"Desafinado" - Part II
"Desafinado"
George Michael & Astrud Gilberto
"O que você não sabe nem sequer pressente
What you do not even know
É que os desafinados também têm um coração
It is that the 'outcast' also have a heart."
'Desafinado' was composed by Antônio Carlos Jobim with lyrics (in Portuguese) by Newton Mendonça it was said to have been originally in response to critics claims that bossa nova was a new genre for singers who couldn't sing. George Michael and Astrud Gilberto covered the song which was featured on Ladies & Gentlemen: The Best of George Michael, released on 9 November 1998 which peaked at number one on the UK Official Charts.
While developing the concept for two part interview series this author was desirous of a title that summarized what she observes playing out in real time in George Michael's deeply polarized fandom. Desafinado is a Portuguese word that when translated into English means "out of tune" or "off key" and that's precisely the state of Michael's fandom where 'voices' often clash or overpower one another when views are introduced that cut against the grain of mainstream perception(s).
When this platform was launched in June of 2017, it was viewed as a safe harbor for those who bore opinions which differed from those in the mainstream. For the first time in over a year proceeding George Michael's passing, this platform gave "Lovelies" an outlet for their voices to be heard. As tensions flare between Michael's fans this author has once again offered her platform to those whose views are 'out of tune' with the one note choruses inflicted upon them in the mainstream.
When this platform was launched in June of 2017, it was viewed as a safe harbor for those who bore opinions which differed from those in the mainstream. For the first time in over a year proceeding George Michael's passing, this platform gave "Lovelies" an outlet for their voices to be heard. As tensions flare between Michael's fans this author has once again offered her platform to those whose views are 'out of tune' with the one note choruses inflicted upon them in the mainstream.
The views expressed in these opinion pieces are offered independently and reflect the Lovely's thoughts, feelings as well as hopes. As a reminder each interview in this series as well as its companion series, "I Can't Make You Love Me' have been conducted anonymously to protect the identities and privacy of the respondents. The following link will redirect you to Lovely IV and V's responses to the first half of her interview:
Legacy Management
Late, last autumn a narrative regarding the lack of direction and management with respect to George Michael’s legacy was introduced into mainstream discussion. The dialogue, at times, has been volatile and often stifled by harsh criticisms, judgment and third party agendas. This blog writer, too, has faced harsh criticism for publicly sharing her own views but feels that these are important topics and those whose voices have been silenced be given an opportunity to offer their views freely.
Blog Author: Are you happy with what the 'Official' team has brought forward, thus far?
Lovely IV: I don’t think the legacy management have done
much really since George passed. We had "Freedom: The Documentary" only on television though. I was hoping "Freedom: The Director's Cut" might have been shown at cinemas across
the country but it wasn’t really promoted.
Christie's Auction/Exhibition looked amazing and raised an incredible amount of money for charities but I wish it had been televised. None of my friends who aren’t George Michael fans really knew anything about it so again not really any promotion.
I’ve read about 'Last Christmas' the film but surely George deserves more than this.
Lovely V: Am I happy with what we’ve had? Yes, but as I explained earlier, we/he should have so much more. But, who are we to make demands to a grieving family?
Blog Author: Have you voiced or attempted to voice your thoughts, opinions or concerns on the subject of direction of/legacy management?
Lovely IV: No, to be honest I haven’t.
Lovely V: Yes, I’ve had many of debates on Twitter with fans on the best way forward. Some agree, some don’t. Those who don’t (agree) are far more evil in response to what THEY think should happen and just shut you down. Now, I only discuss my views with those I trust.
Christie's Auction/Exhibition looked amazing and raised an incredible amount of money for charities but I wish it had been televised. None of my friends who aren’t George Michael fans really knew anything about it so again not really any promotion.
I’ve read about 'Last Christmas' the film but surely George deserves more than this.
Lovely V: Am I happy with what we’ve had? Yes, but as I explained earlier, we/he should have so much more. But, who are we to make demands to a grieving family?
Blog Author: Have you voiced or attempted to voice your thoughts, opinions or concerns on the subject of direction of/legacy management?
Lovely IV: No, to be honest I haven’t.
Lovely V: Yes, I’ve had many of debates on Twitter with fans on the best way forward. Some agree, some don’t. Those who don’t (agree) are far more evil in response to what THEY think should happen and just shut you down. Now, I only discuss my views with those I trust.
Blog Author: What has prevented you from sharing your position?
Lovely IV: I really don’t like confrontation especially on social media because it gets so aggressive. Too many trolls out to cause trouble.
Lovely V: Bullying! While there are some lovely fans out there, there are certain fans who act in groups that will bully and drag your name through the mud to be heard.
Lovely V: Bullying! While there are some lovely fans out there, there are certain fans who act in groups that will bully and drag your name through the mud to be heard.
Blog Author: Do you believe that coming forward with your opinions would result in you losing ‘friendships’ you value?
