I’m curious about something. When I look at a lot of these threads on here I see a lot of angry, upset (insert whatever appropriate word here) fans and I’m wondering, of those of you who feel that way, are you still supporting him by means of say... Buying the book?

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not arguing with all of you who feel like he’s been crapping on his fans a bit, because I’m one of those fans myself. But, plagued with this horrible sense of hypocrisy for logging into this site to check "news" (since he’s pretty much deleted himself from the internet) I have to ask myself, "at what point to I decide to stop supporting an artist who I feel is not worth my support anymore?"

I don’t need to be invited to any of his parties (Hollywood or otherwise), and I don’t care if he decides to go on tour ever again - Really, I could give a shit, and I don’t need to know the intimate details (or even the not-so-intimate details) of his personal life). But I would never go into a shop and buy something if the salesperson acted like it was either an inconvenience that they had to wait on me or that they had so many other customers my purchase didn’t matter.

So long story short (too late I know) I don’t think I can justify buying the book. I’ve been hesitating since I heard about it but I don’t think it’s going to happen. I don’t expect he’ll notice And I don’t think he’ll care. But I am curious, of those of you who are even angrier than I am (I’m really more of a comfy apathetic), Are you planning to be part of the collective that supports him? And if so, why?
[Edited 9/23/08 10:03am]

I bought the book - and the 180-gram vinyl re-issue of Purple Rain. I also went to two Vegas shows. (Missed the 7/7/7 show only because friends chose that day to have a belated wedding reception. )

Dude gets plenty of my money - despite making himself scarce. But I'd 1000 times rather pay to actually see him than for these "vicarious" pieces.

I will continue to support Prince. I guess maybe U are just upset right now, don't let the sun go down on your mood, you've thrown out an objective thought in hopes that someone would encourage U to buy the book and the live-cd...

I'll be that person...buy the book and if U don't like it, or your'e still mad, rewrap it and give it to someone for Christmas.

I've been supporting Prince since the 80's and as angry as I get at his antics sometimes, I'm a dieheart fool for everything he does and will always support him. ALWAYS

skywalker said:

the truth

Mmmmm no comment.

hmm... i didn't think that was trying to justify my own actions (perhaps just explain them) and i really wouldn't actually say that i'm upset. (i don't know though, maybe i am, but you'd have to be sitting in my lap to have a conversation that personal)

initially i was trying to ask a question in a more "pc" way, so as to not upset anyone unintentionally - i'm not trying to convince anyone of doing ANYTHING at all, least of all what i do. but i think i was misunderstood (thanks for the positive thoughts though - nice to hear people be supportive, and i like the re-gifting idea, made me laugh) lol

so let me re-ask the question MUCH more directly and just know that i'm not trying to suggest anything or piss anyone off. (i'd like to think i'm quite nice, but you'd probably have to be sitting in my lap to know that too) SO:

-- Speaking directly to those of you who have been complaining about his actions re: the "Hollywood" parties, the YouTube actions, etc. Will your feelings affect whether or not you continue to support him by purchasing cds, books, etc. Yes or No, and Why?

[Edited 9/23/08 23:01pm]

I wasn't going to respond to this thread but the last post made me think that I could say something worthwhile. I don't care about the Hollywood parties. Prince is a celebrity and if he wants to do something for them, then fine. I know that I will see Prince on stage again in the near future. There's no reason to be sweating it like a lot of people are doing around here. I don't like what Prince has done with youtube and I've said that in the past in this forum. Prince is doing himself a huge disservice to taking his music and himself off the net and it's not fair to us as fans who just want to enjoy the music.

