[Stu]

From my blog thingy ...

This whole Xmas #1 business has been a bit ... interesting this Christmas.

That said, I finally found a bit of clarification on this issue. That Facebook group encourages people to donate to Shelter. Thus far, they've raised over £72,000. Even if Rage hadn't sold one copy of Killing In The Name, this would be a fucking fantastic thing to have happen. Rage themselves are donating their royalties from these sales to Youth Music, a charity supporting young British musicians. I think their point was that no, they weren't trying to destroy the career of promising young British musicians with their evil American shouty swearing; they were actually going to put their money where their mouths are and do something to help.

Zack and Tom have been really cool about the whole thing since it was first brought to their attention, repeatedly stating that they're very flattered and whatnot, but that the point is not that they've got a number one record but rather that people have realised that grassroots campaigning can work, and that if you get involved and do your little bit for a cause, it can all make a real difference. And that they got an opportunity to cuss loudly on Radio Five at 9am.

And for what it's worth, poor widdle Joe has probably sold more records than he would have without the Rage campaign, since anti-Rage people got their knickers in such a knot over it all and got more motivated to buy his song. And he'll be number one next week, while Rage will have disappeared from the charts forever.

I just cannot fathom how people can be upset about this. Seriously, can someone who's not a complete windowlicking tool please point out to me the negatives of this whole business? The charts got exciting for the first time in forever. Two charities raised a load of money they wouldn't have raised otherwise. A great band got a load of exposure they wouldn't have got otherwise and an X-Factor winner now has an extra story and another angle to put on the next single he releases which otherwise would likely have tanked. A couple who set up a Facebook group for fun have got to be famous for 15 minutes and all the people who bought the song (and probably a lot more besides) may now just believe that doing something small can have an impact on the world around them if they stand alongside all the other people who feel the same way. For once, the silent majority are shouting and it makes a difference. It's probably not going to lead to general strikes or a revolution or anything, but maybe if you ask those 500,000 people now to write to their MP about a pressing issue, they might believe it can change something rather than assuming, as so many of us do now, that their voice cannot, will not be heard.

And finally, there is NO FUCKING IRONY WHATSOEVER in joining a campaign to buy a song just because it contains the words "fuck you, I won't do what you tell me." Saying this demonstrates you have no understanding of what irony is, nor what voluntary participation means. Merry fucking Christmas.