Henry Rollins Blogs

January 14, 2006 9:15 AM

Henry Rollins Blogs - Henry Rollins, lead singer of Black Flag & The Rollins Band, Spoken Word performer, and one of the USO's most frequent travelers, is now blogging daily.
posted by Argyle (74 comments total)

I bought the first few Henry tour diaries when they came out and loved them, but after a while I thought that maybe I don't need to know EVERY SINGLE THOUGHT Henry has. And after looking over a few posts I realize that Henry might be just as boring as most of the My Space journals I've seen.
posted by Slack-a-gogo at 9:43 AM on January 14, 2006

We met at a Black Flag show - one of the first with that new guy, Henry Something. We went to a lot of shows back in the day, I think that one was at CBGB, maybe. We used to go there and see all the punk shows - Bad Brains, Fear. Surging, pounding masses of pissed off and happy kids, slamming and running at each other in the sheer visceral joy of CONTACT in a vast city and world that seemed to do everything it could to keep everyone isolated. Sweating, bleeding, laughing, shouting at the top of our lungs - I'll never forget it.

She was dressed in black fishnet, artfully torn and adorned with smashed up pieces of barbie dolls. She was hurling herself from the stage out over the crowd, massive boots and fingerless gloves windmilling and splaying into the seething mass. She called herself "Morticia", swore like a sailor in pain, shotgunned beers we got from older friends like there was no tomorrow - which she insisted there wasn't. I was a more philosophical punk, in my army fatigues covered with peace signs, but like so many of us quiet kids, I was in love with the loudest ones.

Which was funny - she refused to use the word "love" for the first three years we hung out, and insisted she just wanted to bang. That was the way she put it, with a casual disdain. Over time, of course, I met the family. I learned how much she hated shirts on the floor and being late; she discovered I secretly loved the Beach Boys - even Rogers and Hammerstein; we indulged ourselves in the main of American culture with a dirty, embarassed glee, like a shared secret act of perversion.

Now I work in advertising, and she works as an editor from home and takes care of the kids. Henry Rollins has a blog, some Ramone I never heard of has a radio show on satellite radio, and Johnny Rotten's website won't load in my browser because it's so loaded with useless fancy crap. Soon Ringo will be the only living Beatle. I sip my coffee and look out over the rainy city from the nice flat I own. I should be stunned, I should be wondering how we got here, but try as I might, I'm just thinking about parking spaces and rent control.
posted by freebird at 9:52 AM on January 14, 2006 [7 favorites]

Henry Rollins. Well, I tell ya. I've never really followed his career, but I caught his stand-up on cable once, and it was really very good, insightful even. I especially liked it when he talked about having his "own personal revolution" down in his basement when he was sixteen. And by that I guess he meant that he started working out really hard and getting himself into shape. He seems like a pretty interesting guy, whatever that means. I shall enjoy reading his blog when I'm not wasting time on the other six-zillion blogs out there.
posted by meh at 10:01 AM on January 14, 2006

I love Hank; thanks for this!
posted by keswick at 10:04 AM on January 14, 2006

What's up with the crazy URL? Couldn't he pick something more like, I dunno, henryrollins.com/blog?
posted by mathowie at 10:11 AM on January 14, 2006

Freebird, are you channeling Chaucer? The Post-Punker's Tale, enroute to a Canterbury I know not wot.

Our experiences were — and retrospective considerations are — very simiiar (tho' I'm guessing you were US West Coast and I'm East), right down to the eventual advertising career. I've met others too, passing by an agency office late and hearing Marquee Moon spill its chilly guts on the floor, and thinking, Ah ha. Inevitable conversations follow: "Where were you when you first heard/saw/felt..." and so it goes.

Once saw Iggy when I was living in Miami Beach. He was cheerfully toting a plastic bag of groceries and my vision got blurry as two hemispheres of past and present collided right there on the blazing sidewalk. How is it that my first and only Christ was here, alive, wearing a reasonably clean shirt and shoes and cradling bananas, milk and light bulbs and I wasn't dead, translated or saved, just older?

Probably won't read Henry's blog, but I'm glad he's there. Glad you're there too.
posted by Haruspex at 10:29 AM on January 14, 2006

Isn't this the guy from Johnny Mnemonic?
posted by nervestaple at 10:32 AM on January 14, 2006

Wow. Overgrown jock gets blog.

