Lunch with AJ & JC (by Skype) lottery?

[FanDeAliFee]

Originally Posted by aaroniu31

very good idea, and not that i have the money too, and would be very embarrased to put myself up to them. But anyway, how would you get them to do it???

Of late, thinking about ways to finance the work of artists in the age of digital piracy has become a sometime small hobby for me.

Before the mass-market art era enabled by the printing press, audio recording media and so on, artists relied upon either patronage or theatrical entrance fees. As it grows increasingly impossible to enforce a copyright regimen for fixed art (vs. interactive art like network-based video games), we may have to again rely upon the older methods. The latter old method is rather wasteful in an age of almost-free global telecommunications, or at the least, a limited source of income for artists who are not superstars and can draw large in-person audiences. That's why I have thought about trying to find new methods of patronage, which can finance the artist to create work which can then be released, reproduced and communicated freely using modern information technology. My lottery idea might be one method which accomplishes that.

Aside: When you submit the string "win lunch with" to the Google search engine, you get almost a MILLION hits.

Perhaps Alizée will again be a superstar who can fill whole stadiums like Madonna. But what if that is only in her past, and she might retire from her career rather than settle for the life of a "working class" artist performing in a few smaller venues, and only in a few large cities at that? IF embraced, the lottery method permits, say, 100,000 fans widely (and thus THINLY) scattered around the world to financially support her with their "ticket" purchases, despite the fact that the largest in-person audience in any one place she performed live might only number 500.

Thus, I am not looking to persuasion, but potential NECESSITY, to lobby for the cooperation of the Chatelains. I would be only too pleased if they elected to continue working to create media files, despite the impossibility of legally licensed sales, should that be their fate.

[Deepwaters]

Originally Posted by docdtv

Thus, I am not looking to persuasion, but potential NECESSITY, to lobby for the cooperation of the Chatelains.

It's not at all a bad idea, but as I said, Jérémy won't participate. Also, it might be wise to adress Alizée by her correct (or else no) last name.

[FanDeAliFee]

Originally Posted by Deepwaters

Also, it might be wise to ad[d]ress Alizée by her correct (or else no) last name.

What surname would you have us use for the pair? Perhaps the Great Mexican Salvation might suggest a Hispanic-style hypenated hybrid surname. Or will a girl soon entering school be called Annily Chatelain?

[Deepwaters]

Originally Posted by docdtv

What surname would you have us use for the pair? Perhaps the Great Mexican Salvation might suggest a Hispanic-style hypenated hybrid surname. Or will a girl soon entering school be called Annily Chatelain?

Don't use any name for the pair. They don't do anything publicly AS a pair. That's what I'm saying. Jérémy is part of Alizée's private life, and on Psychédélices he was an important figure behind the scenes, i.e. composed a lot of the music. On UEdS he doesn't seem even to be that. But even in the Psych promotions, you didn't see him appear with her to things like autograph signings, did you? No. They don't do things like that as a couple. They keep their private life completely separate from her public life and make it none of the public's business. So there is simply no chance the Jérémy would participate in what you're talking about. She might. He won't.

As for the last name, Alizée and Jérémy are not legally married in France. In the U.S. they are, but they live there, not here. When they got married in Las Vegas, she did not change her name, and there is no evidence that she has filed a legal name change since. It is nearly 100% certain that her last name is Jacotey, not Châtelain. Nor is there any evidence that he has changed his name, so it's still Châtelain, not Châtelain-Jacotey or anything like that.

What Annily's last name is, is a good question. One that, so far, her parents don't seem to think the public needs to know. And I'm OK with that.

Originally Posted by Lefty12357

Actually, at one time record sales were a more significant part of an artist's income, but those days are long gone. It has much to do with how the record companies currently share the revenue, which in my opinion is terribly unfair.

I wonder if music may be approaching, or on the edge of, a revolution such as is occurring in publishing now. In this day and age, is there really any need for a physical CD at all? Could the artist have more control over the music and its distribution, and keep a larger share of the proceeds, by in effect self-publishing digitally? Everything available by download, with outlets paying royalties (BIG royalties, it should be, since their costs are minimal) to artists while keeping enough to make a decent profit themselves? Cut out the record companies altogether and let them dwindle and die the way the big publishing houses are going.

Alizée probably has enough money to do that on her own, without using a middleman of any sort, but there's a niche it seems to me for a distributor business such as I've described for smaller artists or those just beginning. This would likely bring a lot of music to the market that in today's system would never get there, so it would be better for the listener, too.

[lefty12357]

Originally Posted by Deepwaters

I wonder if music may be approaching, or on the edge of, a revolution such as is occurring in publishing now. In this day and age, is there really any need for a physical CD at all? Could the artist have more control over the music and its distribution, and keep a larger share of the proceeds, by in effect self-publishing digitally? Everything available by download, with outlets paying royalties (BIG royalties, it should be, since their costs are minimal) to artists while keeping enough to make a decent profit themselves? Cut out the record companies altogether and let them dwindle and die the way the big publishing houses are going.

Alizée probably has enough money to do that on her own, without using a middleman of any sort, but there's a niche it seems to me for a distributor business such as I've described for smaller artists or those just beginning. This would likely bring a lot of music to the market that in today's system would never get there, so it would be better for the listener, too.

I think it's quite possible, but without the promotion of the big record company one may end up being one voice buried among millions on the internet. Alizée would have to do a complete 180° on how she interacts with her fans. Also, this could put an end to TV appearances and other mainstream media which we fans have enjoyed immensely.

