UK party leader hires Brian Eno as youth adviser
Steve says:
According to the Guardian newspaper's Guardian Unlimited web site, Nick Clegg, the new leader of Britain's Liberal Democrat party, has hired record producer, lecturer, musician and former Roxy Music member Brian Eno in an attempt to engage more young people in politics. Clegg, who is just 40 years old, is quoted as saying:Link"For ages we have had this political rhetoric coming from the prime minister and a succession of home secretaries that seemed to vilify young people all the time and make [them] into a kind of problem.
"I remember thinking: How can you hope to govern with any sense of optimism if you are saying the people who have the future of the country in their hands are a problem?"
The report says that "Eno told the BBC Radio 4 World at One programme his work as a record producer meant he had credibility with young people."
Although he has a brain the size of the planet, whether Eno appeals to the right age group is debatable, IMHO. Can anyone think of a better alternative? Who would be an appropriate choice for a similar position in the US?
the latest
latest episodes
Frank Zaappa...oh, wait - he's dead.
I think they should have really gone all out and put together a super panel of Mick Jagger, Van Morrison and a BUNCH OF OTHER 60 YEAR OLDS. That will really appeal to the youth of Britain.
For the US, it's easy. Tina Turner and Carl Perkins. Now they'd really get the attention of 18 year olds.
Hmmm. Who do we have who can do things like, "Baby's On Fire" and "Music for Airports?" Moby? His brain is much smaller than Eno's.
Why, David Byrne, of course.
I think Eno is a fabulous choice. Douglas Rushkoff would be my choice for a similar role in the US.
Phil Spector!
I can see it now: "Children, team up in pairs. Right side of the room, each of you has a set of cards that will define actionable behaviors as regards politics in the UK today. Arrange the cards upside down so that they are readable by your counterparts, and then try to formulate a new ways of running the UK government by attempting to gain an understanding of your counterparts interpretation of the cards actionable item. Be sure to record each observation and activity, no matter what level the minutiae. Then we will ritually burn the notes in an abandoned Sheffield steel processing plant while recording the whole thing from differing simultaneous angles using 476 video cameras, a number I took three weeks to come up with. So, lets get started, and why don't we rock out with a little something I call "Plateaux of Mirrors" while we ....create a new world?
Leonard Cohen for Canada.
Brian Eno is one of my heroes. But I'm far from being considered a 'youth' these days, and he's as old as my father. Doesn't quite strike me as 'hip to the kids' at this point...
Naturally, for the US, it should be K-Fed.
I think David Bowie might have been a better choice- Eno's aesthetic is more about the weird than the young, whereas Bowie has pretty much always been about being young and beautiful.
For the US, I am almost tempted to suggest Ian MacKaye, because he (and the Dischord Label) have been concerned with empowering youth much more than any other entertainer I can think of. Of course, having seen him at a few shows, I am not sure he has the charisma to pull it off.
Last one- sorry..
Rush Job:
http://www.glyphjockey.com/pix07/planeteno.jpg
I for one, welcome our ambient overlords.
Two words: Pat Boone
Henry Rollins, love him hate him... the man politically capable
LEX10-- You cracked me up with that first comment of yours!
I think the only credible celebrity would could bridge the gap to our young people would be Miley Cyrus.
For the US it would have to be DJ Spooky.
50cent - after all this is who the disenfranchised youth in the UK are listening too these days. Yeah indy rock is popular amongst the students but the kids at the back of the bus a blaring out American rap or Grime from their cell phones.
Rushkoff? Um, no. I've met the guy and sat in with him at focus groups and no matter what the subject, the stench of BS eventually leaks out.
Eno's 59 - how old is Vince Cable?
On the one hand, I think Brian Eno is a great pick.
On the other hand, I'm 34 -- and that's probably pretty well over in the left side of the bell curve for his audience...
In all seriousness: Eno is a decent choice because the challenge of the job is to gain the respect and the attention of the *politicians*. Compared to making an MP understand Bittorrent, talking to kids is (pardon the expression) child's play. Especially for a guy who is a legendary *producer*, a job which involves a lot of communication with other artists.
I would expect Eno to deploy a small army of younger, better connected front-line operatives who will mingle with the youth and find out what's going on. (i.e. "he will read a lot of Facebooks and exchange emails with danah boyd".) Eno's own job will be to translate their mysterious mutterings into language that the clueless pols can understand.
@whoopeddog: Sweet niblets!
So a 40-year-old hired a 50-year-old to tell him about 20-year-olds? How about someone, anyone who's not over 30? They don't even have to be famous. They could even be a (gasp) regular person.
How could it be anyone other than Ali G?
Ian Mackaye for the US role!
"Maybe together we can wipe that smile off your face."
Clearly 'Corporal' Clegg should have hired a member of Pink Floyd http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporal_Clegg.
Damon Wayans
-Damon Wayans
Brian Eno will be 60 next year. Ian MacKaye is 45. Henry Rollins is 46, and a total douche. Youth? Hardly anyone under 20 knows who these people are. Brian Eno is most famous for producing U2, but U2 is a grandpa band. Bono is 47. Kids don't know or care who they are. Kids don't care about pop music at all these days.
If you want to hire an old fart for the position, Johnny Lydon (Rotten) would have been a better choice. Not that I don't think that Eno isn't the shiznit, Lydon would just be a better choice.
And yes Rollins is a douche, but thats probably what we deserve in the US. And if it will keep him from recording any more Rollins Band records I'm all for it. Jello Biafra is also a total douche anymore but it would be better to get him than someone like Dave Matthews.
A similar position in the US? For which Party?
Green Party = Eddie Vedder
Libertarian = Larry Harvey
Republikkkan = Ted Nugent
Democrats = John Stewart
Republicrats = Stephen Colbert
Jeez, pols - doncha jus love 'em? This man Clegg is only 40, but I swear he was born middle-aged. In fact like all politicians these days, sprung fully-formed from the same mould. And they just don't get it do they? Not that Brain Eno isn't a good choice of consiglieri - he's truly intelligent as well as highly creative - but in touch with yer average 18 year-old? I don't think so.
Also, Australia's new Minister of the Environment is a former member of Midnight Oil.
Ryan Seacrest.