My thoughts on Guitar Hero

Honestly, and since I saw that South Park episode (Guitar Queer) where the kids basically choose the little plastic over playing the "real guitar", I felt a bit...disappointed. I 'bonded' with Stan's dad (what's his name again?) over his frustration that the kids wouldn't want to pick up the real thing, and definitely felt insecure for the kids kinda point to the fact that guitar playing (as in guitar with actual strings that actually make noise) is for old people. I play guitar AND that was a source for me continuing to feel young! Hello?

Then I read an article on the Broward-Palm Beach on the New Times, and had mixed feelings. Some, like the musicians quoted there, think that Guitar Hero (GH) is something to look down on, because many GH kids are already using the word "jam" to mean, play the plastic. I can also say that I'd be pretty annoyed if all kids wanted to know about me is whether or not I can play the damn plastic! Others, like the Village Voice writer Chirs Ward wished a similar phenomenon would have happened when he was a teen, so he too, could get a date for his Super Mario expertise :-P Can't deny that I felt he had a good point. Also, kids get so into it and obviously have such a good time doing it, and how harmful is it really? I mean, is not like they're shooting up or drive-by shooting. Hence my mixed feelings.

I decided to put the paper down and sort out my feelings on this oh-so-popular game, as well as form my own opinion. And here it is...drum roll please!

GH can never replace playing a real guitar, so musicians out there that feel somehow 'outdone' by the GH stars, or insecure because of it, consider that one day, some of those kids could be obsessively listening to your song while they try to emulate it on their plastic guitar. If this sounds too much like a sell-out to you, still consider that no matter how many contests they wind, and attention they get, they can't make music with the little plastic...at least not their own. So rest assured there will always be a place for you to create and succeed in the music world. Additionally, if you are already a master at guitar player, you probably can more than dominate and outdo and set the new standards on the game because you have already developed a more difficult skill set for "the real thing". Who knows...maybe your GH "fame" can sustain your up-and-coming rock and roll career.

Consider that before electric guitars became popular, many classical players looked down on electric guitars and rock and roll. They also did not appreciate the fact that their electric guitar counterparts were becoming the rock stars and getting all the attention, when most these rockers did was play 3 chords, bend strings, wear cock rock pants, and dump a lot of attitude on whatever crossed their path. Not exactly the most respected bunch amongst musicians of the time. But all this "looking down on" and criticism from the schooled musicians did not change the fact that rock and roll was becoming popular and so where the players that offered it. So, there's probably nothing you can do to stop kids from liking what they like. Perhaps you'd be better off embracing it.

Also notice how all the other similar games like the dancing one, and the karaoke one did not become such a phenomenon. Any idea why? I'll tell you why! Because those games do not rock! They have all these cheesy ass songs that just won't engage kids the way GH can. So, in a way, this game is promoting rock and roll, and I can't be against anything the promotes rock and roll to kids.

Last but not least, kids will always need music! They need it to identify their generation, whether they play with plastic toys that emulate real rock and roll playing, or play Jenga with Qtips. There will always be a place for rock and roll as far as I'm concerned. The fact that this rock and rolled fueled game has created such a phenomenon, is proof enough for me.