GAH! My original post got eaten! But what I meant to say is that below is my SP.com submission. Hope you all like it. (And I think when I finally find a few hours to spare, I will transcribe my 2005 interview with Billy. It's a good one that hardcore fans will appreciate.)

Corgan and Christianity:
One artist’s spiritual tale, told through his music
By Melissa Bobbitt


Ever since Jerry Lee Lewis went backsliding into sin with his raucous piano rock and John Lennon proclaimed The Beatles were “bigger than Jesus,” popular music and religion have made for strange bedfellows. Faith bred both Bob Dylan and Scott Stapp, proving that spirituality in song can nurture vast dichotomies.

But what happens when that dichotomy is contained within one artist? Can the same man who caterwauled “God is empty, just like me” be sincere when he counters it with “I declare myself of faith”? For Billy Corgan, a rocker who ran from his religious upbringing to pen heathenish tirades, coming full circle back to a god that forsook him is becoming the hardest journey he’s ever had to endure.

Average people face spiritual dilemmas every day, but in private. We are welcome to worship among fellow parishioners, or we can explore god solitarily. Our particular sects might be generalized, but for the most part, we as individuals are free to praise whatever pantheon of gods we choose.

Not celebrities. And especially not Corgan, because he anointed himself as a messiah of alternative music under the guise of “Zero,” that silver-pants clad monolith who found favor with Generation X. Even in the prosperous Clinton era, Corgan and his disciples still believed that they “cannot be saved,” as evidenced in “Bullet with Butterfly Wings.” Nihilism was their lord.

Preceding Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, Corgan treated religion as a tongue-in-cheek fashion accessory: the sacred heart of Gish, the lyrical taunting at Christianity (“Try to find a messiah in your trinity”). The artist rejected religion because it had rejected him. He grew up in a Catholic household whose fibers were as thin as the pages of a King James Bible. By the time he formed The Smashing Pumpkins, the only love he could truly depend on was self-love.

But like any other drug, narcissism eventually becomes vapid and disheartening. Fawning fans started becoming disillusioned with the Pumpkin King’s egotism. The once heralded musician who had healed hearts with his words and turned records into platinum was now bestowed with “a crown of horns, an image formed deformed.” Just like Jesus, Corgan’s own revelers had crucified him for doing, well, exactly what they had asked him to do: play the role of savior.

After Mellon Collie, Corgan was flagellated, no matter what he did. Audiences wanted new and fresh sermons, so he gave them Adore, an album that pondered mortality with “For Martha.” Fans and critics decried the record’s wispiness. So he put the rock messiah hat back on for “Machina” and boggled the mainstream with narratives about hearing God through the radio. But the people didn’t want the vinyl muumuu-wearing Glass; they wanted the old Zero back.
Corgan wanted out.

And so, with The Pumpkins dissolved, their leader arose anew. He was humbled by the talents God had given him, this gift of music to share. He was free. Freed by who, though, has become an ongoing debate among Pumpkins purists. In a community where the “C” word – Christianity – is anathema, Corgan again found himself in a defensive mode once Zwan surfaced.

In an interview I conducted with Corgan in 2005, he addressed the “is he or isn’t he” speculations. He said he had always believed in the Roman Catholic version of God, but not in an organized religion sense, and upon the demise of The Pumpkins in 2000, his faith returned.

But, he added, to pigeonhole his spirituality is revolting to him. “[T]o try to reduce me and say, ‘Well, he’s a Christian now,’ which carries so much dead weight, is not only an insult to my intelligence but a desire to sort of put me in a box that I never wanted to be in. … I don’t give a shit what you believe. I got [fans] who are pagans, Wiccans, Muslims. I wouldn’t sit there and say I can’t sing my song ‘cause Johnny over here doesn’t believe what I believe.”

What led Corgan back to God remains a private matter. For he as a public figure has been unduly denied a one-on-one relationship with his beliefs. But as he ages, and we enter the Zeitgeist era, he realizes he must placate his disciples in one way or another. “For God and Country” summarizes Corgan’s continuing dichotomy: “It's too late for some/It's too late for what you've done/I can't help what I divide in you.”

