Brooklyn-based journalist Chris Ruen's Freeloading: How Our Insatiable Hunger for Free Content Starves Creativity (OR Books) looks at Internet piracy. As a 20-something writer and part-time barista, he got to know a handful of members from some of the most interesting bands of the 21st century (like TV On The Radio, Yeasayer and Vampire Weekend), and his attitude toward copping music for free on the Internet began to change.
Earlier this month I spoke to Ruen on the telephone. Here's our conversation:
Mitch Perry: This issue of artists being upset about file sharing began with Metallica going after Napster back in 2000. Lars Ulrich was ripped to shreds for speaking out against free downloaded music. They're still very respected, but did being pioneers in saying 'we're not going to take this' hurt their career?
Chris Ruen: I think that addresses that aspect of the history, and digging into the arguments that were really being laid out is sort of the substance rather than the style, and is really crucial because when I was formally and informally doing research for the book, and also just talking to friends about it, I was surprised at how people would say to me 'Well, it's probably not right that people are pirating music and I also don't think it's cool that bands are against their fans or talk about suing their fans.' I'd ask what artists are you talking about? And they would say Metallica. So I could see that narrative really burned its way into people's consciousness of these issues, and the way that they frame them, and that was true for me too. You know when I was 19 and that stuff was going on, I think the whole generation internalized that narrative that this was about really rich artists and bands who really didn't need money, basically trying to ruin everybody else's good time, you know? When you look back at it ... obviously Lars Ulrich had his name dragged through the mud, and the reputation of Metallica took a huge hit.
