Hey Girls & Boys

had a seminar about Prince last summer and we tried 2 discuss how authentic he is ... but we found (of course!) no answer ...

What do U think? Is he authentic in any way or not at all ...

he is nothing to do with royalty whatsoever...its just his name.

Hope this helps.

U mean, he plays a "Purple Royality" Role just 4 Media ...

( question myself if the media made him or if he was always playing with media ... with gender, race, religion and sexuality ... )
[Edited 5/11/08 5:02am]

Well, he's two of a kind. I've never met people like them be4.

G0d said:

mayb that's why he is Gemini ???

As authentic as any musician who have ever picked up an instrument.

100%

In what context are you referring to his authenticity?

This has never been questioned, as far as I know. Only his judgment in what to release...

If he's a Gemini no wonder he gets into twins...well, it's a guess.....
I think he's authentically evasive....

I don't think he's that authentic.

I think he's very gullible, easily influenced and a follower.
It's hard for people like that to maintain any authencity. They are always chasing something.


Which is why things that were quintessentially Prince now will be completely rejected by him or maligned and transformed into something all together different. (changing lyrics, meanings, etc). Very disingenious.


I'm left wondering who are what was the guy I once revered? Was it a fleeting dynamic in a moment of time shaped by Lisa and Wendy and the essence of the 80s and its rebellion and counterculturalism? Probably.

I also think his lack of authencity is why his music has been so schzophrenic in style, theme, impact. He doesn't know who he is or what he wants to say which is why he's constantly contradicting himself.

Also, no too much original about him, everything's been pilfered from hairstyle to image to funk.

Disclaimer: Yes, I am still a bitter fan who feels betrayed by the Prince concocted after the mid-1990s.

JimRockford said:

You took the words from my mouth?

SynthiaRose said:

Good point... I share your feelings. But that makes me a "hater".

JimRockford said:

Well, in the seminar we spoke about his performances, his appearance in videoclips, interviews and on stage, his lyrics and so on ... most of the texts (by Jones, Hahn, Nilsen) read on this topic, say there is always a lack of authenticity ... (refering 2 the topics: race ( am black or white?), gender ( am no woman, am no man), sexualtiy (am straight or gay?) and religion (GOD) ... and because he should be so mysterious (huh!) ... Well, and that lead 2 my question ...

In my opinion U can find authenticity in his lyrics
If he is the same person backstage like on stage ... am not that interested, 'cause respect his privacy The rest of the story Prince ... don't know what was planned, and what did the media ... all know is, that Prince said: "U can't b what u r not" ... and we would find everything we want 2 know about him in his music

SynthiaRose said:

He does have many influences but in the end it is his God given talent that sets him apart. He takes influences and changes them enough to make them his own. Many musicans are influenced by others. He performs live and that's enough to prove to me he is talented many times over than most musicians..
Genuine musicians who have walked the path that Prince does recognize his gift.

Oh, I agree Prince is supremely talented.

I also have to add that you can see Prince's influences but his style and delivery is definitely unique, it is recognizably "Prince". He is also very much immitated and has influenced many others.

So he is authentic.
[Edited 5/11/08 12:36pm]

Trustworthy and genuine....certainly. Authentic in chasing down a dream? definitely....A sufferer on Love's Battlefield...wholeheartedly. A Victor at the top of his class? Yes...Prince is Victory.

SynthiaRose said:

So you're saying personal turmoil is inauthentic? Isn't the fact (if it is a fact) that Prince doesn't know who he is an authentic state for him?

Perhaps the him you revered wasn't the real Prince. Maybe it was the Prince who was trying to "get over" - and would do anything (inauthentic though it might be) to do that.

Maybe nothing about his public persona has been authentic - because he chooses not to share his authentic self with the world.

Then again, maybe everything has been authentic - but because he's lived his life in public, every change is magnified. Maybe he's accepted the changes he's gone through (as we all innately accept our own evolution) - though some of his fans cannot.

to be Regal
is to be Divine
He is a Divinely Hearted
Joker.

The Creator regards the Universe
as 1 Big Joke.

ha.ha.ha.

2IZ1 said:

The Bible Two
Written By Who?
Frick and Froo?

jasch55 said:

Authentic in what way? To whom? To me? Well he's flesh and blood as far as I can tell. In his lyrics? Probably depends on the song and his take on the subject of the song. in his playing? Well he does play the instruments himself when they're in his hands on stage . . . Do you think he walks around pretending to be someone else? Who? Why would he do that?

Tame said:

A Fool Created the Universe.
She's a Real Wise-Guy.

Prince is about 10 percent authentic.

But at least he shows us (directly and indirectly) that he is.

Sometimes that makes it kind of pathetic, attention-whore like.

SUPRMAN said:

Well, authentic 4 U ... No, do not think, he pretends 2 b someone else But he plays with gender, race and so on ... that's why evrybody writes, he is not authentic ...

jasch55 said:

Playing with gender, race etc may make you a critical thinker but does not make you inauthentic.
It has never occurred to me that he would be seen as inauthentic as opposed to questioning.

SUPRMAN said:

A man who does NOT ask questions.....is a silent fool.

G0d said:

And you've met just about everybody, G0d.

SUPRMAN said:

Well, wrote a 35 page paper about this topic and tried 2 evidence that Prince is authentic But the lecturer was not convinced

Prince is authentic. He is who he is, and who he portrays himself to be. As are we all. The problem isn't with "how" authentic Prince is, but with people's expectations of who they think Prince is, or who they think he should be, or who they want him to be from previous ideas of him.

When someone clings to an idea of who a person should be, or who they thought he was, etc., then when that person acts authentically upon who they are now, the other becomes upset or disillusioned or even hurt, because they want that person to remain authentic to the idea they cling to of who he was in the past or of who they thought he was in the past. The only constant in life is change. As Prince has grown older, his presence has changed to reflect that, but has remained authentic to who Prince is in this moment.

You know, when Prince has done something that others think he shouldn't, or when they become upset by some decision he has made, I always wonder who they think Prince should be? It is not that they accept Prince for who he is, but rather that they have become hurt/upset/angry because Prince has not lived up to their expectations of Prince. Prince, in fact, is always just who he is. It's our expectations of him that color our reactions to decisions he has made in his reflection of who he is and has nothing to do with his decisions/choices. Our expectations, our ideas, our concepts, do not reflect the truth of who he is. He is who he is...our expectations, ideas, concepts attempt to make him fit a mold that we have created. And Prince will break any mold we attempt to put him in.

LittleRedCorvette said:

Very well said. I have never had expectations of Prince. Even in the leotard and leg warmers era I was in it for the music, not the man. Prince has never turned me on sexually. Sometimes he looks good and sometimes, not so much.
But his mind is much more attractive than his body. lol That being said, I don't think I have expectations of Prince other than 'surprize me', and he does even when he releases something as empty as "Planet Earth" (the CD, not the song).