Look, I don’t want to get all judgy about what defines good music (Radiohead) and bad music (Justin Bieber) and I’m not here to dictate what anyone should enjoy or appreciate. But a few weeks ago I heard about some girl who had asked the following question: “Who is Paul McCartney?”
Who is Paul McCartney? Why don’t you just drop out right now? The Beatles are only the most influential musical act of the twentieth century, who recorded some of the greatest albums ever recorded, who are one of the biggest pop-culture phenomena of all time. And this isn’t according to me, this is according to everyone. Everyone. Every single post-Beatles artist worth mentioning will no doubt list them as an influence. And she doesn’t know who Paul McCartney is? (I bet she knows who the Kardashians are.) It’s enough to make me lose faith in the world. This might be the music snob in me speaking, or the tiny hipster trying to get out, but come on: it’s Paul McCartney. Paul McCartney is the opposite of obscure or cultish: he’s Paul Mc-frikken-Cartney! Look how upset I am, I used an exclamation mark. I never use exclamation marks. Clearly, this girl needs to be punished somehow. Or at the very least be introduced to Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club.
Speaking of lonely hearts, I have received countless angry messages about the fact that Pssst… has been missing from the paper for the last two weeks. Of course, none of us know where Pssst… actually comes from. It just appears in our mailbox every week like it’s done for the last 50 years in some guise or other. So if it wants to go on a two week holiday, who am I to argue? But I’m happy to say all your gossip needs will once again be fulfilled this week.
It is interesting though, this whole Pssst… thing. It’s one of the great paradoxes I still struggle to come to terms with. People get so angry about what Pssst… says. I’ve heard of whole residences banning Perdeby from their halls because they were so irritated about this one little column in the paper. There was even a black market Perdeby trade in one res because of the bad stuff that would happen if the HK caught anyone with a copy (I’m unclear as to what “bad stuff” is exactly. How much power the HK actually has still eludes me). And Pssst… is the one piece of evidence people use when they want to accuse me of running a gossip rag (I still chuckle because this one time someone told me Perdeby was like the Daily Sun). But then on the other hand: Pssst… is the only reason some people will read Perdeby. They are interested only in the gossip Pssst… has managed to dig up, and nothing else. I’ve never understood how people can get angry about being mentioned in Pssst… when they are the very people keeping it going by reading it every week?
Man, people are weird. Personally I find Pssst… tedious and silly. But I must give the people what they want, mustn’t I?
Anyway, onward: last week was all about Serrie, so read out review of that on page 7. This was the first year I wasn’t there myself but by all accounts it went well. Stuku did a good job, as usual; even though they weren’t very nice to the journalist covering the event. We also have a bumper entertainment section for you this week, so check that out. Our interview with Chris Chameleon in particular is a great piece. We also tackle this whole e-tolling saga: view our original video, where we ask students what they think about it all, online. And, of course, go look on page 5 to satisfy that burning desire you have to find out what the Erika first years did that one time in the Square or whatever information it is that Pssst… has that you people want so desperately.
Seriously though: Who is Paul McCartney? Go educate yourself.
I am the eggman,
Beyers
