No one in Hollywood seems to have read “The Innovator’s Dilemma.”

That’s right, we’ve been at the mercy of digital disruption for two decades, but the movie industry believes through sheer force of will it can adhere to the past and drag the public along with it.

But it don’t really happen that way at all.

Here’s the story. We live in an on demand culture. Where we’re the stars of our own movies, where movie stars are fodder for ridicule. Meanwhile, the studio kingpins still think we’re living in the era of appointment viewing, like we’re gonna make time to go to the theatre to see their wares.

Only we’re not.

Unless it’s an event.

That’s right, those superhero movies, that’s what they are. When you lament the passage of seventies flicks, the classic pre-Spielberg slices of life, you’re yearning for an era that’s never coming back. That scene moved to TV.

Which is why the movies need to go day and date. Before their whole distribution paradigm caves.

Although the truth is the two hour flick itself no longer fits our desires. You see if we make time to view, we want to engross ourselves for hours, days, and one skimming the surface flick does not do it for us.

So, if you’re making a movie, make it something that’s better on the big screen, like “Dunkirk,” that plays to everybody. But still, you should make it available on television the day of release, otherwise you’re wasting all your publicity dollars. In an era where this morning’s news is forgotten by tonight, who can remember to watch the movie when it hits the flat screen months later?

So what we had here was a self-congratulatory circle jerk.

They ostracized Ryan Seacrest, we were subjected to the bloviations of fashion critics. E! not only lost cred, Seacrest sacrificed whatever gravitas he possessed, which granted, was not much.

As for Kimmel… He wasn’t as good as last year, but he was pretty damn good in a thankless gig. He knew it wasn’t about him, but he snuck in and made it about him. The two highlights of the production were the jet ski and the visit to the Chinese Theatre. Especially with Helen Mirren playing the role of Carol Merrill.

But that had nothing to do with the movies themselves.

Instead we had the endless tributes to Meryl Street in a moribund flick by the aged hack Steven Spielberg that no one under the age of thirty saw.

Never mind the ultimate winner, “The Shape Of Water.” I’m not saying it shouldn’t have been made, only that that’s not what a movie is anymore, it should have debuted on Netflix, like “Mudbound,” like “Icarus,” then people might have seen it, then it might mean something in the future.

But what was most curious was how the show got beaten back by those working the refs. So scared of alienating the right, there was little Trump-bashing and not much #MeToo. So what you ended up with was a show with no highlights, and ultimately boredom.

But don’t take it from me, just look at tomorrow’s ratings. Which will sink even further. Because when you try to please everyone…

That’s what’s weird about this show, they think they’re playing to everybody and then they honor movies no one has seen.

I remember when baseball was king. MLB makes money, boomers are interested, but everyone else has tuned out.

Meanwhile, they spend a billion dollars on new football stadia when that sport is heading for the cliff.

And the only people in the movie business who don’t know this…

Well, studios make fewer pictures. If it won’t play in China, they don’t want to make it.

And they all make television too.

But we as a nation won’t admit the truth, that times have changed.

Movies used to be the essence of our culture. They were our greatest exportable product. They dominated conversation.

Now it’s about the news.

And if we want escape, if we want truth, we go to Netflix. It’s always ready when we are and there’s truly something for everyone. Series are lying in wait for you to discover them.

Whereas movies are all about TV ads on Thursday night and billboards and reviews for a weekend of play. What kind of business is that?

The Oscars have outlived their usefulness.

It’s not about the host or the producer but the essence of the film business itself.

We want longer stories.

We want access when we hear about something.

We abhor the theatrical experience, especially in an era of 65″ TVs.

We’ve lost all respect for movie stars. They’re just vessels, in most case uneducated.

But we do want stories. We do want escapism.

But we want to dig deep.

Attendance is down.

Netflix subs are up.

You don’t have to be a seer to see what’s happening.

But few in Hollywood want to admit it.

