Valleywag
Earlier this month Edgar Bronfman, the mogul behind Warner Music Group, copped to starting the current file-sharing war between the recording industry and consumers, blaming the business's "glacial" adoption of digital sales. If the recording industry ever needed a poster boy for its digital naiveté, it could sign up Universal Music Group's Doug Morris. Seth Mnookin spent an afternoon with Morris on behalf of Wired magazine. Along with equating the music industry to a Shmoo, Morris blamed college students for stealing music while admitting he's ignorant of technology.
There's no one in the record company that's a technologist. That's a misconception writers make all the time, that the record industry missed this. They didn't. They just didn't know what to do. It's like if you were suddenly asked to operate on your dog to remove his kidney. What would you do?"Personally, I would hire a vet," Mnookin retorts in the piece. Was this supposed to be a trick question? Morris seemed to think so. Stick with the Shmoo metaphor, Dougie. You were onto something there.
Comments
Jeez, I think you're right--Doug Morris very much is the stupidest person in the record biz. After reading the Wired link, I am impressed with Morris for this reason, and this reason alone--he managed to rise much further than the Law of Promotion (being promoted to the next level above your capabilities) would have dictated.
hey that line about the vet was funny! but i liked it better the first time i read it - in the piece you just quoted from.
even better is saying that the poor little old industry couldn't find a single person who knew a single thing about them there internets:
'Personally, I would hire a vet. But to Morris, even that wasn't an option. "We didn't know who to hire," he says, becoming more agitated. "I wouldn't be able to recognize a good technology person - anyone with a good bullshit story would have gotten past me."'
@transparency: Good catch! So noted.
What the f$$k is a Shmoo?! Is this some reference to some character in the 60's (yes I could Google it but I'm lazy!).
John
www.gigatribe.com (encrypted file sharing!)
Only a matter of time these guys will be out in the streets... Know nothing about technology? Study up just like the rest of us!
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