Can WBB please rise up against i-tunes..?!? Idiots.

whitebutterfly

Disclaimer from Kathryn: *Ok..Trigger-esque warning...anyone who likely to read this and use the thing I rant about to keep ED voices happy..Please don't read this*

*I have whited out potentially triggering song names..please don't look if it may upset you*

I am so mad..Its stupid I know but Im so fucking livid at I-tunes and apple and their "genius function"...

For those of you who are free from apple I-tunes..one of their most recent versions has a genius function. Which in itself I love..you click the "genius button" when your listening to a song and it makes you a little playlist of songs in your library it thinks will go with it. But because they want to make money there is a little column on the right that suggests new songs/bands that you don't have in your library whenever a song is playing. Which if your like me you look at...and go find them elsewhere (hehehe).

In itself I love the function. It reminds me of a similar function I had on an old sony mp3 player that I deeply missed when I swapped to ipod.

Anyho thats off topic..back to my rant...

Well today I posted up my little recovery soundtrack, and Ive been listening to it while I arse around on the internet. Anyho this is where my stress comes from. One of the songs on the playlist is called 4st7lbby the Manic Street Preachers..its a fab song about anorexia..anyho I happened to have my Itunes on top when that song last played, and sure enough at the right that little helpful "Genius Recommendations" popped up...

Well thats where I got so so so so so so so MAD..I actually went "ARGH WTF!" out loud at my computer...

...The songs that it suggested I may like were not of bands with a similar "sound" to the manic street preachers, not even a similar genre. The songs its suggested all had titles linked to eating disorders and unhealthy attitude behaviour..

I have copied and whited the song names as they appeared below..
Freaks - Pulp
Big Isn't Beautiful - King Adora
She's Falling Apart - Lisa Loeb
Binge and Purge - Lunachicks
Born A Girl - Manic Street Preachers (ok Ill give that one for musical taste!)
Bulimic Beats - Catatonia
Live Happy, Live with Anorexia - Stage
Skinny - Filter
Skin and Bones - Marianas Trench

I am so so so MAD. I really am cross...Theres just no need.

Now some of the songs I know..and one or too I love..but very few have musical similarities to the Manic Street Preachers, even those that do why did it pick those songs from the band! Its not a list of songs I may like because of the music/band/sound...Its a list i may like because the selected song deals with ED behaviours. Its a list of songs about EDs.

Now I am not easily triggered, Im in one hell of a recovery orientated place..but when I saw that list even a little bit of me wanted to download them, listen to them, indulge my ED by letting it here potentially triggery and graphic songs. What happens if someone else, in a less "safe" place as it were happens to catch a similar list out the corner of their eye...?! Apple and i-tunes are actively aiding and abetting vulnerable people to compile "thinspirational" songlists at a click of a button.

I have a paranoid moment that I am over-reacting. But I don't think I am. Surely the function should be to help me find other bands, music that I may like due to the song Im listening to..not a list of songs covering a similar subject.

I did actually see if this applies to other song topics..so far my experiments have proven NO. "Help the Aged" by Pulp did not weild a long list of songs about age, "Angel eyes" by Abba did not result in a list of songs about celestial entities, "Demon Days" by Gorillaz did not create endless songs about satan..guess what happened..I got a list of songs that are similar musically?!

Now Im not suggesting that I-tunes has this slip up/indiscretion purposely, that its inheritently determined to promote ED behviours amoung susceptible people...but I think that this little blip in their system needs to be addressed.

It really does..it could do minutes/hours/days/weeks/months of damage to people by triggering them, it could upset people..I just think its wrong

And I am so so mad at it that tomorrow (when Im capable of typing a letter that every other phrase isnt INSENSITIVE, IRRESPONSIBLE FUCKWITS!)...I am going to email apple with a letter of complaint/suggestion. Anyone who wants me to add their name..let me know, and Ill post a draft when its written.

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!
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"And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom" -Anais Nin

"My rollercoaster's got the biggest ups and downs, as long as it keeps going round its unbelievable!" Kimya Dawson

Butterfly · Posted: Wed Dec 10, 2008 10:51 pm Post subject:

OMFG..... I'm utterly appauled. Obviously someone within apple spent a fair bit of time putting together a list of delibrately eating disordered songs as there's no other way that list of music could have come up. This really is horrendous. Can we start a petition or something?
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Life is like a giant game of Pac-Man: you have to keep eating in order to get to the next level.

Spender · orange is a state of mind Joined: 02 May 2008 Posts: 2070

F-u-u-u-u-u-c-k...that stinks.