Bob Seger – Neon Sky – YouTube

I heard this yesterday on Deep Tracks.

I actually own “Back In ’72,” I bought it at Sam Goody on the Post Road in Westport. Right after I graduated from college, when I was lost, “The Graduate” gets it right, it was in the cut-out bin.

That’s something that’s been lost to the sands of time. When the labels overproduced records and jobbed them out and they ended up in bins for two bucks, you’d paw through a passel of dreck until you found a gem, but oftentimes you didn’t even know it was that good until later, you figured at this price you’d take a chance, and some you only spun once or twice, and then there were others…

On this same jaunt I bought the Kinks’ “Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One,” which has the original “Lola,” but contains so much more, it’s one of their best albums. But I purchased the Seger record because I’d read good things and knew about him but had never heard him, this was before “Live Bullet,” when regional hits like “Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man” did not make it to my neck of the woods.

And I immediately cottoned to “Turn The Page,” you rarely hear the studio original anymore, you might even hear the Metallica cover more.

But then I decamped from Connecticut and left my vinyl behind. I made two dozen cassettes, but Seger was not on any of them. I remembered the title track and “Turn The Page,” but not much more.

And when Napster brought the past up from the depths, I got into Seger’s covers of “Midnight Rider” and “The Stealer,” but “Neon Sky” eluded me.

And speaking of skies, last night around 7, the heavens opened, it started to pour, and you’ve got to know in Southern California it either comes down light or heavy, and this was so heavy I decided to wait until the storm passed to leave, since Dark Sky said it would be less than half an hour. And when I emerged onto the streets they were wet and there were a few sprinkles and when I joined the on-ramp for the 405 I heard this playing.

I saw the title on the readout, another Seger track that he refuses to release on CD, never mind streaming services, but then…

It was the keyboard. And the bass. I was immediately enraptured.

This isn’t supposed to happen, certainly not these days, where another song, another station is just a click away, just a click away, but I had no desire to push the button.

There’s the neon sky that I know so well
There’s the smoky room where I choose to dwell
Though I hear your heart many miles away
The neon sky tells me I must stay

Seger was a journeyman. Records just fueled the fire. He had to hit the road. Back when that was the land of darkness, you may have had easy access to dope and sex, but there was no DVD, no internet, no streaming, not even cable, never mind videocassettes. You did your show and then sat in silence as you drove to the next town, you had plenty of time to think. You weren’t posting to social media, weren’t broadcasting to the masses, it was positively internal.

Through the windy field of another land
I have seen your face girl, I have held your hand
Though I should be there, with you there today
The neon sky knows that I must stay

You can’t have it all. Not fame and fortune and a relationship. You make choices. And the life of a musician…comes with perks, but with so many sacrifices. Furthermore, most players don’t get rich. You do it…

Because you have to.

On a dusty stage many years ago
I chose my road, still I hope you know
That there’ll come a day with the neon sky
When we’ll walk into the sun, you and I

The light at the end of the tunnel, the smidge of hope in a sea of darkness, it’s what keeps you going. The dream that things will work out, even though all signs are pointing in the opposite direction. You make your choice, or maybe your choice chooses you, and you go down the rabbit hole, and it’s so hard to change direction, to reinvent yourself, do something different, you’ve got too much invested. Businessmen can pivot, not worry about sunk costs, but with artists…

It’s so much more difficult.

Yes, so he calls, beckons unto me
From the empty hall, from the galleries
And so I must go, leave you here today
‘Cause the neon sky orders me away

The devil he knows, whose money is green. The fans are right there in front of him, yet they might as well be a million miles away, but he keeps trying to close the gap.

And I couldn’t get “Neon Sky” out of my head. So today when I pulled it up on YouTube, the land of everything unauthorized, and I mean that in a good way, I decided to do some research. And even though I’ve done this before, the internet is long in the tooth, I was reminded of the Muscle Shoals connection.