I've never liked the guy, but after reading in 'Our Band Could Be Your Life' the stories of his assault on audience members & his temper problem & reading elsewhere about his alleged sexual assault(s), I've come to the realization that the world would be a much, much better place without him.
posted by item at 10:33 AM on January 14, 2006

plus, Black Flag were much better in each of their pre-Rollins formations, IMO. Oh well.
posted by item at 10:34 AM on January 14, 2006

What's up with the crazy URL?

2.13.61 is his publishing company, named after his birthday, which is kinda sweet.
posted by peteash10 at 10:38 AM on January 14, 2006

My birthday as a domain name is an Asian porn site.

I've never liked Rollins. Oh wait, I liked it when he died in Johnny Mnemonic. Other than that, he's always struck me as a blowhard.
posted by fenriq at 10:48 AM on January 14, 2006

Isn't this the guy from Johnny Mnemonic?

Sadly (so very sadly...), I, too, was never introduced to Mr. Rollins other than his performance in that movie. Even then, I sensed his awesomeness.

My birthdate isn't registered as a domain. Hmmm...
posted by Gator at 10:54 AM on January 14, 2006

Freebird, that was beautiful.
posted by nevercalm at 10:57 AM on January 14, 2006

Although he's not entirely untalented, and I'm a fan of similar music, Hammerin' Hank always struck me as very narcissistic, a relugar fucking diva, Tony Robbins with tattoos. I remember those 'What's on Your Powerbook?' ads he did in the late 80's. Someone wrote a parody where Henry's answer was 'a list of people I'm cooler than."

Sounds about right to me.
posted by jonmc at 11:04 AM on January 14, 2006

I have never been a fan of Rollins' music, but I have enjoyed his books, especially the Black Coffee Blues series. His early books were basically self-published diaries, I think, and the tone and style of the diaries makes Rollins seem to me like a precursor of today's bloggers.
posted by jayder at 11:14 AM on January 14, 2006

The best idea here is numbers as website urls. My b-day is being appropriated by a small town b/c it's their zip code... Names.com are sooo 2005.
posted by Sellersburg/Speed at 11:19 AM on January 14, 2006

I remember those 'What's on Your Powerbook?' ads he did in the late 80's. Someone wrote a parody where Henry's answer was 'a list of people I'm cooler than."

Sure, he's pretentious and kinda narrow-minded, but for some reason that's never bothered me much. He's damn good at it, and for an entertainer, that's what really counts.
posted by medialyte at 11:24 AM on January 14, 2006

I'm really surprised no one's linked the Floating Henry Rollins Head Haiku site.
posted by MrMoonPie at 11:26 AM on January 14, 2006

he's always struck me as a blowhard.

Blow hard or not at all.

I've never liked anything in my entire life. I don't even enjoy being jaded. I have a body temperature of zero. Kelvin.
posted by srboisvert at 11:29 AM on January 14, 2006

He's damn good at it, and for an entertainer, that's what really counts.

He's OK. He never seemed to do anything worthy of his iconic status except really wanting to be an icon.
posted by jonmc at 11:29 AM on January 14, 2006

See, that's the thing -- he blustered his way to the top (or to some relatively comfortable perch) without any major talent besides blustering. I'm not a big fan -- I own a dusty copy of "The Boxed Life", but I haven't listened to it in years -- but back in high school, Rollins was the big star. I had several friends who (though they wouldn't admit it then) totally idolized him. With a decade-plus of hindsight, I understand that it was his charisma alone, not any other factor, that made that possible. His balls-out "I'm awesome!"-ness made jaded punks love him, and that's pretty impressive.
posted by medialyte at 11:51 AM on January 14, 2006

He's the best voice over artist The History Channel ever had.
posted by ryanissuper at 11:54 AM on January 14, 2006

Oh yeah, and he was good in The Chase.
posted by ryanissuper at 11:59 AM on January 14, 2006

One of my ex-girlfriends had befriended him as a high school student, and actually spent a Christmas with him. From the sounds of things, he was very nice to her, and they mailed each other letters and emails for years (and sometimes still do, sporadically). Seeing as she was a little cute punk rock high school chick when they met, he could have behaved abominably toward her, and instead he was genial and friendly, and so he's in my good book for that.
posted by Astro Zombie at 12:08 PM on January 14, 2006

srboisvert, touche, and a good one at that.
posted by fenriq at 12:18 PM on January 14, 2006

For some reason a few of my friends and I picked up a habit of indicating disinterest by singing/chanting a few bars of "I give a rat's ass! rat's ass! rat's ass! rat's ass!".