In other words, don’t blame the lyricist for your differing interpretations of his spirituality. That is the beauty of human nature: We are all multifaceted creatures, prone to lapses and declarations of faith.

It's kind of hard to read in the format the forum posted it in (the paragraphs bleed together), but it sounds like an interesting. Although, I am not sure that's what Billy was getting at in "For God and Country" as he has hinted at it having to do with patriotism or misuse of it or something like that. I forget the quote. But I suppose that is where alternative interpretations come in, as Billy's songs have led to that often. Plus it fits into your article that way.

So how did you manage to get an interview with Billy? I have asked him questions before that I recounted in the Chards of Fanphoria after we presented the Fanphoria Listessa Fan video to the band, but nothing you could strictly call an interview. The closest thing was interviewing Mike Garson a couple of times through e-mail, and my brother had the opportunity to interview the director of Vieuphoria, Modi after she approached us out of the blue after she found a typo on one of our pages on Landslide about Vieuphoria :P.Something similar happened with Mark Ignoffo, although he never did a personal interview.

Well written, Trillian.

I just sent in my essay and resume a few minutes ago. Good luck to you. I hope we both get hired!

Great job Trillian. Did you write this specifically for the contest or did you already have this on the back burner?

These two lines jumped out at me...
He grew up in a Catholic household whose fibers were as thin as the pages of a King James Bible

Just like Jesus, Corgan's own revelers had crucified him for doing, well, exactly what they had asked him to do: play the role of savior....Perfect

Not to get your hopes up, but I think you have a really good shot at this. Your topic was unique and didn't sound like a typical "fan boy" essay written by a Pumpkins fanatic. Plus your credentials and previous interviews with the Pumpkins are really going to help. Very professional and very well written...just don't forget us when you're a famous Pumpkins journalist

I was going to apply but I am deciding not to after all. I think I am going to transform mine into an article for Landslide's Mediaflash netzine or use it as an inspiration for a better article. I really would like to work for SP.com but I don't think I can. I am in a position where I am from Canada, but living in the US for school. Because of the restrictions of my I-20, I can't work in the USA. Now I could use my Winnipeg permanent address on my resume but that would cause some problems with taxes likely. Since it would be like I am at two places at once, I am supposed to be at school in Chicago, but making money from Winnipeg, and I would probably get audited by Revenue Canada. I thought of using my brother's name as pen name but if I somehow made a career out of it, which I don't plan to, it would cause problems.

If anyone wants to read the rough draft I had, I can post it. But it's not as good as Trillian's and I am guessing no one really wants to read it anyways :P

Good luck to everyone.

Also, if there is anyone here that applies but doesn't get accepted by SP.com, I am hoping to revive Mediaflash more, so if we could get some real writers on staff, it would be much appreciated.

landslide.2007.org/mediaflash.htm

Rivers Cuomo wrote:
Jeffrey Zeitgeist wrote:
That 21-year age restriction is grossly unfair - I'm a better music writer at 18 than most twenty-somethings will ever be. That's not ego. That's confidence in the quality of my work.

But, I suppose it can't be helped. Good luck to Trillian or anyone else who would pursue this. Be glad that you don't have me to compete with.




little big for your britches?
If you say so.

No offense meant.

Just stating that Billy is the only super-ego we need around here...

And none taken. Man is useless without his ego.

Thanks, gang, on the well wishes. Eye, you should totally post yours too. Because, after all, the PumpkinsMilitia said these essays are meant to encourage conversation among the fans.

My interview with Billy in 2005 was for Mean Street magazine, specifically talking about his solo album. http://meanstreet.com/article.php?articl...=368&issue_id=85 (You can read the published article at that link.)

And PistolPete, I'm glad I didn't sound fanboyish in my essay, because I am a fanGIRL.

Haha. I know Trillian, I've been around a while. The term fanboy just refers to people who think Corgan is god and worship every word he says. Or as someone put it, Billy could fart in the microphone and "some people" would call it the greatest masterpiece the music world has ever seen.

I figured this is how most of the essays would turn out, but I don't necessarily blame them. I think it would be difficult to write about something you so closely identify with, while still having a relevant perspective. It's like the conservative media writing about the Bush administration...of course they only report the positive.