And that’s when I realized…

The magic of “Neon Sky” was the players. Barry Beckett’s subtle keyboard work. You know, the same thing that made Paul Simon’s “One Man’s Ceiling Is Another Man’s Floor” so magical. If you’ve got it right, if you’ve got the chops, you know not to overplay, you just lay down what’s right, that’s the difference between a TV competitor and a musician.

And David Hood’s chugging bass.

And the wailing guitar… It could be one of a few.

Hell, it’s not even guaranteed the above played these notes, I’m just interpreting, based on the minimal credits and history. But I know their sound, that magic.

And the funny thing is classic rock is fading into the sunset, the aforementioned neon sky. So much will not be remembered, so much has already been forgotten. But then you hear something like “Neon Sky” and it makes an impression upon you, it’s not dated, it’s positively now, it’s positively all time, and you know this music is forever.

Bird Scooters

I saw two on my walk to the grocery store. All I had to do was scan the QR code and away I’d go.

But I didn’t.

They say that California is passe. That it’s too expensive to live here. That we have Blue Stateitis. Used to be California was a paradise, a Garden of Eden, the final destination. Now, if you pay attention to the media, it’s a disaster.

But it’s not.

Everything cool still starts in California. Can you say TESLA? Can you say APPLE? Can you say BIRD?

Huh, what’s a Bird?

It’s a motorized scooter.

But it’s not one of those RAZRs, it’s not for kids, it’s for adults, and a couple of months ago everywhere you were in Santa Monica you started to see people riding down the sidewalks, as if they were getting their trips for free, as if the sidewalk was the new Disneyland, WHAT WAS GOING ON?

First and foremost, Bird didn’t ask permission. You cannot ask permission in today’s world. You do your business and then you pay the penalty, assuming you’ve got any traction at all. We learned this from Napster. And the funny thing is the violators are the enemy until they’re embraced. They’ll sue you and then befriend you. Kinda strange, but that’s the way it is.

So they litter Bird scooters everywhere. And you can pull up the app and find one, or bump into one, and when you’re ready to ride, you scan the code with your phone and pay a buck plus 15 cents a minute. But this is not a monetary proposition, this is about pushing your own personal envelope, are you ready to take a risk?

Now the one thing you’ll notice is helmets are required but no one ever wears one, even though Bird will send you one for free, FOR FREE I TELL YOU! Because people think they’re immune, it’s the same kind of thinking that has folks refusing to buckle up when they’re close to home, as if that protects them from being injured. You don’t want a brain injury, it’s worse than any broken bone, but since the scooters only go 15 MPH, people somehow think they won’t fall, or that drivers will act responsibly.

Yes, you’re supposed to stay in the road or on the bike lane, but no one ever does, everybody’s on the sidewalk.

And it seems like a novelty until you think… It’s about the last mile. Getting from public transportation to your front door.

Now the new Metro is on the other side of the freeway. And in between it and me is the worst neighborhood in Santa Monica. I’m not gonna walk through it long after dark. But if I could ride a Bird… Of course, I could call an Uber, but if the Bird is just sitting there, waiting, I wouldn’t have to stand alone in the shadows.

Now after launching without permission Bird ultimately paid a six figure fine, but I’d say it was worth it, because of the publicity. Suddenly, those out of the loop are paying attention.

But really, the greatest sales pitch is the scooters themselves.

Now they started a bike rental program in Santa Monica, but the bikes are heavy, they look like industrial products no one would want to ride. Whereas the scooter is incredibly light. And you don’t have to pedal.

So maybe you have no idea what I’m talking about, that’s right, trends start in California, and the irony is tech is moving down south from Silicon Valley.

But living is expensive.

And traffic is horrendous.

Yet there’s no place I’d rather be. Where no one’s in your business and you feel like you’re on the cutting edge in a land where you can ski and surf on the very same day.

But you don’t believe that.

