reynolds at 12:33 PM on December 13, 2002

Moby is so 1995. Everyone who is anyone knows all the innovation in electronic music is happening in hip-hop.

Which is a genre full of superstar murders. Moby should be glad he didn't get shot nine times.
posted by rocketman at 12:38 PM on December 13, 2002

So what I'm getting here is that it is all right to assault somebody if they are famous but you don't like them. Is it fair to say, then, that if I were to shoot and kill Moby because I don't like his music, that that would be all right, too?

_{Much of this discussion is disturbingly similar to the folks calling into the talk radio station in Rick Veitch's Brat Pack series...}
posted by Joey Michaels at 12:41 PM on December 13, 2002

Everyone who is anyone knows all the innovation in electronic music is happening in hip-hop.

Sarcasm? Have you listened to most hip hop lately?
The last innovation in hip hop that I heard anywhere even slightly mainstream was Outkast with Bombs over Baghdad... and they admitted they got the ideas for that going to jungle shows in London.

Try planet mu if you want some real forward thinkers.
posted by Espoo2 at 12:45 PM on December 13, 2002

Notice I said mainstream... Theres a bit of innovation in the underground scene ( see Prefuse 73 ), but even the underground is looking a little stale.
posted by Espoo2 at 12:48 PM on December 13, 2002

I am sorry, but for all of the really bad music that is currently being played including the mentioned Lopez, I do not get grouping Moby's music in that category. All of you elitists have to understand that commercial success does not equate selling out/ or bad music. While you may tired of seeing or hearing him, his music is certainly not bad or poor quality.
posted by thekorruptor at 12:53 PM on December 13, 2002

I live 2 blocks from Paradise, the club Moby was at. It's a pretty shaky area. The other week, two guys had beer bottles smashed in their face walking on a Friday night in that area.
posted by Kevs at 12:54 PM on December 13, 2002

While you may tired of seeing or hearing him

True.

his music is certainly not bad or poor quality.

Completely subjective.
posted by Espoo2 at 12:56 PM on December 13, 2002

So what I'm getting here is that it is all right to assault somebody if they are famous but you don't like them.

No, you're confused. What we are saying is that we care about Moby's assault as much as we care about any other individual assault in Boston, which is to say, not very much at all. Hell, he probably just made it up to get his name back in the papers, the same we he baits Eminem so that he can sell records.
posted by toothless joe at 12:56 PM on December 13, 2002

So what I'm getting here is that it is all right to assault somebody if they are famous but you don't like them

are you just looking to start arguments?
i don't belive for a second that anyone here really think's it's ok to beat up moby because they don't like his music. that's just insane.
some stupid thugs hit an easy target and now jokes are being made. it's not that complicated...

oh, and lay off boston joe camel
posted by soplerfo at 12:57 PM on December 13, 2002

If they had the show over at The Middle East, none of this would have happened.
posted by SweetJesus at 1:19 PM on December 13, 2002

Is it fair to say, then, that if I were to shoot and kill Moby because I don't like his music, that that would be all right, too?

Well, heavens yes. Duh.
posted by padraigin at 1:19 PM on December 13, 2002

Hell, he probably just made it up to get his name back in the papers, the same we he baits Eminem so that he can sell records.

Riiiiiiight, because Moby was doing so poorly at that before Eminem became famous.
posted by soyjoy at 1:27 PM on December 13, 2002

Okay... I'll admit it. It was me and my two buddies. We beat Moby to a bloody pulp. We felt threatened by his pacifist ways. Sorry.
posted by livingdots at 1:31 PM on December 13, 2002

Soplerfo: Are you just looking to start arguments?

Not an argument, but I was curious what the response to this would be here at MeFi. Driving into work today, this was on the radio. People were calling in like somebody had captured Osama Bin Laden. I'm just curious about why people's first reaction on hearing that a star (or musician) has been beaten up, if they don't like that musician, is "hurray." I don't understand - but I'm not trying to start an argument.
posted by Joey Michaels at 1:37 PM on December 13, 2002

I think people cheering at a celebrities miseries are part of the weird psychology of fandom: We put people on a pedestal so we can knock them down.
I hate moby too. It was the commercials that ruined it for me.
posted by elwoodwiles at 1:55 PM on December 13, 2002

I don't understand - but I'm not trying to start an argument.

poking fun at other people's misfortune is one of the easiest (however stupid) ways to get a laugh. why do you think the 3 stooges were so popular?
posted by soplerfo at 1:58 PM on December 13, 2002

I mangled that sentence
...cheering at the misery of a celebrity is.....
posted by elwoodwiles at 1:58 PM on December 13, 2002

Riiiiiiight, because Moby was doing so poorly at that before Eminem became famous.

I didn't say he was doing poorly, I was just pointing out that any musician that would license every song on an album to hawk merchandise will sink to any depths to wring every last dollar from his music. Seriously, why would anyone care what a Volkeswagen spokesman has to say about someone else's lyrics?
posted by toothless joe at 2:06 PM on December 13, 2002

Do some people believe that musicians (or other artists) deserve physical punishment for their artistic choices or for their success?