Lovely IV: Well, I hope not. I can respect other lovelies
opinions even if they differ from mine. But I don’t like seeing lovelies I care
about being targeted and/or bullied.
Lovely V: Coming forward with my opinion hasn’t lost me any GM friends. I’ve been friends with a few lovelies for 10 years ..., we don’t always agree on everything but we respect each other’s opinions. The few I have lost are irrelevant, they were the once who bullied so many fans for not backing them
Lovely V: Coming forward with my opinion hasn’t lost me any GM friends. I’ve been friends with a few lovelies for 10 years ..., we don’t always agree on everything but we respect each other’s opinions. The few I have lost are irrelevant, they were the once who bullied so many fans for not backing them
Blog Author: Do you feel that being critical of the ‘Official’ team constitutes being disrespectful towards George Michael’s family?
Lovely IV: I don’t think it's being disrespectful. Just want
George to be celebrated, honoured, cherished as well as remembered with great love and the respect he deserves.
Lovely V: Being critical of the official teams that’s a hard one to answer ... is it really the family doing this or management? I’m sure we will find out one day
Lovely V: Being critical of the official teams that’s a hard one to answer ... is it really the family doing this or management? I’m sure we will find out one day
"As"
George Michael and Mary J. Blige
I don’t think it being disrespectful. Just want
Ge
www.georgemichael.com
Recently, this Blog author conducted a poll among George Michael's fans inquiring what their current, primary resource was for perusing George Michael related content ie. pictures, music, articles, interviews, news etc.. When this blog author combined the results between her Twitter and Instagram accounts 90%+ of respondents replied that they primarily utilize other mediums as their 'go to' resource opposed to the late pop icon's official website.
Blog Author: How important is it for the ‘official’ website to be restored and fully functional so that George Michael can be adequately represented as: a relevant artist, as an important figure in pop culture, and as a global superstar?
Lovely IV: I think it’s really sad it has virtually
disappeared apart from the occasional family message. Surely it should be there
to represent, promote, celebrate and pay tribute to George Michael's outstanding career and legacy. I assume the family have the final say about the website but I do
feel disappointed that more hadn’t been done to celebrate his amazing legacy.
Lovely V: I feel his website should be restored, its George Michael! He needs to be remembered, it will also show future generations what a musical genius he was. It’s so wrong that it’s all been scarped back.
I personally think it should be a place to visit which
contains everything about his career including all his songs, videos, interviews,
concerts. Maybe a place where fans could purchase official merchandise if profits benefited charities he
supported.
Lovely V: I feel his website should be restored, its George Michael! He needs to be remembered, it will also show future generations what a musical genius he was. It’s so wrong that it’s all been scarped back.
Blog Author: How do you feel about the arguments some fans have made that an official website is unimportant in maintaining and sustaining George Michael’s legacy for the long term?
Lovely IV: At the end of the day, I don’t want George’s amazing talent
to be forgotten so that’s why I feel his Official website should be fully
reinstated. I know his loyal lovelies
will play and share his music forever but it would be nice to see official
support for his legacy.
Lovely V: I can see why the fans have divided opinions over the website but other icons who’ve passed have gone on to have global success without one (a website).
Lovely V: I can see why the fans have divided opinions over the website but other icons who’ve passed have gone on to have global success without one (a website).
Blog Author: What are your thoughts regarding those who attempt to derail ‘conversations’ about the need for the official website’s restoration?
Lovely IV: I really hate all the arguments on social media. It just
turned into a total slagging match with some really nasty accusations being
thrown around. We’re all entitled to our own opinions and we’re not always
going to agree but bullying as well as aggression are not the answer. I think some
people (trolls) jumped in just to stir things up which resulted in lovelies
falling out.
Lovely V: As for the fans derailing conversations about the website, I’ve been on the receiving end of having a difference of opinion. I now stay clear of certain fans because voicing my opinions is a losing game.
Lovely V: As for the fans derailing conversations about the website, I’ve been on the receiving end of having a difference of opinion. I now stay clear of certain fans because voicing my opinions is a losing game.
"I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)"
Geirge Michael and Aretha Franklin
Surrogate Websites
There's been much debate recently surrounding a particular website's emergence as well as its saturation across all social media outlets of repackaged and re-branded George Michael interviews. The growing concern among fans is that the lack of an official website and social media outreach has created an opportunity for enterprising individuals to potentially capitalize from the creation and management of surrogate websites that cater to niche markets.
" ... the most reliable and interesting website about George Michael ..."
In recent months, George Michael Forever (gmforever.com) a celebrity news and community forum's website has soared in popularity among Michael fans; however equally noteworthy as the praise the site has garnered is the concern shared by fans with respect to its purported affiliation with Intelligent Gossip (intelligentgossip.com) another celebrity news outlet whose founder had deeply angered and alienated a number of George Michael's fans.
