Smashing Guitars

I guess what I was trying to say is that I'm not one to complain about a company that is giving money to charity.

what's the point in destroying something that's valueless?

Haven't you ever destroyed something because it doesn't work? You are missing one of lifes greatest pleasures, especially if you've done everthing in your power to fix it and it refuses to cooperate. I call it stress relief! Smashing defective guitars to raise money sounds okay to me. Hard Rock Cafe I can do without though, only one I've ever been to was in Banff, Alberta in Canada all together a weird experience after the beauty of the Canadien Rockies, beat that for a Hard Rock location.

The concept of destroying guitars has always seemed stupid to me. I definitely understand the point of saying these guitars (assuming they're at least playable) would serve a better purpose if they were donated. I agree. The idea of smashing them for the purpose of promoting anti violence is somewhat strange as well...

But, seriously, they're only material objects that nobody truly needs, so I don't understand getting up in arms about it. If they were having a gigantic food fight or destroying clothes or something, then I'd be upset. But destroying guitars? Nah, not going to get upset over it when it is in fact for a charitable cause.

The whole thing is stupid. On the one hand, I never understood smashing s guitar onstage in the first place. I always thought it was because Townsend was frustrated because his strings broke or the guitar wasn't able to keep up with him or something; even still I saw it and thought "what a jackass", even as a little kid.

As far as Hard Rock Cafe goes, it is just another way for them to keep their corporation in the spotlight. Why not have 100 guitar players play the guitars, sign the one they played, and then sell them and give THAT money to charity? Sure, breaking stuff can be a lot of fun, but breaking something--defective or not--to end violence is like killing to stop murder. And beyond that, nowhere in their press release does it say the guitars are defective. I only know that because of their reply to the concerned email. So what's the point then?

I'm no commie by any stretch, but it galls me when huge mega-companies throw some stunt and expect all of us sheeple to say "Wow! Cool!" I mean, who likes Hard Rock Cafe anyway? I don't, and nobody I know does. I don't care how much they give to charity, and it doesn't make me like them more, or less. It's like they want a pat on the back for doing what any human would do--namely, help others. If they were truly charitable they would give the money quietly, put up signs for the charity at their big opening, and leave it at that.

And having "rock super-group" Velvet Revolver play? Who cares? The only time I have ever heard their stuff was on a NOVA episode about how screwed up the music industry is, and they were profiled. Go figure. I don't care about them, nobody I know does, which means I don't hang in mainstream circles. A fact about which I am proud. There are more obscure bands doing more interesting things than those hacks IMHO. For those that dig them, cool, have a blast, but they won't get any of my money or attention. And I'm sure they don't care, either, so it all works out.

It's funny, but I have to walk by a Hard Rock in a casino every so often to fix their sports computers, and the videos they have on are always Janet Jackson, Cyndi Lauper (who I like, BTW), Destiny's Child, or George Michael et al. Not really Hard Rock, huh? And everyone in there is retired, staring agape at everything like a deer about to get hit by a semi, or they are "hipsters" that are just waiting for the flavor of the month to change. No thanks.

Ok, I'm done. It's just that as much as I love capitalism, I wish corporations would stay out of art in any form, they seem to destroy everything they touch.

Be willing to bet if Gibby donated these, the marque was Epiphone and not Gibson. But that really doesn't change the argument. I remember learning to play as a kid, hoping I could somehow get a castoff guitar that would play better than the POS junk I could afford. And I'm talking about real "walk to school barefoot in snow" type junk, not a wonky Squier or anything close to that level of quality.

So destroy them in private if that's what they deserve. Don't torture kids with such a display of excess and social ignorance. We don't really need the equivalent of guitar snuff films.

Moai, Gnease (and others),

I agreed with everything you said. What an imbelic stunt. And what is it about smashing things these days? Every other Hollywood movie seems to be one long chain of childish trash which requires something to be smashed or blown up every 15 seconds. :(

I'm not conventionally religious, but smashing musical intruments (or for that matter smashing anything pointlessly) feels like spitting on the cross to me. I.e. sacrilegious.
Haven't you ever destroyed something because it doesn't work? You are missing one of lifes greatest pleasures, especially if you've done everthing in your power to fix it and it refuses to cooperate. I call it stress relief!