...and that's how Henry Rollins has influenced my life.
posted by Wolfdog at 12:20 PM on January 14, 2006

is there a feed somewhere?
posted by missed at 12:48 PM on January 14, 2006

I haven't heard Rollins's stuff or read much about him. However, the one article I did read (NY Times; registration required. Sorry.) was more than enough to put me off the guy for life.

To read the bit about Rollins, you'll have to do a text search for his name. He doesn't show up until the second half of the article.

But if you have the time, do yourself a favor and read the whole thing. It's a classic.
posted by Clay201 at 12:52 PM on January 14, 2006

He never seemed to do anything worthy of his iconic status except really wanting to be an icon.

Exactly.

So another D-list celebrity got himself a blog. Who cares? Don't Barbra Streisand and Mariah Carey both blog, too? Doesn't nearly every band in existence have a MySpace page? Who gives a bjork?

I'm the biggest David Mamet fan you'll ever meet. His blog sucks. It's embarrassing; I wish he'd go back to being condescending toward the internet. I admired that more. He's an incredible playwright, just like Mariah Carey has (had, actually) an incredible voice...but their blogs? Worst of the web. I'd rather read alt.revisionism.
posted by cribcage at 1:07 PM on January 14, 2006

Freebird: I enjoyed reading your post a lot more than I enjoyed the musclebound gobshite's blog. Thanks.
posted by Decani at 1:24 PM on January 14, 2006

The only good thing he ever did was to come up with the band name "Henrietta Collins and the Wife Beating Child Haters".
posted by Mr T at 1:30 PM on January 14, 2006

For all you haters, Rollins is also involved with the USO. Of course, that probably will only make you hate him more.
posted by keswick at 1:42 PM on January 14, 2006

Clay, I read the article you mention in your comment. I don't really see how that should put you off Rollins. It sounds like Thomas Frank would criticize any artist or musician who has a rebellious message and seeks cultural prominence. His criticism seems to be that success is what straight-edged enterpreneurial types seek, and therefore if you are a "rebellious" musician who seeks success in your own career, you're a hypocrite. That's a pretty silly argument.

Rollins has embraced his success, to be sure, but I don't really see any hypocrisy in his career. As a musician, he needs an audience, and he reaches an audience through magazines like Details, etc. Anyone who does anything for a living that's worth doing, would reasonably seek to become successful at it, and becoming successful involves discipline. There are lots of punk washouts that nobody ever heard of, because they lacked discipline, but I guess in Thomas Frank's view, they're more "authentic" than Rollins.
posted by jayder at 1:48 PM on January 14, 2006

plus, Black Flag were much better in each of their pre-Rollins formations, IMO. Oh well.

You really think so? Because I always thought that this was one of the great American hardcore punk records.

Everything the band had done up until then (that I've heard, anyway) was plagued by that stereotypical, thin, west-coast punk sound, and the earlier singers always sounded kinda cartoonish to me.

Oh yeah, and he was good in The Chase.

Of course, what made that amusing was the idea of a notorious cop-hater (at least on the records) like Rollins playing a cop.
posted by JeffL at 2:03 PM on January 14, 2006

jonmc: I remember those 'What's on Your Powerbook?' ads he did in the late 80's. Someone wrote a parody where Henry's answer was 'a list of people I'm cooler than."

Motorbooty magazine, perhaps? *wonders what happened to them*

My first thought upon seeing this thread was, "What took him so long?" I thought Rollins of all people would've been all over this blogging thing ages ago.

Used to read his books in high school (usually borrowed from a friend). Probably wouldn't be able to touch the stuff now :P
posted by May Kasahara at 2:10 PM on January 14, 2006

I loved Motorbooty.
posted by jonmc at 2:14 PM on January 14, 2006

Freebird, that was rad. Thanks.

And now for my snark:
"Get in the van motherfucker!"