A common misconception about websites is that they have to sell a product or service to be deemed a business. They don't have to do either of those things to potentially become profitable. The traffic and interest that a website attracts to its site is the 'how' and 'where' a website has the potential to become a lucrative investment. It's also important to read a website's Use and Privacy Policy to determine what information is collected, shared and/or sold about its visitors.
Is gmforever.com a business or a labor of love as its gone on the record as stating? Who owns the website and what are their intentions? As consumers of products or services do we have the right to ask these questions? Just as individuals are entitled to their privacy and anonymity are those in the business or public sector exempt from these rights OR could it just be that Michael's community of fans have just been beaten down so much that they need a offer of good faith?
Blog Author: Do you follow gmforever.com?
Lovely IV: I actually wasn’t aware I was following them but as soon as I found out the site may be linled to Fadi (Fawaz) supporters I unfollowed (them).
Lovely V: Yes, I follow the account.
Blog Author: Does or should it matter to you who the parent or affiliate company(ies) of this celebrity news and community forum website is/are?
Lovely IV: Yes, it matters to me because I believe they were very disrespectful to George and his family.
Lovely V: To me it doesn’t matter who does blogs or tweets regarding George, I find myself reading most. But, I hate it when people do it for financial gain. This type of information (old articles and interviews) should be available on his official website.
Blog Author: Would you be able to support this website IF its creator admitted to being affiliated with another website or account(s) that had previously berated and harassed George Michael's fans?
Lovely IV: No, I cannot support this account and I also believe it is linked to another called @intelligossip a fan account/site primarily devoted to Fadi (Fawaz).
Lovely V: If, I were to find out that certain companies/people trolled George’s family and fans using another account then no, I would not continue to support them.
Is gmforever.com a business or a labor of love as its gone on the record as stating? Who owns the website and what are their intentions? As consumers of products or services do we have the right to ask these questions? Just as individuals are entitled to their privacy and anonymity are those in the business or public sector exempt from these rights OR could it just be that Michael's community of fans have just been beaten down so much that they need a offer of good faith?
Lovely IV: I actually wasn’t aware I was following them but as soon as I found out the site may be linled to Fadi (Fawaz) supporters I unfollowed (them).
Lovely V: Yes, I follow the account.
Blog Author: Does or should it matter to you who the parent or affiliate company(ies) of this celebrity news and community forum website is/are?
Lovely IV: Yes, it matters to me because I believe they were very disrespectful to George and his family.
Lovely V: To me it doesn’t matter who does blogs or tweets regarding George, I find myself reading most. But, I hate it when people do it for financial gain. This type of information (old articles and interviews) should be available on his official website.
Blog Author: Would you be able to support this website IF its creator admitted to being affiliated with another website or account(s) that had previously berated and harassed George Michael's fans?
Lovely IV: No, I cannot support this account and I also believe it is linked to another called @intelligossip a fan account/site primarily devoted to Fadi (Fawaz).
Lovely V: If, I were to find out that certain companies/people trolled George’s family and fans using another account then no, I would not continue to support them.
"If I Were A Boy"
George Michael and Beyonce
Copyright
Copyright is a law that gives the owner of a work (ie. book, movie, picture, song or website) the right to say how other people can use it. Prior to the suspension of an account on Twitter the account user receives a warning(s) via email requesting that they remove content which was the subject of a Digital Millennium Copyright Act take down notice. If, the account holders were flagged repeatedly it's believed that Twitter suspends the account(s) in question
For the sake of this article we're going to focus on the impact that these suspensions have had on George Michael's fandom. This blog author has provided the following link for more information on Twitter's policy on copyright: https://help.twitter.com/en/rules-and-policies/copyright-policy
For additional information on copyright infringement refer to: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright_infringement
For additional information on DMCA Take Down Notices please refer to:
Blog Author: Has your Twitter or other social media account been impacted by a DMCA take down notice(s) regarding copyright infringement?
Lovely IV: No, it hasn't.
Lovely V: No accounts of mine have been impacted by a DMCA.
Blog Author: Was there ever any doubt in your mind as to where the complaint originated?
Lovely IV: Not sure who has filed the complaints.
Lovely V: It
hasn’t happened to me but yes there is no doubt in my mind who is behind what’s happened.
Blog Author: Did you do any independent research on the topic?
Lovely IV: No, I haven't.
Lovely V: No I didn’t do any research into all this, but I know quite a few who have.
Blog Author: How do you feel about the erroneous stories that had been deliberately planted in the public domain regarding this matter?
Lovely IV: I heard other
lovelies had their accounts suspended. I really don’t understand why it was
necessary they were only sharing their love for George.
Lovely V: Copyright infringement hasn’t effected me personally so I can’t really comment. I do find some of the accusations humorous only because they were clearly rubbish.
"How Do We Keep The Music Playing"
George Michael & Tony Bennett