Harrumph!!! :evil:

Well, OK.... maybe I did..... once or twice... :oops:

I remember many years ago buying a Black and Decker router that was a complete piece of utter crap. In quick succession it let me down in every conceivable way. So I seized it by the plug end of the cord, whirled it around my head and repeatedly dashed its brains out on the concrete floor. And then, because I thought I couldn't possibly look any dafter, I jumped up and down on the pieces, just like they do in the cartoons. It was richly satisfying, and I felt duly avenged. :shock: :wink:

Cheers, Chris

Just to prove it's idiotic, what's the point in destroying something that's valueless? What a bunch of rebels they are.

Too Too True!! If they are SO charitiable then why not just give the money without the lame guitar bashing ceremony? Why not create 100 custom beauties, let a few stars play them, and auction them off? You cant tell me that guitar smashing is going to raise more money than that.

dumb and senseless

Geoo

bit offtopic: what's up with Hard Rock Cafe? Here in Europe they are rare, with many nations having either one or no single HRC. When I'm on holiday somewhere I always make a point to visit the local HRC as there's always some cool stuff inside.

Personally, I find the thought of dried cranberries in my oatmeal much more shocking than smashing a guitar, which has always struck me the same way as a three year old throwing a tantrum does.
Unfortunatley it's pretty typical of american mentality.

Personally, I find the thought of dried cranberries in my oatmeal much more shocking than smashing a guitar, which has always struck me the same way as a three year old throwing a tantrum does.
Unfortunatley it's pretty typical of american mentality.

Agreed that's it typcal of our wasteful mentality, but didn't Pete Townshend start this custom? Can't we blame the British for starting us out on this path?

Agreed that's it typcal of our wasteful mentality, but didn't Pete Townshend start this custom? Can't we blame the British for starting us out on this path?
I believe he was suffering the effects of a habit, imported from the US 8) :lol: :lol: :lol:

Agreed that's it typcal of our wasteful mentality, but didn't Pete Townshend start this custom? Can't we blame the British for starting us out on this path?
I believe he was suffering the effects of a habit, imported from the US 8) :lol: :lol: :lol:

I believe you're drawing a distinction between "wasteful" and "wasted" mentality???

bit offtopic: what's up with Hard Rock Cafe? Here in Europe they are rare, with many nations having either one or no single HRC. When I'm on holiday somewhere I always make a point to visit the local HRC as there's always some cool stuff inside.

I have no idea. I don't get it at all. But then, I am not star struck whatsoever. I realy like Motorhead, for example, and the HRC by me has one of Lemmy's basses behind glass. I was like, "Oh, cool" and kept walking. It seems people believe that holiness can be transmitted through material goods or something. "OOOOh, Chuck Berry's guitar! I wish I could touch it. It's so special." Puhleeeze.

It's gotta be a copy, as I have seen Motorhead since then and he is playing the same instrument as the one behind the glass.

In American culture I think that we attend celebrity way too much. Everybody knows who Paris Hilton is, yet nobody has any idea who the guy is busting his keister to cure cancer.

I have no idea if HRC food is any good, as I try to avoid chain restaurants as much as possible (fast food aside, of course! :)). I'd rather keep my money local.

I wonder just how defective these guitars are to be smashed. I would be impressed if Hard Rock Cafe gave 100 kids a guitar to learn how to play rather then smashing 'em. With how many families can't afford music insturments as it is. Here in Longmont, CO., during the Christmas season one of the local bicycle shops takes defective or old bikes and restores them for Christmas gifts for families that can't afford one for their children.

I'm sure there would be people willing to fix the guitars and donate them. Where's the logic in smashing a gift of music for money donations!?! :roll:

I've only ever been to one Hard Rock, that I can remember - in Bangkok. What I paid for my meal would have fed my family of 4 in any local restaurant and wasn't anything to write home about, either.
Waste of money and a waste of time

Smashing guitars? - even if they ARE defective, there are plenty of folk around who would be willing to invest a bit of time to put them right. They could have a special marking, so that everyone knows where they came from and be donated to charity.