It's easy to hate on Rollins, but then I'd have to hate on Ian MacKaye. Then my ska phase. Then Robert Pirsig. My youthful indiscretions would evaporate, and that would be a shame.
posted by bardic at 2:14 PM on January 14, 2006

I Remember Henry... Sounds like a good TV show.

I remember Henry from Johnny Mnemonic (he was probably the best thing in it), but a stronger memory is from Full Metal Challenge [warning: bad web design], Cathy Rogers' follow-up to Junkyard Wars.
posted by jiawen at 2:15 PM on January 14, 2006

Rollins is a rather contradictory guy I think. He kind of pushes people away but at the same time relishes in the fact that people actually listen to him speak -- which is quite often his advice as to one thing or another. Kind of like a caring big brother that has a constant urge to kick your ass.

When I was a freshman in college I went to see a show at the student center and something he had said really hit home. He gave people the opportunity to come backstage and get an autograph or a handshake. I went to get my 10 seconds worth.

On stage he does a lot of posturing and plays the macho to the fullest.

Afterwards, though, all I could think was "damn that dude is short"
posted by pwedza at 2:27 PM on January 14, 2006

For all you haters, Rollins is also involved with the USO. Of course, that probably will only make you hate him more.

Bingo.
posted by Decani at 2:53 PM on January 14, 2006

jayder said:

His criticism seems to be that success is what straight-edged enterpreneurial types seek, and therefore if you are a "rebellious" musician who seeks success in your own career, you're a hypocrite..

His objection to Rollins is not that he's successful, but that he (Rollins) insists that success is a form of rebellion. Frank writes:

Rollins' rebel posture is identical to that fabled ethic of the small capitalist whose regimen of positive thinking and hard work will one day pay off. .

Whatever we think of Rollins, hopefully we can agree that the course of action he (according to Frank) recommends - namely, working very hard to make a lot of money - does not constitute any sort of resistance to the existing social-political-economic system.

(If anyone feels Frank's characterization of Rollins's professed ideology is inaccurate, I'd be interested in hearing what you have to say on the subject).
posted by Clay201 at 2:56 PM on January 14, 2006

(But could he kick Glen Danzig's ass?)
posted by bardic at 2:56 PM on January 14, 2006

I kinda expected the blog to be in all caps... you know, to convey *intensity*
posted by Larzarus at 2:56 PM on January 14, 2006

For all you haters, Rollins is also involved with the USO.

No kiddin'.
posted by MrMoonPie at 3:06 PM on January 14, 2006

i reed gud.
posted by keswick at 3:37 PM on January 14, 2006

I saw his spoken word not too long ago, and after the show, joined a small group of people talking to him, gettting autographs.. I told him I really enjoyed it, but that I had a problem with one thing... The part where he'd gone off on NASA's Mars exploration, saying it was a waste, that we should be using that money to take care of problems here (Personally, I think the war budget is the misdirected one)... Anyway, so I said we definitely need to work on ourselves, but still, planning for the future, I think it's important to get to know our solar system, that colonizing would be in the best interest of humanity in the long run, and that it's not a good idea to keep all your eggs in one basket, in case we ruin this planet, or something very large slams in to us and brings extinction with it...
He put his arm around me, had a good laugh, and then said, "Why don't you go get in your Pinto, go home and wait for your meteor, spaceboy." All the fawning fans had to laugh too, even though some were nodding agreement while I was talking..
I was disappointed, but I got in my (not that it matters, but shiny, fast) car, and thought, "Well he'll probably make fun of me at tomorrow's show in the next city, but hey at least I got it off my chest and hopefully made him think." Probably not, but whatever.
posted by hypersloth at 3:52 PM on January 14, 2006

I saw him back in the early eighties with BF at the Mercury in Denver and even had the fortune of having a cup of coffee with him and a group of people after one of his poetry readings. Yeah, the good old days. Truly a great guy and welcome addition to the web.

Flash forward a few years and the guy hasn't changed much (only his exsoskeleton ). I've always dug the visceral quality of him music and what he stands for. That NYT article can suck my dick.
posted by KevinSkomsvold at 3:52 PM on January 14, 2006

In the interest of hatin' on Mr. Frey, let me clarify that my coffee-inspired deal upthread was autobiographical fiction. It's true to how I feel about the music scene that frankly Saved my Fucking Life as a teenager, and to how it's felt to grow up - but as Haruspex correctly surmised, I'm all Left Coast, and I was probably the generation just after. Alongside Black Flag we listened to a lot of Minute Men and Minor Threat, but they'd become Firehose and Fugazi by the time we could get into the non all-ages shows. Fugazi has grown on me some, but I never much liked Firehose. NoMeansNo and the Lookout bands were the really core bands for my scene. And I don't work in advertising.