As for whether or not it will affect me buying his music, absolutely NOT. I will always buy Prince's music no matter what's happening. Even though I don't like what's happening with Prince's dealings with the net, I can totally remember what life was like as a Prince fan without the internet and in some ways it was better. This isn't to justify his actions but my personal viewpoint. I'm here because I love Prince and his music. I don't have to like everything he does but his music has touched me so much, I'd be a fool to stop listening to him because of something that doesn't have a gigantic impact on my life. His actions don't stop me from paying my bills on time. Even though I want Prince to be on the net and to make better choices in his career and his life, I respect that he's going to do what he wants to do. I'm fortunate to have a lot of his videos on DVD or VHS, plus all the CD's I have makes it enough for me to get through any issues I have with Prince. Maybe I'm just simple minded with it, but at least I don't make things more complicated than they need to be.
[Edited 9/23/08 21:40pm]

I never even considered buying the book. I threw away the hat box, the jewelery,bumper stickers, on and on and on over a year ago. Just don't need it. I'm starting to understand that look I get when his name is mentioned.....

i will not buy the booknor any new music. I will not put any more money in his pocket. He cares little for anyone especally his fans. He just gets what he want s and then C ya. Planet Earth and anything afte that is wht I am a fan of and until he changes his ways I will contunue to be so. I often wonder if he really was this way all along and I was just too blind to see it. The whole thing with his video , The dancing baby, cab driver, and the PFUnk thing just did me in.

I'm buying the book. Gonna put my order in

Dayclear said:

I'm a diehard 2,and will ALWAYZ,ALWAYZ support him in ALL that he doez.

darren2458 said:

oh..... ive been angry annoyed mad sad and upset(especially with the seat debarcle at the o2)... BUT when Prince leaned over the stage at the O2 and put his hand to his ear in that typacal Prince pose i relented.. and when he played controversy ,well all was forgiven , when he played empty room at the aftershow well i forgot all about our "falling out"
So yes i will continue to but his merchandise , cos we are best friends again!

purplecam said:

hey Cam! I agree with u. i never have understood these folks who seem to get all wrapped up in what Prince does or doesn't do. How can I be mad at a brother for living his life the way he wants too? He is not connected to me and what he does has zero effect on my life really. Prince and his music is just entertainment for me. I follow what he does with interest but that's it. The whole idea of being mad seems silly to me. Some folks need to worry more about there own lives and less about his. I'm buying the book because i want the book (and music) nothing more or less. I'm certainly not buying it to make any kind of statement.

first of all, i don't care about his hollywood parties. prince is a grown ass man and its not my place or anyone else's to dictate where he can go, or what he can do with his time. if you really compare him to other artists, he has spoiled us rotten as fans with the number of opportunities to see him live, either in a large venue, a smaller venue, in a lounge room, damn, even in his hometown studio.

now as far as the internet stuff, i definately disagree with him, but it does not upset me to that point, i just find it annoying as hell, and if anything he's shooting himself in the foot for not having an internet presence.

i'll buy the book. i'm still fan, and its still fun to collect his stuff.
[Edited 9/24/08 6:23am]

yep
cause I love him. his music, his face, his voice....him. I just can't help it.

tricky99 said:

What's up Tricky! You hit the nail right on its head! A lot of the reasons why people are as mad as they are with Prince is because so many of them put Prince in a "God-like" pedestal and when they realized that homeboy is a just a man like everyone else, they got pissed and lost every part of their minds. Prince isn't God, nor is he supposed to be, he's a man who makes mistakes like you and me. For every fan that leaves the "Purple Camp", there is another one who joins. We are all replaceable. I just get amazed when I see people take this so seriously. Hell, I have to laugh at myself when I do it, cause I fall into it too. It's supposed to be fun not serious.

No, I won't be buying his book. I'm done financing his (f)antrums.

Thanks for all the replies on this, like I said - I was curious how other people's feelings were dictating their actions. Really this was just directed at the people who DO feel upset re: his actions of late... Not so much the people who don't, but it's nice to hear from you too

Speaking personally (maybe I should have posted this before), I don't care about what parties he throws (I feel silly if I read the party reports - So I just don't), and he could never tour again and I'd be cool with it (I'm not a concert-goer anyway, makes me freaky nervous! LOL).

