A vague but derogatory term blindly used by music "fans" to describe bands who make (or have managers who make) a new lucrative and/or artistically experimental decision (for example: accepting a product endorsement, a change in the band's expected composition style, switching to a larger record label, dressing with more class, speaking out against mass mp3 piracy, etc.) The word is sometimes also applied to bands who simply get more commercial success through no additional effort.
The anger comes from the false belief that fans "own" their favorite entertainers, that these entertainers are thus not real humans with free will, and the feeling of grief when some CD that the listener previously enjoyed alone is now enjoyed by millions of more people.
(Note that "sellout" ONLY applies to those who make a living in the fine arts. For example, a software engineer who accepts a job promotion and higher salary is never branded as a "sellout". Nor is a professional athlete who appears on a box of Wheaties.)
The anger comes from the false belief that fans "own" their favorite entertainers, that these entertainers are thus not real humans with free will, and the feeling of grief when some CD that the listener previously enjoyed alone is now enjoyed by millions of more people.
(Note that "sellout" ONLY applies to those who make a living in the fine arts. For example, a software engineer who accepts a job promotion and higher salary is never branded as a "sellout". Nor is a professional athlete who appears on a box of Wheaties.)
Actual quotes from an old friend:
(1993) "Damnit, Smashing Pumpkins is such an underrated band. They never get played on the radio!"
(1994) "Damnit, Smashing Pumpkins are always on Mtv and the radio now! They're such sellouts."
(1993) "Damnit, Smashing Pumpkins is such an underrated band. They never get played on the radio!"
(1994) "Damnit, Smashing Pumpkins are always on Mtv and the radio now! They're such sellouts."
by Bill M. July 29, 2004
In the U.K.: A guy, a bloke, a person in general. The British equivalent of the American slang word "dude".
In the U.S.: An old man, particularly one who is either cranky or eccentric. Rather derogatory term.
In the U.S.: An old man, particularly one who is either cranky or eccentric. Rather derogatory term.
(UK) "You're looking for Johnny? Yeah, he's that geezer over there in the green coat."
(US) "Old man Anderson keeps yelling at the kids playing outside. That geezer!"
(US) "Old man Anderson keeps yelling at the kids playing outside. That geezer!"
by Bill M. September 20, 2004
The title of an Ozzy Osbourne album made in 1995, an obvious pun of "osmosis". This came out a mere two or three years after Ozzy had his "absolute final tour" and announced he was going to retire. Many fans felt that Ozzmosis was his worst album, until the release of the next one, "Down to Earth", in 2001 (yes, a full 6 years later). "Ozzmosis" and "No More Tears" (1992) were Ozzy's only albums of new material released in the 1990s.
Ozzmosis features bassist Geezer Butler, who always handled writing the lyrics in Black Sabbath anyway.
by Bill M. July 28, 2004
A term that implies that news reporting has a bias towards "left" or politically liberal ideas, but in reality is an illusion created when highly opinionated people inevitably use selective hearing to filter out and pick up on topics they don't like, forgetting the rest.
You can find some on-line conservative newspapers that claim to be "the real news, not the liberal media kind!" as well as some on-line liberal papers that claim to be "the real news, not the conservative-bias kind!"
by Bill M. August 28, 2004
Short for either the bass guitar (also known as the "electric" bass) or the upright bass (also known as "bass fiddle", "double bass", "contrabass", "string bass", or "acoustic bass"). Although different in design, both of these musical instruments essentially serve the same role: providing a low bottom-end to the music and a link between the rhythm and lead sections of a band. Though plenty of exceptional players have shown that the bass can additionally be a versatile lead instrument in its own right.
"At night I could hear the bass reverberate through the neighborhood. The guitars and drums were muffled, but the bass traveled everywhere. I loved that, and wanted to have the power to shake buildings. Also, the bass was big and manly; guitars were little and wimpy, with these thin little strings that looked like Velveeta cheese cutters." - Billy Sheehan
by Bill M. August 30, 2004
Slang term for the town of Pittsfield, in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts. The term is traditionally used by young locals in complaint of the town being in the sticks, with seemingly not much to do.
by Bill M. December 17, 2004
Literally "Read The F**king Manual"; a term showing the frustration of being bothered with questions so trivial that the asker could have quickly figured out the answer on their own with minimal effort, usually by reading readily-available documents. People who say "RTFM!" might be considered rude, but the true rude ones are the annoying people who take absolutely no self-responibility and expect to have all the answers handed to them personally.
"Damn, that's the twelveth time that somebody posted this question to the messageboard today! RTFM, already!"
by Bill M. July 28, 2004