The Trouble With MySpace Is Michael Jackson
MICHAEL JACKSON MEMORIAL SERVICE
STREAMING LIVE ON MYSPACE
WHAT: MySpace invites Michael Jackson’s fans and friends all over the world to participate in his memorial service via a live stream from the Staples Center.
WHEN: Tuesday July 7, 2009 10 a.m. PT
WHERE: http://myspace.com/michaeljacksonmemorial
Perhaps they thought that they had to or be accused of being irrelevant. But the fact that they willingly joined this latest mainstream media circus is also a testimony to why MySpace is in trouble and may never recover.
Once the home of afterschool teen social networking accompanied by a soundtrack of cool indie music, MySpace decided a long time ago that it wanted to go mainstream.; and now mainstream media is dieing. Ask an advertiser who wants to reach targeted audiences or fan who wants to hang with like minded fans rather than casual wannabe's. Being all things to all people is irrelevant in a world of infinite choices.
Facebook is growing because, for now at least, it's still a comparatively uncluttered way to connect with firends and peoplke with similar interests. Twitter offers the same in 140 character bursts.
What does MySpace still stand for? Some would say music. But iTunes, imeem, iLike, Spotify, We7 and a half dozen others all do music, even mainstream music, better. And Michael Jackson isn't about music anymore; he's about celebrity.
MySpace could have made a bold statement (and saved some massive bandwidth costs) by leaving today's Michael Jackson memorial broadcast to others. But instead, they're stuck in the big muddy middle of the mainstream and figure out how get to the shore.
Would you rather have had them ignore one of the biggest media events in recent time?
I agree, they’re definitely getting to be irrelevant (I only keep mine up for music’s sake), but I think covering this makes a modicum of sense.
Granted, every other media outlet is covering it on tv, so I don’t know how many views they’ll get. But I can understand the decision…
If myspace does in fact die, though, I’d be kind of happy. It’s been great for some acts, but most of the music on there is a festering ground for inadequacy.
–joe
je-music.com
Michael Jackson has fans across a wide age and taste demographic, even indie fans and artists – anyone hear Ian Brown’s version of ‘Billie Jean’?
Millions will be on Myspace right now and many would choose Myspace as the most relevant of places to watch this memorial…it’s a music platform and he was a music icon.
Whether Myspace can actually get the memorial to stream properly is an entirely different debate. It’s not streaming well in France!
Myspace has become MTV 2.0!
The music no longer matters.
I’ll leave it at that.
– Wicked D