Somebody Give Billy Corgan a Trophy (For Real)

I am only a little more than halfway through this interview with Billy Corgan, but already I can unequivocally say that he deserves a trophy for telling it like it is. We've shunned so many people in favor of codified "cool" that it no longer pays for an artist to create new work any longer. Or, as Corgan puts it:

But isn’t it funny how alternative culture likes to turn its back on those they don’t consider attractive. There is a narcissistic subtext to alternative culture that runs through its veins. Why do most people turn to alternative culture? Because they grow up in a family system or community system that doesn’t recognize their specialness or sensitivity or uniqueness, and they find that there are voices in the alternative community that represent them — whether they’re gay or lesbian or the pretty, overweight goth girl, or the outcast or whatever. They look at alternative culture and they say, “That’s the land of lost toys, there’s the place for me.” And we’ve seen this thing happen over the last 25 years — afforded by the Internet — where that narcissistic streak has become a business model.

Go read the rest at Stereogum at this link. Props all around for a great interview. 

Oh, and Oceania is really fucking good, too.

(Update: Just finished reading the rest of it. It did not disappoint. Especially when Corgan takes Stephen Malkmus to task for going on a "money run.")