1-8) Explain the differences between "artistic" and "commercial" success, and which matters most to record labels.

By now, everyone reading this has heard of William Hung, the 21 year-old University of California at Berkley Civil Engineering student who auditioned for and was promptly rejected off of AMERICAN IDOL. The Hong Kong-born Hung performed the Ricky Martin tune “She Bangs” with a very thick, off-key, tone-deaf accent, while pathetically attempting to dance. His performance was eviscerated by judges Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson, and Paula Abdul and the world seemingly had heard the last of Hung.

But a funny thing happened to Hung on the way to obscurity.

All over America, fans of AMERICAN IDOL reacted in a seemingly positive way to Hung’s gutsy performance. Many admired how Hung remained calm and poised even after taking the verbal beat-down from the judges.

“I did my best; I have no regrets”, Hung had told the judges.

An outpouring of support began for Hung, and soon websites were established in his honor. Hung was soon being featured on all the major talk shows and, with the obvious lack of talent that he had, he performed “She Bangs” over and over again.

Hung was eventually approached by Koch Records and offered a recording contract. Now, his rendition of the Ricky Martin tune—which became a top download on the internet-- as well as others are being featured on a CD entitled “Inspiration”. A video was also made of him performing “She Bangs” and featured on Fuse Music Channel.

All this has stirred up much controversy to those inside and outside the music industry.

First and foremost, there are those who lament that fact that the music industry has once again proven that it takes little to no talent to succeed or become a “star”. Many feel that Hung is as innovative or exciting as a barking poodle and that his 15 minutes of fame is being exploited for as long as possible to bring in as much money as possible. These people feel that for all the hard-working singers and performers who are actively seeking success and stardom, Hung’s leap to the pinnacle of the business is a slap in their face. Hung’s prominence is a demoralizing stab in the gut for all those singers and entertainers who spent years studying their craft, performing in rundown clubs, and playing more to empty chairs than people. This situation even has a parallel in the movie industry where a top-selling rapper or singer becomes an “actor” by virtue of being offered a starring role in a movie simply because the director and producers of the film know that the name recognition of the musical star will sell tickets.

While this celebration of mediocrity has disgusted many people, the cold reality of the situation is that if people are intrigued enough by Hung‘s “singing”, it is indeed a very wise business move to offer his “music” for sale. If I have said it once, I have said it a million times: the music industry is a BUSINESS. Business protocol dictates that consumer demand be met at all costs. If people are willing to pay good money for the noise Hung is screeching, then so be it. All that should matter is that the supply adequately met the demand for his product. A year from now, Hung’s popularity may have completely faded and the phenomenal sales he is racking up (currently, he is number 30 on Billboard) may have waned. When this happens, the music executives will move on to find their next cash cow and repeat the process all over again.

For the recording artists reading this, please review that last paragraph carefully, for this is exactly the route your own music and career will take. Your importance to the industry and record company is predicated on your ability to sell records. When you cease being a profitable entity and your sales decline, you will be dropped. It is just that cold and simple. You are judged not for your “talent” but for what you can contribute to the bottom line of the record company’s profit sheet. Your skills can be as atrocious as Hung’s or as soaring and melodic as Luther’s or Bowie’s, but when you no longer are profitable to the company, YOU WILL BE DROPPED.

A much more significant part to the Hung controversy is that some Asian-Americans have bitterly complained that Hung’s prominence is directly attributed to the racist stereotypes he is unknowingly perpetuating. For decades in the American media, images of Asians were relegated to the buck-toothed, broken-English, happy-go-lucky type who were around only to amuse others. Emil Guillermo, an Asian–American writer for The San Francisco Chronicle, states that the image of Hung is “infantilized, incompetent, and impotent” and serves no purpose other than to demean Asians. Jimi Izrael, writing for africana.com, goes further and states that Hung has become an “American Sambo,” similar in tone, content, and purpose to the negative images of Black people so long endured in the media.

As with those other degrading stereotypes, the executives at the studios in charge of their dissemination have only concerned themselves with how much money can be generated by using them. This can be seen today with gangsta rap where some of the most negative images of the Black community are utilized with abandon simply to sell a record. This, protesters believe, is something that goes way beyond the bottom line of profits: it is an issue of artistic and social responsibility.

Whichever side of the debate you find yourself, the main point is that where the business of music is concerned, bottom line viability is overwhelming and at times all-encompassing. The business—not the music—matters most. Period.