A First Date With . . . Failure

I am still trying to wrap my head around this feature interview series by Noisy (Music by Vice) that have been dubbed "A First Date With" that turns a musician interview into something that could be more accurately aligned with a music journalist creeper. It blurs the line between a professional writer and an awkward blind date. A writer takes out a musician on what they call a first date and then a really uncomfortable line of questions are followed by equally as uncomfortable answers.

I am sure this twist on artist interviews is intended to be edgy and fun but the whole series actually just makes me sad. What nonsense musicians have to go through to get press no less be faced with a line of questioning that doesn't have much to do with the art they are creating. Each final Noisy piece in this series reads more like an embarrassing teenage diary page from the interviewer and makes me question how seriously anyone should take Noisy. I am certain there are naked, live chats happening between  strangers on line at this very moment that are more artful and interesting than any of these interviews.

This approach to music journalism cloaks an artists interview with unnecessary sexualization and moves the writer into the spotlight with the musician. I don't want to know about a writer's dating fantasies or read a conversation version of a Tinder swipe. I am exhausted by this ME ME ME mentality and how so much this style of writing detracts from an artist and the work they have put so much of themselves into. This interview technique doesn't come across as smart or funny, it comes across like an unwanted lap dance between a musician and a fan.

Reality shows are torture to me because it takes low culture to obviously scripted, new lows. Congrats Vice, you somehow made dumber even dumber.