Name-dropping in Nashville

I'm not sure how legal name-dropping is on the blogosphere. No, I don't like that word, but what else should I call it? I don't know if I even spelled it right. Anyway, name-dropping is never appropriate, unless you're calling home to tell your mom and dad how well your husband is doing, so they can stop fretting that you're going to be poor* for forever. That’s a good time to drop names.

But I’ve been around some name-droppers here, in Nashville, and it’s irritating. One reason it’s lame is because often I don’t know whose names are being flung about to gain credibility. Just to prove a point I like to flaunt my ignorance, losing any credibility I might have, in order to make the name-dropper feel the fool. I don’t know if it works. But it halts conversation enough to make us all feel lost and stupid. What can I say? I don’t listen to country any more, so there’s no point in pretending I know who they are and there’s even less chance of me quickly studying up on them.

Except when Stoker works with them. That’s when I bust out the old allmusic.com and do my homework. And then I call home to tell my mom. I give her the details, the important ones, that make it look like things are going great here for Stoker (because they’re not super great for me. At least I’ve got a job in my field, though. Did I tell you people with English degrees don’t make much money? Yeah, they don’t). This week Stoker landed work with an impressive producer, who shall remain nameless, but whose former engineer recently took an absurdly high paying job with an absurdly enormous name in music.

I’m telling you all this, so those of you who have been worrying about me eating Top Ramen for the rest of my life, can maybe feel a bit comforted. Because I’m not going to call you up and drop the names, but it also looks like I might not be eating Styrofoam noodles for the remainder of my days (not that I’ve been eating that crap anyway). Maybe I’ll be able to shop solely at Wild Oats someday! Wild Oats my ass.

By the by, if anyone with dreams of making it in the entertainment industry reads this,
take my advice and don’t be a name-dropper. It’s an alienating practice. Unless you’re the spouse of someone trying to make it** and you want to call home to reassure your parents. In that case, name-drop. But don’t be surprised if you have to explain to your parents what the names mean.

Anyway, thanks for all your help Steve!



*Yes, poor. Isn't it funny to think of yourself as poor? Anyway, I don't really think I'm poor, except when I'm honest about it, I'm in the lower economic bracket. But I've always felt like I have enough. I guess when you've been a college student for nigh on 8 years, you get used to not having very much. It's great!

**I’m not saying Stoker is making it. He’s not. We’re not. We’re just hanging out. Having a good time in Music City! Yehaw!