Music Banter - View Single Post

Neapolitan · 01-15-2012, 03:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RMR

You are correct, the scene is set up to provide irony-- or more accurately-- satire, and it is not to be an accurate analysis of the band, but rather of the Patrick Bateman character. The quote about Genesis has nothing to do with spoofing Genesis fans. In fact, the original author (Brett Easton Ellis) must of had imitate knowledge of Gabriel era Genesis to be able to include that section. The Genesis quote is used because it fits the Patrick Bateman character perfectly. He likes 80's genesis and doesn't understand 70's Genesis because he is a shallow character, so he associates more with the more shallow version of Genesis from the 80's, which he even admits... "I’ve been a big Genesis fan ever since the release of their 1980 album, Duke. Before that, I really didn’t understand any of their work. Too artsy, too intellectual"

American Psycho II has nothing to do with the book or the original; it was not even in the theaters. The Huey Lewis quote, as well as a similar Whitney Houston quote, along with the Genesis quote are all in the original.

All Patrick Bateman (the protagonist) is concerned with is how things seem on the surface... clothes, restaurants, music, and so on. Here's a great clip of interviews from the actors. Mary Harron, the director, does the best job of explaining the movie. Although there is a back plot of Bateman as serial killer, it is certainly not a slasher film, which is why the film is so misunderstood.

I guess one could say the arc of the stories involves "satire" and that particular scene employed "irony" - to a certain extent. Well, in a way you're right, the aim of the scene is not primarily aimed to spoof (want for a better word) Genesis fans, it does make lite the opinions of some people had towards Genesis. I don't know how knowledgeable the author, Brett Easton Ellis, is about the Peter Gabriel-era Genesis, he only has the character give a brief three/four word review "Too artsy, too intellectual..." but that has more to do with 70s vs 80s more than Phil vs Peter - era Genesis. While they did have a somewhat of hit with Follow You Follow Me in the 70s it wasn't until the 80s they became more successful on the charts with the help of videos/mtv and Phil's solo career. What makes some fans consider Genesis "arty" was that they made music for "art" sake and not for the sake of success like being on the Charts and doing it for the money, but on the other hand when one thinks about it they, even though they were not a Top 40 group in the 70s, they still did well on the album charts and with concert attendance - they were a successful 70s band. I wouldn't say the early Genesis was totally intellectual there were some nonsensical songs they recorded back then like The Attack of the Giant Hogweeds, and Harold the Barrel.

Quote:

Originally Posted by wisdom

That's problem I have with the monologue - to some people, it turned Phil Collins into a joke. I've tried to discuss his music online and have had people disrupt the conversation with the Bateman quote.

I agree, I don't know how other people feel about Phil, he is a favorite of my brother who is a drummer and considers Phil an excellent drummer, which means something in my opinion since he has some expertise in the matter, being the fact he is a drummer. I respect Phil's approach to drumming especially in the early years, and he continued to develop as drummer during the 70s.

Quote:

Originally Posted by wisdom

I think the monologue is most accurate in making "Sussudio" the character's favorite, since that's an inane (but catchy) pop song. But there's depth to the other songs, and it's not Phil's fault that Atlantic promoted his musically weaker songs or that the public preferred them. I can't excuse the later selling-out for Disney soundtracks.

Though in Phil Collins opinion, he didn't felt like he'd sold out when the (majority) his songs he wrote for the soundtrack were rejected by Disney.