I, for one, really enjoy having a physical object like a CD which I can hold in my hand, along with the artwork that goes with it. I have nothing against e-publishing music, and it may offer a great alternative to those who can't get past the traditional gate keepers. But for someone like Alizée who still has a connection with the record companies, her best bet may be to stay the course of the "mainstream".

[rcs]

I like this idea.

[FanDeAliFee]

Originally Posted by rcs

I like this idea.

You would! I looked you up and discovered you had a mental dry run at it in 2006, more or less:
A Day With Alizee Sweepstakes

[FanDeAliFee]

Originally Posted by Deepwaters

They don't do anything publicly AS a pair. That's what I'm saying... So there is simply no chance the Jérémy would participate in what you're talking about. She might. He won't.

I won't split hairs with you, but I think they are doing something publicly as a pair here: Dernier morceau enregistré !. I'm assuming that is Jérémy on the right - I've virtually never seen his photo. As best I know, you are certainly correct that, to date, he does not shadow Alizée when she does publicity.

Then why did I include the J-man? Well, I know La Methode Cauet played for laughs, but I think A was being sincere when she visited the show and stated that it was impossible for J to take a meal alone with a female friend. That's why I stipulated the videoconference include J: goose and gander parity; no salacious undertone.

And I think it would creep out fans, even the adolescent boys with raging hormones, to even fantasize A doing a raunchy JenniCam act or something. Not that hell wouldn't freeze over a MILLION times first, thank you. Perhaps people who aspire for something else might hope that Britney's career pops a couple more rivets?

Alizée has grown up and married. Maybe eight years ago, her Mom might have joined Alizée for lucky-winner-fan lunchtiime videoconferencing. Or her Dad or grandma. On the other hand, perhaps Tahiti Boy and a couple more of the Palmtree Family could take J's place now if he is an unwanted distraction to fans, in the estimation of the Chaterlains ( ;P ). But I think you have to give fans something more intimate than a Fun TV SMS prompt and the chance they might get a single-Q&A audio link to get them to really invest in the sponsorship lottery I suggest.

Edit:

Originally Posted by Deepwaters

I wonder if music may be approaching, or on the edge of, a revolution such as is occurring in publishing now. In this day and age, is there really any need for a physical CD at all?

Excellent point, Deep. In fact, that is EXACTLY the tacit assumption which underlies the potential need for the lottery scheme. Wal-Mart, selling music on CDs, USED to be the biggest music retailer in the US. NOW the biggest music retailer is Apple iTunes, which delivers only digital files. By the way, while there was rampant clandestine digitally-mediated book piracy by the dawn of the century, music got all the public attention and went legitimately media-free long before legitimate e-book use achieved traction.

Increasingly many clueless lay people are becoming aware at this late date that files can be copied for free. Copy protection fails if you - or anyone you know or can meet, if only on the Internet - has the minimal skills required to redigitize the analog audio feed. Roughly speaking, there is now about one digital audio player (most of them iPods) per household in the US. And US cellphones are bundling in this capability fast, too. Most in Korea did so long ago.

You might learn more by reading something like End of the world as Hollywood knows it.

Supposedly, Alizée "Toc de Macintosh" Jacotey herself said

Mp3 players are not at the source of piracy, it's the price of progress and the Internet... we can't do anything about it, we made a lot of laws, it was a battle lost before it begun, unless we go back to vinyl records. I think we should prepare for the death of the CD...

We hear you, princess, and are struggling to brainstorm plan B!

[User22]

sorry to kill your idea but Jeremy won't and its not like you know Alizee so you prob couldnt get her to since her fan mail list is still probably stacked for a couple of years....

[Deepwaters]

Originally Posted by docdtv

I won't split hairs with you, but I think they are doing something publicly as a pair here: Dernier morceau enregistré !. I'm assuming that is Jérémy on the right

Definitely not. I believe that's one of the musicians she's working with on the new album, although I'm not sure which one.

Then why did I include the J-man? Well, I know La Methode Cauet played for laughs, but I think A was being sincere when she visited the show and stated that it was impossible for J to take a meal alone with a female friend. That's why I stipulated the videoconference include J: goose and gander parity; no salacious undertone.

Well, I thought you were talking about a conversation on skype over lunch, not a romantic evening on the Riviera by moonlight or a cruise through the Caribbean. (Although if you were to offer something like THAT as the prize . . . but she'd never go along with it.)

Bear in mind that anything she does with fans is going to be in full public view with photographers and the whole nine yards, so there's no possibility of getting up to mischief. If Jérémy is going to get jealous about something like that, he's being ridiculous. Of course, maybe he IS ridiculous, what do I know . . .

In any case, I'm quite certain that he would not participate in any fan activities for Alizée. That would be totally out of pattern for both of them.

I hear what you say about "something intimate," but there's intimate and then there's intimate. I mentioned the chat session that she had in 2008. In that session, fans who won a drawing or some such got to chat with her over IM for a time. That's not unlike what you were talking about, except that no money changed hands. (Incidentally, in that chat session it became very clear that she follows her fan site forums, because she knew all about the people she was chatting with.) And Jérémy did not participate in that, either.

So don't worry about it; the only thing along those lines that could threaten their marriage would have to happen in private without tout le monde looking on, and that's not what you're proposing.

I understand what you're saying about copy protection not working, but in the end it comes down to the fact that the great majority of people are trustworthy about such things. There will be piracy, sure, but as long as artistic work (music, books, whatever) is offered at a low price and easily, most people won't avail themselves of the opportunity for theft. People will buy her new album, not just steal it, I think we can be confident of that, especially if they can buy it digitally. So I believe that your idea is actually better as a promotion than as a money-raiser.