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April 21, 2004
But Whatever Do You Mean, LGF�?
Fame is not a number. It is difficult to know how famous a person is and how to determine a person's rise or fall. With this in mind the Let's Get Famous™ team has worked with media research students to develop a method to organize and categorize famous persons.
Famous: "widely known and esteemed"
Categories:
Celebrity Fame: Fame based on the person. Whatever a celebrity does is worthy of attention.
Expert Fame: Fame within a category, for example Business, Art, Music,
Film, or Science.
Levels:
HOME: 
home represents the people you know
LOCAL:
local is people who know from a personal interaction
REGIONAL:
people who have heard of you from someone who knows you
CULT: 
cult is the people that follow your actions
NATIONAL: 
people who have no connection to you, but know you
WORLD-WIDE: 
everyone knows you
We have also defined what we call Tradeshow Fame and Restaurant Fame.
Tradeshow Fame represents your ability to act as a draw. These are usually industry players who are well known within their field.
Restaurant Fame is when your presence causes heads to turn and people to murmur in a setting that is not related to your field.
Posted by zac at 5:44 PM | Comments (4)
April 19, 2004
Bullets
Fame is not of a patient persuasion. If the following sounds like an admission of immediate defeat, you're just reading it too literally. Remember: we know what we're doing.
I am ashamed to report that, at present, fame's flame is but a dull, smoldering ember, fanned only by my stagnate frustrations. With Jona galavanting throughout the glamourous mid-west, the LGF™ morning constitutionals have been invariably curbed, leaving me in with molasses-paced focus and motivation. Subsequently, the past week has been nearly a complete bust with regard to my personal proliferations—I am no more famous now than I was when I left you, and at this pace, stand to be no more famous in the foreseeable future. In an attempt to justify the we(e/a)k's endeavors, i offer you a brief list of things that i did that could, in some abstract way, contribute to my "image making" (in order of their potential notoriety-based significance):
• Scheduled a haircut to take place tomorrow at (or around) 5 pm.
• Published a music lead (an admittedly half-hearted feature) for my alma matter—the first since my self-imposed "hiatus."
• Hung out a couple of times with this guy, a man who I am told is of International Fame (READ: VERY FAMOUS!!!), and whose presence could only serve to elevate my own.
• Commissioned layout labors on the somewhat hushed "Pregnancy Series" (details soon), and the Slender Means Society/(((GRRRLS))) "web presence."
• Received word that a small college station has been inexplicably playing my record without any prompting—this bullet mainly included for its potential to motivate subsequent efforts.
• Completed and produced 2/3 of the first (((GRRRLS))) limited edition badge sets, with more to come.
Dismal. Simply dismal. Mike, where are you?!?!
The following is an open call: Do you or someone you know possess the status, clout, or faustian contract that will aid in this currently floundering conquest of self-promotion?
Posted by zac at 1:20 AM | Comments (12)
April 12, 2004
The Cupcake
(Left to Right, like us Westerner's do—the nose of M. Ritchey, Andrew Peterson, Rebecca Carlisle-Healy's torso, me untamed, Fiona Garlich, Mike Merrill)Before I begin, i would like to acknowledge the fact that i desperately need a haircut. I am aware of this. I know what i am doing to myself. and as I lay here on my premature deathbed, nothing stands out in my mind as a greater hurdle in the way of my current bid for fame quite as much as the current state of my once beautifully over-managed mane. Haunted by the a list of once great celebrities who have fallen at the hands of follicle neglect, i realize that I am but one haircut away from reaching my full star-studded potential.
but enough about that—to the matter at hand.
the maiden voyage of "the Cupcake Presents" went over without a hitch this past saturday, in the form of a private presentation by madame Julianne Shepherd (a woman of some local and national notoriety) of her EMP Pop Conference essay tentatively entitled "RG on the Radio: Post Riot Grrrl Feminism Starts with Christina Aguilera." the presentation, lasting all but twenty-two minutes, prompted an involved discussion of Feminism today amongst the small assortment of attendees (among them such esteemed panelists as M. Ritchey, Andrew Peterson, J. John Afryl, K. Mike Merrill, Azure Akamay, Fiona Garlich, and roommates Rebecca Carlisle-Healy and Jona Bechtolt). Though intellectualism is rarely synonymous with fame of any kind, the afternoon did clearly illustrate that the Cupcake's potential to serve the members of Let's Get Famous as a viable body for further personal propagation—a formal headquarters of Fame's achievement.
The Cupcake is home away from home for team LGF—a workspace, a private venue, a sleeping quarters, and, most importantly, our silent fourth member. The Cupcake's notoriety is directly proportional to our own, and thus will serve as just another tool in our skyward trajectory.
Taking its name from the self-evident hue of frosted pink and white, the Cupcake is to be an epicenter of fame-based energies in the months to come. Due to the limitations of its lease, the Cupcake is mostly a private affair (recognized by its members as "top shelf" and "exclusive"), but will be home to some semi-public events in the near future; in the works thus far are interactive film screenings on our enormous projection screen, competitive eating contests, game shows, elaborate grifts, and other assorted "lectures." Get Highbrow.
Posted by zac at 2:17 PM | Comments (7)
From the Desk of Mike Merrill
Posted by zac at 2:29 AM | Comments (3)
April 8, 2004
She's Got Class
With more stealth than any of us could have imagined, the hook has landed, and it has landed firm. And thus the Let's Get Famous blog begins to take shape in its proper form -- that of actual document.
For the last few days the extended Let's Get Famous consortium -- those willing and unwilling -- have been knee-deep in the trenches of career-making under the watchful eye of Fader Magazine's Eric Ducker.
