Constant Reaffirmation

Sometimes, I start to think that being a WMXM DJ is maybe a little too fun. Like being in a lovey-dovey relationship where you only speak in your “sweetie” voice and the only thing you argue about is who will hang up first. And although the radio station can’t speak to me directly, I know that the world works in mysterious ways; The Atlantic Monthly has a great piece on how the internet made us all DJ’s:

“American cities no longer have a majority of stations in which a DJ will take your call, mark your song request, and play according to consumer demand. Nor do most American DJs have the privilege of picking a new, personal favorite song and peppering a full day of airtime with it.

I do that all the time! And so do all the other DJ’s here at the station! No, I love you more, WMXM!!!!!

Anyway, the meat of the article talks about the proverbial Man ruining everything fun and cool, and how we retaliated by rising up as one and bludgeoning him to death with our ironic 80’s retro shoes and superior musical taste:

When we talk about the changing world of music, a lot of people buy into the illusion that the Internet drove the change…Not exactly. The modern music story really begins a few years before Napster, when lumpy ol’ 56k modems were cutting-edge and the FCC, under corporate pressure, loosened media ownership rules. The Telecommunications Act of 1996 allowed, among other things, the rise of radio-dominant corporations like Clear Channel and CBS, who saturated airwaves with focus-tested, mainstream-friendly moose drool on a wider scope than ever before….When radio stopped delivering a legitimate “try-before-you-buy” exchange of music, and when our over-the-air DJs were stripped of the ability to surprise and delight us on an hourly basis, we did not respond by becoming thieves. We responded by becoming DJs.

This only serves, once again, to reaffirm my love for WMXM. Because WMXM is independent. You know, like America! Indeed, the immutable fact is that WMXM=America=Good; Corporate radio=King George III=Evil. I love WMXM. I love America. Those two statements are one and the same.

That’s right. WMXM is America (cue Hail to the Chief)

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