Apparently some callow youth do, yes (just read this thread for evidence).

What we are saying is that we care about Moby's assault as much as we care about any other individual assault in Boston, which is to say, not very much at all.

So, to sum up, you're a self-centered ass?
posted by rushmc at 2:39 PM on December 13, 2002

RJ, you're in New York. You're not supposed to malign Boston, you're supposed to claim that Boston is some cow town that you couldn't care less about.

We're the bitter ones. You're the elitists who can't be bothered. I get confused when someone doesn't followed the rules.
posted by Mayor Curley at 2:52 PM on December 13, 2002

Moby is a stand-in for the commie pinko homo left in the musical world.

while the commie pinko homo left consider him a sell-out for discovering the advantages of capitalism just as he makes a big pile of cash. so really, there's a motive for almost anyone....
posted by andrew cooke at 4:11 PM on December 13, 2002

So, to sum up, you're a self-centered ass?

Now, now, rushmc, don't point fingers...
posted by jonson at 4:53 PM on December 13, 2002

Moby's birthday is 9/11. Al Quaida did it. Or Ashcroft. I think they're working together.
posted by planetkyoto at 5:18 PM on December 13, 2002

Now, now, rushmc, don't point fingers...

I'm not asking him to set up a website decrying violence and then to pretend that he's making a real difference, jonson. Caring and maintaining a realistic perspective are not mutually exclusive.

In other words your analogy (and associated assumption that I don't care about the AIDS issue) is very weak. Stating openly that one does not care about a problem is a very different thing from disagreeing about specific approaches to problem mitigation or resolution.
posted by rushmc at 5:38 PM on December 13, 2002

RJ>he's basically treated as gay -- as is non-house electronica

Well, if ATR is gay, then why is there war?
posted by shepd at 8:22 PM on December 13, 2002

Hey rushmc, I'm not assuming you don't care about the AIDS issue, I'm just quoting you verbatim...

"because not a one of them interested me a whit"

No need to be touchy about it, it's no skin off my nose that you're self-centered, just come to grips with it, and don't feel compelled to point out when others are acting the way you do. That's hypocritical...
posted by jonson at 9:14 PM on December 13, 2002

They sucker punched him, sprayed him with mace then ran away. Probably a frat job.
posted by shoos at 9:15 PM on December 13, 2002

I was just pointing out that any musician that would license every song on an album to hawk merchandise will sink to any depths to wring every last dollar from his music.

Serious non sequitur there, joe...
posted by kindall at 10:15 PM on December 13, 2002

I dunno, I've always liked Moby's music. And that he licenses it to sell products doesn't offend me. I was sad to hear that he got beat up, just as I'm sad to hear it when anyone I don't actively dislike gets beat up. As I see it, musicians tend to have getting their music out in front of the largest number of people possible as one of their goals (along with that, making money from their music tends to be a goal). Getting VW to run your tune in an advert kills those two birds with one stone.

I can respect musicians like Tom Waits (one of my favorites) and Paul Simon who feel strongly that musicians shoudln't license their stuff, but I don't have a problem with it (all other things being equal, of course. I wouldn't license my music to support a product or a company I dislike or find morally reprehensable).
posted by wheat at 4:39 AM on December 14, 2002

I'm just quoting you verbatim...

"because not a one of them interested me a whit"

I might not be interested in reading numerous personal accounts of victims of violence, either, but that does not imply that I don't care about either the problem of violence or its victims. Unless you can find where I made a direct statement saying "I don't care about AIDS or those who suffer it," your analogy still does not work.
posted by rushmc at 6:27 AM on December 14, 2002

Has anyone checked the whereabouts of the Made Men?
posted by yerfatma at 10:01 AM on December 15, 2002

So, to sum up, you're a self-centered ass?

Eh, you say "self-centered", I say "not celebrity obsessed". My point is that there are an awful lot of assaults on an awful lot of people in an awful lot of cities, and a good number of them are more serious than a suckerpunch and a dusting of mace. If he was a friend or a family member, I would be concerned, but he's just a stranger that got punched standing on a rough corner. Callous perhaps, but c'est la vie.

You are spot on with the "ass" comment though...
posted by toothless joe at 6:35 AM on December 16, 2002

I can understand your not caring more about a celebrity being assaulted than anyone else suffering the same, toothless joe. That's perfectly rational. But to go beyond that and state that you don't care about any assault upon any stranger seems beyond callous and dangerously close to sociopath territory. No one's asking you to care (nearly) as much as if it were a friend or family member, but basic empathy is an important human trait.
posted by rushmc at 2:58 PM on December 16, 2002

I also kick puppies.
posted by toothless joe at 8:04 AM on December 17, 2002

Tsk, tsk.
posted by rushmc at 9:55 AM on December 17, 2002