Carrie Underwood – The Champion ft. Ludacris – YouTube

Carrie Underwood – The Champion ft. Ludacris – Spotify

Sometimes you can overthink it.

“The Champion” was so busy tying into media, being the anthem for both the Super Bowl and the Olympics, that it missed the mark. The track is nowhere in the Mediabase country chart and although it has 8 million and change Spotify streams, it’s an also-ran on that service.

So what happened?

First and foremost, “The Champion” is a stone cold smash. Very today. A great follow-up to Katy Perry’s “Roar.” But today that’s not enough, you need a push, you need a spotlight.

Country is still driven by radio. Unlike hip-hop, which is driven by the internet. And although Ludacris is featured, he’s long in the tooth in an era where Migos triumphs and Eminem sinks like a stone. And radio is a gatekeeper, it reacts to the label, wanting to know if a track is a priority. It looks for reaction, totes up all the data and THEN adds a cut.

But “The Champion” is not only a country smash, it’s a crossover hit. It should be on Top Forty. But Top Forty is more moribund than a pack of baby boomers, it doesn’t want to mess with the formula, but he not reinventing himself is being left behind. Which is kind of the story of this track, it’s not what you expect, it’s not beholden to country precepts, it’s positively now, with hip-hop influences, but if you’re playing to traditional media like print and TV it’s a long hard slog to the top.

But that push just started.

Now the original video, that opened the Super Bowl, resonates not at all. You can see it here: http://bit.ly/2GSQ5XG Carrie’s all glitzy, there’s an emphasis on football and the essence of the cut is sacrificed, you don’t want to be beholden to the game, you don’t want to be supporting the sport, hell, look at Justin Timberlake, is anybody talking about him since? It’s a fine line doing tie-ins, you think you’re gaining a new audience, but chances are it doesn’t care, you want active users, not looky-loos, you look like you sold out, you look like a joke.

So in this Super Bowl video Carrie looks like the “Idol” winner she is, overdressed and overprimped, a vehicle for a song. I’m not sure who she is appealing to, certainly not the younger generation that drives tracks like this.

But in the clip that dropped today…

Now the Super Bowl video has 550,151 views.

And the lyric video, which was released even earlier, on January 11th, has 6,622,126, not bad if you’re a nobody, a stiff if you’re somebody.

It’s the same song, the one hasn’t even cracked the country Top 40, but now…

In this new clip Carrie is positively down home, dressed in jeans, like you and me, you get to see Ludacris, maybe this is the start of the phenomenon.

However, they broke the cardinal rule of video, YOU NEED TO SEE IT AGAIN AND AGAIN!

And really, once is enough for this clip.

But the song.

It jumped out of the Spotify Hot Country playlist, that’s how I discovered it.

This is not art, this is closer to commerce, but they NAILED IT! If you don’t think this is a hit, you don’t know what a hit IS!

Meanwhile, she drops a video and the word is out, that’s the internet world we now live in, an echo chamber where everybody touts the same facts sans analysis. But this does create awareness.

I’ll be the last one standing
Two hands in the air, I’m a champion
You’ll be looking up at me when it’s over
I live for the battle, I’m a soldier, yeah

Never forget Queen rode this same concept to immortality. Sure, with a touch of irony, but that was back when musicians were still seen as outsiders, before they’d sold out to corporations.

I’ve been working my whole life
And now it’s do or die

That’s how we all feel before we get in the ring, whether it be the test, the gym, the board room… We psyche ourselves up, and nothing inspires us as much as music.

They say that every champion is all about his principles

Inspirational. That’s the essence, the honesty music used to rest upon.

Then again, in this paint-by-number song that doesn’t wholly ring true.

Then again, this is our present world.

So, is Capitol gonna make this a hit?

WE’LL SEE!

P.S. We live in a world of cross-pollination, this is one thing the musical artists have right, country tracks have no problem featuring rappers. Music is bringing us together, it’s leading that way.