The thing that bothered me the most was when I purchased everything that was released (singles and albums) through the old website, and when it was shut down - The licences were just gone and I was just out all of the money I had spent. It just doesn't seem like good business sense to me to treat customers like that. Was he personally responsible for that? I doubt it. Do I care? No. LOL. Someone, somewhere should have been paying attention to details like that and taken care of it in a proper way.

Since parties and concerts don't really DIRECTLY affect me, I'm not really upset about them. The YouTube stuff concerns me because I worry that it verges on infringing upon the rights of others. But it doesn't make me feel angry or "hurt by Prince" in any way. I think more legal action needs to be taken to determine where things lie in this realm.

Regarding my OWN personal purchases: I DO feel, in a very direct way, "robbed." Therefore, until the situation is resolved in some way, I choose to not give his business anymore of mine. Since I can't seem to find a way to resolve it, I do feel stuck, I'll admit that.

The reason I joined prince.org a year ago or so was because, after no response from Paisley Park (not that I expected one) I wanted to know if others were experiencing the same liscense problems that I was and what, if anything, could be done about it (did anyone read the "fine print" etc.). I found out that I was not alone but, sadly all of my questions were met with two responses: Apathy ("What can you do, right?") or fanaticism ("He's Prince and he can do what he wants!").

So again, thanks for all the input, I figured that people would be very divided on the issue, it's cool to see people standing up for their own convictions regardless of which side of the fence they are on. And I do mean that sincerely

Dusty

It has always been about Prince and what "getts" him off. He has never cared about his fans or his fellow musicians. What do you expect from a man who comes on stage "rising" like he's GOD or whatever you want to call it. Don't get me wrong! I am a huge fan of his music and the music he made for other artists, but he is the shit and he knows it and does things only to please himself. I have been a fan since 1999 and actually moved my ass to Minneapolis to "stalk" him and did successfully for years. I went to all the parties at Paisley Park and Glam Slam in the early 90's (which were for him to test his new joints and to score on the young white and brown skinned girls mostly). Did the Love 4 One Another thang for several years after that too, which were much more lamer than the early 90's parties. Same deal. He'd have our asses waiting around forever for him to "do" something. Again, don't get me wrong, I was loving every mf'ing minute of it, but he wasn't doing it for us (his fans). It was for his entertainment in this boring ass state. Commercially the o+> cd was the last "successful" thing he put out. Emancipation was the last listenable cd as a whole for me. Anything after that was pitiful, except for a song here and there. Still went to the various concerts he has done here this decade. Last one being 7/7/07...and how "UN"surprised I was that he had everyone standing on the streets of downtown in the summer heat almost 2 hours after the show was to have begun, and I'm sure I don't have to mention the First Ave. fiasco. LOL I finally came to the realization that the next "great" cd that I have been waiting for 16 years for isn't coming, by HIS choice. You always here other artists say "this is for the fans", NOT HIM. He is still the best live act around, baddest dresser, and is one SEXY MF (even if he is 50)!!! I'll still by his crappy new cds, go to his concerts, buy his dumb picture books (you can just see it in his eye's when he looks at the camera..."DAMN I LOOK GOOD"...and you know he's thinking it). You have to love someone that would admit to writing a song like Cream and was looking in the mirror as he wrote it. I'll shut the funk up and stop ranting. Peace and Be Wild!

wonder505 said:

I agree with you. I buy what I'm interested in with regard to memorabilia and pass on the rest. I always buy his music because I dig the man as an artist and am always interested in the next chapter of his musical journey. I don't take things personally or get so mad that I wage a boycott of his work. I dig what I dig and that's what I support. P doesn't have to answer to me or anyone else. He's not a puppet whose every move is dictated by his fans. Neither are we puppets whose moves are dictated by him. We don't hold his strings nor does he hold ours. It's all about freedom. It's your choice to support his music/projects or not.