Just 'cause it seemed to hit home for some people, I wanted to be clear on the details. Feels good to know I'm not the only one watching in amazement at what happened to Punk. Thanks for the nice comments!
posted by freebird at 3:56 PM on January 14, 2006

A problem with Frank's article is a pervasive sloppy logic, that leaves us wondering what, exactly, he is criticizing Rollins for. For example, Frank seems to criticize Rollins for things that Details Magazine says about him, as if Rollins is somehow responsible for what Details writes. If Details wants to celebrate Rollins, that's fine, but is that a legitimate criticism of Rollins himself?

This passage seems a particularly sloppy one:

As a result he ruled for several years as the preeminent darling of Details magazine, a periodical handbook for the young executive on the rise, where rebellion has achieved a perfect synthesis with corporate ideology. In 1992 Details named Rollins a "rock `n' roll samurai," an "emblem ... of a new masculinity" whose "enlightened honesty" is "a way of being that seems to flesh out many of the ideas expressed in contemporary culture and fashion." In 1994 the magazine consummated its relationship with Rollins by naming him "Man of the Year," printing a fawning story about his muscular worldview and decorating its cover with a photo in which Rollins displays his tattoos and rubs his chin in a thoughtful manner.

Details found Rollins to be such an appropriate role model for the struggling young businessman not only because of his music-product, but because of his excellent "self-styled identity," which the magazine describes in terms normally reserved for the breast-beating and soul-searching variety of motivational seminars. Although he derives it from the quality-maximizing wisdom of the East rather than the unfashionable doctrines of Calvin, Rollins' rebel posture is identical to that fabled ethic of the small capitalist whose regimen of positive thinking and hard work will one day pay off.

Attributing to Rollins, as a mark of his hypocrisy, what Details says about him, doesn't make a lot of sense. Also, I think the very last line is a cheap shot --- anyone who wants to succeed at anything difficult, I would think, had better subscribe to that same "fabled ethic."

Further, where is it shown in Frank's article that Rollins insists that success is a form of rebellion? Frank doesn't seem to that that is Rollins' view, and he does not quote Rollins saying anything to that effect.

Nor does anything in Frank's article suggest that Rollins' recommends "working very hard to make a lot of money." The only reference to money that I caught in Frank's discussion of Rollins is where Rollins, referring to his parents, says "I outgross both of you together." Without more context, we can't tell what exactly he meant by that---for all we know, it may have been an ironic observation how his "rebellious" life resulted in material success, and not a recommendation at all. (It is conceivable that Rollins has not actively sought wealth, but that his musical career has led him into lucrative opportunities he did not actively seek.)

Clay201, I'd be interested to hear how you concluded that Rollins' ethos (according to Frank) is "working very hard to make a lot of money."

And some of the comments about meeting Rollins reminded me, that Rollins corresponded with one of my friends, who was a teenager in Arkansas at the time, when Rollins was in Black Flag. He came across as a very nice guy.
posted by jayder at 3:57 PM on January 14, 2006

I like Hank. He stands as an example of what the Straight Edge kids should be like. Instead, they come across more like Charles Manson.
posted by Jimbob at 4:06 PM on January 14, 2006

It is conceivable that Rollins has not actively sought wealth, but that his musical career has led him into lucrative opportunities he did not actively seek.

Assuming he's telling the truth, this is the impression I get. I don't think Hank has much use for piles of cash, he probably just feels blessed to be able to live comfortably.
posted by Jimbob at 4:10 PM on January 14, 2006

Attributing to Rollins, as a mark of his hypocrisy, what Details says about him, doesn't make a lot of sense.

First, I don't think Frank is accusing Rollins of hypocrisy. Rather, he's saying that Rollins is wrong.

Second, Frank doesn't rely on the Details comments to support his criticisms of Rollins. He also supplies quotes from Rollins himself (the "outgross" comment being one of the more obvious examples).

