It came out on Friday, September 13, 2013, that in 2011, the Nebraska football coach criticized the fans. You should not listen unless you can tolerate the f-bomb because the man was clearly upset. In this story about where he feels free to vent his frustrations remarks, Iowa football coach Kirk Ferentz reminds us all that we live in a digital age. More on that in a moment.
First, though, I remember when Eddie Murphy swore and when watching "Delirious" was 'a big deal' in 7th or 8th grade. I was not old enough to watch a rated R DVD, but there I was, laughing when I watched him on HBO. Recently, I purchased the DVD and I still laugh when he talks about life and his use of the f-bomb is really funny. I still hold that concert, that movie, up on a pedestal as good comedy.
I think I used to swear more when I was younger. I don't hear myself saying curse words nearly as much as I used to and I think that's awesome. I also think in a lot of ways, I am in such a better place than where I have been in the past. I love my wife. I love my kids. I love my job. I play drums in a band. I am working on some known character flaws in an effort to improve who I am in this world.
Back to the point about living in a digital age. When Alex and I went to Shinedown in August 2013, it seemed like everyone had a phone and was taking video or pictures during the concert. Showing my age, I remember when it was a big thing to get bootleg concert recordings. I remember buying a cassette for $5 of the Dokken concert I attended in 1986 and I remember using my father's portable cassette recorder to record other concerts. I remember an usher giving me the stink eye during a concert because she saw me using it. Bands, in general, used to be able to control how their music was presented in the sense that if they hit a wrong note or missed a cue during a concert, chances are their mistake wouldn't be released to the masses. I know that bootleg recordings have always been around, but in this digital age, there's a sense of entitlement among people that if you pay money for a concert ticket and you have a phone that can take video or pictures, you are able to do so because you paid to see the band. The counter argument is that, no, you don't have that right because all you paid for was to see the concert, not capture it digitally.
Some bands have embraced this digital age. My favorite band, Metallica, has a website livemetallica.com where you can purchase MP3s of any of their shows. They found a way to generate revenue and, somewhat, control the way their band is presented. Of course, searching for "Metallica full show" on youtube.com yields a lot of results. Technically, you could then use a youtube-to-MP3 converter and end up with a MP3 of the video.
Back to the football story, the Nebraska coach will probably not get fired as he has apologized for his comments. Did he really need to apologize for what he thought was a private conversation? I don't know the answer. I think it is right for him to apologize. I also think it is not right to use that type of language.
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