It began with an email, escalated in telephone call, and finally, landed on the runway of a roundtrip flight between LAX to PDX. With initial contacts stemming from conversations with States Rights Records proprietor Steve Schroeder, Ducker decided to visit our fair city on the occasion of the OWN ZONE record release party. Though the exact scope of the exposure is yet to be determined, Ducker has recently taken an uncommon interest in the lo-ish fidelity faction of the "portland music scene", an opportunity ripe for exploitation by team LGF. With rolling wheels, unwilling operative Schroeder volleyed us an assist, and before two long, The Cupcake was a flurry of dictaphones and "Flash" photography.
Though personally absent from the OWN ZONE release (previous self-promotional engagements in Seattle), all reports suggest a resounding success for all concerned. Interview participants for the 6th of April report Ducker and photographic associate chris hornbecker to be amiable gentlemen, with particular affections lavished on mild-manner photographer's assistant Maori. Reactions ranged from "sort of weird" to "awesome dudes."
Returning home in the wee-est hours of April 7th, I met personally with Mister Ducker in the afternoon to inflate my (relatively limited) presence in the "Portland Music Scene."
REVIEW: The Fader threesome entered The Cupcake at approximately 4:45 pm roughly 45 minutes past our agreed meeting time. the photography team, familiar with the room from their visit with Jona the prior afternoon, began immediately manufacturing their "shots" rummaging through my things, tossing about the comforter on my bed, re-arranging my records, etc. with little regard for my sense of personal space... a calloused gumption I rather admired. As test flashes rattled, i sat down with Ducker.
Early-thirties, shaved head, face baring the subtle mark of the previous night's festivities. I found the man to be a rather pleasant fellow, though his demeanor bore a strikingly resemblance to a former reporter-ish co-worker of mine, a fact which may or may not have left an unfair ill-ease in our relations. none the less, i found his line of questioning to be perfectly reasoned, fair, and non-confrontational. his conservative agility with the cassette recorder's record/stop button was admirable. (My initial plan of recording the interview with my own cassette recorder was thwarted at the last minute in the absence of a spare cassette, a situation that will hopefully be rectified by the time we face another interview.)
The "Photo Shoot" was considerable more obtrusive, again, admirably so. Hornbecker manned his 2 1/4 format with staunch professionalism, a courtesy he demanded in return from his model. common complaints with my performance, masked as demands: "please close your mouth," "turn your chin like this [miming]. no, too far. no, not far enough," "I feel like your eyes are bugging out. could you please close your mouth?" If his tests are any indication, the product is sure to be stunning.
all in all, i rate this experience 7 of 10, a luke-warm rating based primarily on my personally tool-ish responses to Ducker's line of questioning. With any luck, I will be able to harangue him to engage in an interview about his perspective on the experience.
note to self: develop possible "interview persona" for future discussions. potential alternatives: "mad dog," "Archbishop O'Sullivan," "'and you know what else i got beef with?'," "Gerrill," "Sammy 'the bishop' Guggliatta," etc.
Posted by zac at 3:56 PM | Comments (6)
April 2, 2004
Up To Speed: a preparatory discourse
Though it feels a touch tedious to tread water in such a way -- a focus that diminishes from the slingshot sensation of such immediate trajectory -- i think it's sort of imperative that we touch briefly on the seeds planted in the past several weeks that motivate our transition from obscurity to notoriety, as to allow a greater understanding of our efforts. Breathe.
Beginning in the earliest hours of March 2004, a triumvirate of men of varying levels of employment sought something more from their lives -- be it motivation, be it productivity, be it fancy beverages. A reason to get up in the morning. Early. Initially dubbed the "breakfast meeting" or "tea date," the three men, electronic wizard Jona Bechtolt, renowned idea man, K. Mike Merrill, and myself, a new comer, committed themselves to regular 8:30 am meetings for no other reason than to get something done in a day, and discuss the progress therein. But something unexpected began in those ungodly hours that surprised us all; speaking very candidly of our pursuits, our hopes and desires, we began to see a unity of vision that was previously obscured by the disparity of our interests: a force that motivated us all. And though we hadn't realized it quite yet, we had laid the groundwork for pursuits to come.
In pursuit of additional content for his ever-growing Urban Honking vision, Mister Merrill fatefully asked if I would be interested in adding additional content in the form of this very blog. Quickly scanning my short-term memory for a handle, I recalled the Intro track to that Fannypack record, a battlecry that I've long had tacked to the tip of my tongue, and out it came. An inspiration. Let's. Get. Famous. An ephemeral air enlivening us all independently, and yet, with a name, sewing the seeds of solidarity.
Phase One was marked with some very concentrated energies, most specifically in the avenue of personal artistic promotions. Amassing promotional packages to send to a variety of specifically targeted media sources, Jona and I set out to lay the groundwork for our most direct pursuit, with our respective means of musical outlet (Jona's Y.A.C.H.T., and my own Parenthetical Girls). A press sheet enclosed within marked the elusive nature of my intentions, weaving a mystique of awkward self-awareness and cloudy insecurity, a viable "persona." These pursuits have yet to yield any perceptible returns.
The second element of Phase One was the establishment of a geographical identity -- a workspace that would stand as ground zero of our collective labors, and which would be immediately identifiable as another tool of our personal promotion (i.e. The Factory, The Brill Building, etc.). Enter, the Cupcake; our frosting-coated vision of utopia (more on this to follow as it develops).
Next on the agenda was a cross-marketed media campaign for Let's Get Famous, including our inaugural group photo shoot, soon to be followed by our inaugural group photo show, which is, at this point, a little bit difficult to put into words (again, more to come).
Though rough, I believe that the preceding gives readers a loose framework on which to draw, that we can later expound upon. Omitted are a number of classified personal projects whose integrity is reliant on a certain sensitivity at this time. be assured, however, that when the time is right, you will be the first to be alerted.
Posted by zac at 1:59 PM