Write them. Every person who writes is considered to represent a specific number of people who are angry but don't write. Write them. See what the bastards say.
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What we most need to do is hear within us the sounds of the Earth crying.

~ Zen poet Thich Nhat Hanh

muse · Posted: Wed Dec 10, 2008 11:40 pm Post subject:

And let some avid activist bloggers know about this!! If they write disparaging reviews about a corporation because it is clearly doing things that are immoral and unethical (such as actively encouraging anorexia with a playlist) then others will find out about it more readily. More bloggers will respond.

Just an idea. And yeah, write them and complain too.
_________________
panem et circenses

...you people are the real thing...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTN3s2iVKKI

marybeth · Posted: Wed Dec 10, 2008 11:43 pm Post subject:

Wow that really aggravates me I wanted to try it for myself but I don't have the newest version of itunes so I don't have the genius function. I'm so trigged to make a 'thinspirational' playlist now that I know apple can do that for me..ugh.

I'll definitely be part of your effort to yell at apple though

orange

:carrot 2:
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life is what happens when you're busy making other plans

Moli · orange you glad? Joined: 05 Aug 2008 Posts: 1398

omfg, that's all I have to say.
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wickedrache · Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2008 4:00 am Post subject:

Yeah, this scares me.

Muse, you know some bloggers? [wonder if RachelR's still kickin' around here...]
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EATING DOESN'T MAKE YOU FAT.

Alexandra · Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2008 5:47 am Post subject:

Wow that's nuts. I don't use iTunes but would happily write to complain! Let us know if you're going to whitebutterfly!
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A beautiful thing is never perfect

Butterfly · Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2008 11:40 am Post subject:

whitebutterfly · Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2008 4:10 pm Post subject:

Im glad Im not alone in being wound up by this..its just beyond comprehension that people can be so ignorant and insensitive. I have decided I will def write my views to them..they don't know what they've done unless someone informs them.

Love the idea of spreading it too bloggers, spread the word of this indiscretion as it were. Anyone got any ideas as to who I should contact let me know..or if you have the time/inclination please feel free to spread the word yourself.

Near 24 hours on Im still gobsmacked..not that I overact to stuff?!
_________________
"And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom" -Anais Nin

"My rollercoaster's got the biggest ups and downs, as long as it keeps going round its unbelievable!" Kimya Dawson

muse · Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2008 4:29 pm Post subject:

There are bloggers on this forum... there are some listed in the WBB links as well. http://www.webiteback.com/links.htm
_________________
panem et circenses

...you people are the real thing...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTN3s2iVKKI

whitebutterfly · Posted: Fri Dec 12, 2008 10:09 am Post subject:

Thanks Muse I've spent my morning emailing various bloggers from the list, explaining what I found out, why I think its dangerous and why I think we should stand up and let apple know we think its a problem.

Just to let all you oranges know I posted a direct link to this thread (with an advance apology for my profanity!)..this section of the board is public, so they would have been able read it anyway (I think!). But I just wanted to warn you so that if this bothered you, you could delete your posts.

Ill get writing my letter to apple later!
_________________
"And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom" -Anais Nin

"My rollercoaster's got the biggest ups and downs, as long as it keeps going round its unbelievable!" Kimya Dawson

whitebutterfly · Posted: Fri Dec 12, 2008 11:47 am Post subject:

Ok I don't know why but I can't let this itunes thing go..! I have no idea why I feel so passionately annoyed by it but I do..

So in an attempt to spread the word..and (hopefully) show apple Im not just a lone voice shouting "This is wrong! change it!" Ive created my own little facebook group about it..(said I had gone on a bit of crusade with this)

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=67311940872

If anyone wants to come join..please do..Im feeling rather lonely being the only member! And invite all your friends

bite

Edited to add...anyone got any ideas/pictures that could be used for my little group let me know..I dont like the grey questionmark!
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"And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom" -Anais Nin

"My rollercoaster's got the biggest ups and downs, as long as it keeps going round its unbelievable!" Kimya Dawson

Spender · orange is a state of mind Joined: 02 May 2008 Posts: 2070

I joined. I will forward it on.
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What we most need to do is hear within us the sounds of the Earth crying.

~ Zen poet Thich Nhat Hanh

Kaz · Posted: Fri Dec 12, 2008 4:58 pm Post subject:

I will join when I get back home (Facebook is blocked here)
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"It's never too late, in fiction or in life, to revise - Nancy Thayer
"Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try." — Unknown
http://kaz-tastrophe.blogspot.com