Clay201, I'd be interested to hear how you concluded that Rollins' ethos (according to Frank) is "working very hard to make a lot of money."

Did we read the same article? Frank writes:

His recent spoken-word account of touring with Black Flag,... begins with the timeless bourgeois story of opportunity taken, of young Henry leaving the security of a "straight job," enlisting with a group of visionaries who were "the hardest working people I have ever seen," and learning "what hard work is all about." In the liner notes he speaks proudly of his Deming-esque dedication to quality, of how his bandmates "Delivered under pressure at incredible odds." When describing his relationship with his parents for the readers of Details, Rollins quickly cuts to the critical matter, the results that such dedication has brought: "Mom, Dad, I outgross both of you put together," a happy observation he repeats in his interview with the New York Times Magazine.

I'd say that makes it pretty clear what Frank thinks on this subject.
posted by Clay201 at 5:38 PM on January 14, 2006

Whatever you think of Rollins, I think you'll all agree that he was the right man in the right place for Off Road Tattoo.
posted by flabdablet at 5:38 PM on January 14, 2006

how his "rebellious" life resulted in material success

In what way is his life rebellious?

This is the point of Frank's article; that we've substituted clothing styles and tatoos for actual dissent. He holds up Rollins as an example of this.
posted by Clay201 at 5:41 PM on January 14, 2006

freebird writes "We met at a Black Flag show ..."

Thanks for that. That was...

Nice.
posted by ChrisR at 6:20 PM on January 14, 2006

Hey T.V. party at snsranch's house, I'm buying the beer!
posted by snsranch at 7:01 PM on January 14, 2006

That Frank article reminds me why I don't miss the Baffler. Long winded blathering on capitalism with no basis for their arguments.
posted by destro at 7:38 PM on January 14, 2006

Anything short of agitating for the violent overthrow of the American government and replacing it with communism = not rebellious.
posted by keswick at 7:50 PM on January 14, 2006

Henry Rollins could kick Glen Danzig's ass, because everyone could kick Glen Danzig's ass. And I hope they do.
posted by fandango_matt at 8:26 PM on January 14, 2006

keswick:

I've read a fair amount of Baffler stuff and I don't recall anyone ever saying a single word about the violent overthrow of the U.S. government. If you'd like to cite an example to the contrary, I'll be glad to listen.

Or, if you were just making a joke... then I'm afraid I missed the funny part.

And actually, I should point out that The Baffler's standards for dissent are pretty candy-assed. I mean, assuming they consider their own articles to be dissident, we can surmise that one merely has to be critical of consumerism in order to be rebellious. That's not asking much.
posted by Clay201 at 8:35 PM on January 14, 2006

My point is that there are differing levels of rebellion. Just because Hank is not adverse to making a buck does not mean he is not a rebel. (wow that's a lot of negatives.)

Does the Baffler charge for their "magazine?" Do they accept advertising? Do they sell subscriptions? Perhaps they are not as rebellious as they would like think, and maybe they ought not to throw stones while residing in a glass house.
posted by keswick at 8:48 PM on January 14, 2006

keswick;

No one's claiming that you can't recieve a paycheck and still be an effective dissident. Just that making and/or spending money do not, in and of themselves, constitute dissent.

Which is hardly a radical statement. Which is why I say The Baffler's standard for dissent is pretty candy-assed.
posted by Clay201 at 9:09 PM on January 14, 2006

Clay201:

Okay, you pull out the following passage and say this "makes it pretty clear what Frank thinks on this subject":

His recent spoken-word account of touring with Black Flag,... begins with the timeless bourgeois story of opportunity taken, of young Henry leaving the security of a "straight job," enlisting with a group of visionaries who were "the hardest working people I have ever seen," and learning "what hard work is all about." In the liner notes he speaks proudly of his Deming-esque dedication to quality, of how his bandmates "Delivered under pressure at incredible odds." When describing his relationship with his parents for the readers of Details, Rollins quickly cuts to the critical matter, the results that such dedication has brought: "Mom, Dad, I outgross both of you put together," a happy observation he repeats in his interview with the New York Times Magazine.

But this passage, full as it is of Frank's malicious innuendo, isn't damning of Rollins in the slightest. Frank lampoons Rollins for saying he left the security of a "straight job" to become a punk rocker -- but how does saying that make Rollins a sellout? Frank ridicules Rollins for calling his bandmates hard-working? Since when did hard work make someone a sellout? Frank sneers at Rollins for wanting to put out quality music ... calling Rollins' dedication to quality "Deming-esque" (after the father of Total Quality Management). But this is a perfect example of the sloppy argumentation of Thomas Frank; most or all artists worth paying attention to are dedicated to quality in art, as well, but don't get slammed as sellouts for it. Do you think that Frank's criticism of Rollins, in this passage you pick out, is reasonable?

You have made it clear you approve of Thomas Frank's argument, but the passages you cite don't really add up as fair criticisms of Rollins.
posted by jayder at 9:26 PM on January 14, 2006

Sorry, Clay201, I meant to link to your comment, not to your user profile.
posted by jayder at 9:27 PM on January 14, 2006

I loved Black Flag, and I loved his spoken word, and in high school I read a lot of his early stuff (The First Five is still over there on my bookshelf.) But blogs... unless they are providing me with a lot of interesting links or commentary, or are particularly witty and humorous, man, I just don't really care all that much about a person's play-by-play review of their day, unless they are a friend of mine.
posted by Meredith at 10:02 PM on January 14, 2006

Frank sneers at Rollins for wanting to put out quality music.

No, Frank sneers at Rollins for putting out shitty music (To quote: "loutish, overbearing music and... high-school-grade poetry").

And when Frank says that Rollins has a "Deming-esque dedication to quality"... well, it's safe to say that Frank's idea of quality is very different from Deming's. It's kind of like me reviewing the burger joint you just opened and saying that you have a "McDonald's-esque dedication to quality." Which means, probably, that you always make sure the french fries are hot and you keep your fountain drinks cold and you have signs up all over the place saying "If it's not right, we'll make it right!" but your hamburgers actually taste kind of like plastic and I'd rather sell my soul to the devil than have to eat them again. It's not quality; it's an artificial quality substitute.

Of course, whether Frank gets any traction off this comment with a given reader hinges on how he or she feels about Deming. Frank is betting that a large chunk of his readership thinks Deming is an asshole. Could be he's right about that.

Frank lampoons Rollins for saying he left the security of a "straight job" to become a punk rocker -- but how does saying that make Rollins a sellout? Frank ridicules Rollins for calling his bandmates hard-working? Since when did hard work make someone a sellout?

Frank's objection is that, at the end of the tale of achievement and hard work..."[t]he critical matter, the results that such dedication has brought" are, simply, money. That's it. That's all Henry was after; the green. But much worse than that, as far as Frank is concerned, is Rollins presenting these accomplishments as if they somehow constitute rebellion.
posted by Clay201 at 11:14 PM on January 14, 2006

Freebird: Your story described my husband and I. Except he became a teacher, rather than going in to advertising, and I'm the freaky soccer mom on the sidelines, being unable to give up fishnets or leopard.
posted by onegreeneye at 1:37 AM on January 15, 2006

I could give a shit about Rollins's attempts to iconize himself or not. I could not care less about his spoken word bullshit, about his poetry, about his blogs, about his stupid little bit parts in movies like Heat.

What it comes down to for me was the Blag Flag was truly great, and truly original. Though this probably had more to do with Greg Ginn's insane, blistering Ornette Coleman inspired trips up the fretboard than Rollins some times inane posturing, he still played a huge part in what made them great.
posted by psmealey at 5:02 AM on January 15, 2006

Self-important blowhard whose rhetoric is frequently marked with fallacious arguments starts a blog. Film at 11.
posted by eustacescrubb at 9:26 AM on January 15, 2006

Thanks freebird, for my new favourite comment. Thank you a thousand times.
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 10:11 AM on January 15, 2006

onegreeneye, do you have a daughter named Stacey?
posted by bardic at 10:53 AM on January 15, 2006

The Commodore 64, punk rock and Metafilter taught me English, in that order. Henry Rollins - disagree with him as I may - is one of the few people who can't really do anything wrong in my book.
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 11:05 AM on January 15, 2006

Motorbooty - There are a few issues for sale still. #6,7,8,9.
posted by pekar wood at 2:00 PM on January 15, 2006

Freebird, you can have my screen name, if you want it.
posted by BitterOldPunk at 6:36 PM on January 16, 2006