Trillian that was AMAZING. I hope you get it, don't forget us little people when you're writing for them.

Eye, I'll read what you wrote. I'm always interested in hearing what other pumpkin fans have to say.

Haha, that was Sandoz who said the quote about "Billy farting into a microphone" it was when the Atlanta show was canceled.

My article was based on the question about the impact of the 7 year break-up of the Pumpkins on the music world. I tried to stress it was more of an impact on the fans. I am not really that happy with it. For one thing I spend way too long on the end of the band and not enough on the rebirth. But I think it is a bit less 'praising' than most of the Mediaflash articles that I wrote. If I get to resurrect Mediaflash, it will be more balanced, not too negative, not too positive.

PUMPKINS REBORN
Written by David Pukin

Over 7 years have passed since The Smashing Pumpkins called it quits the first time around. If you had the opportunity to see either of the final shows in Chicago at United Center and Metro, you may have noticed that emotions were running high at the time. There was undeniable energy in the air from so many fans from across the world congregating together. For many it was bittersweet, and some fans even cried when it was over. It was almost as if a loved one had died. The intensity of the Pumpkins three-act final show seemed to get to lead singer, Billy Corgan, who was glimpsed crying by fans as the show drew to a close. The impact of the end of the band had on Corgan was also apparent later during the Graceful Swans of Never documentary.

While the end of the Pumpkins had a strong emotional impact on fans and the band, it also had some impact on the music world, at least in their hometown. Fox Chicago aired a retrospective documentary, Full Circle, which paid tribute to the Pumpkins, and through the course of the broadcast, Q101 ads aired which thanked the Pumpkins for the memories. Also, on November 30, 2000, Chicago Tonight aired a special episode entitled, “Smashing Pumpkins End”. The episode included a panel discussion with everyone from long-time Pumpkins supporter and Metro club owner, Joe Shanahan to Jim Derogatis, an occasional harsh critic of the band. It was a bit surreal, as they discussed the impact of the band and even sat silently listening to clips of Pumpkins tracks. In Canada, DJ Alan Cross aired a retrospective, “Smashing Pumpkins Epitaph”, and included the Pumpkins in his top 25 bands of the past 25 years in his “Ongoing History of Rock” series.

Meanwhile, the music world as a whole was not all that impacted by the break-up of the band. Even in the years leading up to the end, there seemed to be dwindling interest. A large part of this was likely the changing musical climate of the late 90s. Perhaps music journalists and programmers figured the Pumpkins were not as relevant as they once were due to Adore being perceived as a commercial failure in comparison to the lofty success of Mellon Collie.

Other factors could have included the real and perceived turmoil within the band, and Billy Corgan’s constantly outspoken and controversial nature. Not liking what they heard or saw in the band, they may have simply tuned out. For example, there was a harsh reaction when Corgan was notoriously quoted as saying they were calling it quits because they could “no longer fight the good fight against all the Britney’s of the world”. To this day, writers use this quote, even though Corgan later explained it was a joke. Regardless of the reasons, the Pumpkins being less heard on the airwaves.

As the band ended, some of the fans drifted apart, while others drew closer together. The next step, Zwan was met with a mixed reaction. Some readily or slowly accepted the band. While others fans outright rejected Zwan for not being the Pumpkins. Despite some early success for Zwan’s first single on the radio, the band never really took off and airplay otherwise was sparse. Corgan and Chamberlin’s solo records were met with a similar mixed reaction.

Once Corgan announced he wanted to “renew and revive” the Pumpkins in a full-page ad in Chicago newspapers, it certainly got everyone’s attention. Some saw it as a publicity stunt, while others eagerly awaited anything Pumpkins related. Once it was revealed that James Iha and D’arcy, some fans were highly critical, believing it was not the real Pumpkins without them. Many reviewers of Zeitgeist seemed to agree with them, and accused them of doing a cash grab. Other reviewers and fans looked passed this, instead rationalizing the situation, saying Corgan and Chamberlin were the Pumpkins. Meanwhile, many fans are somewhere in the middle, acknowledging Iha and D’arcy’s impact on the past, but have warmed up to the band’s new music.

Since the Pumpkins hit the stage again last year, there has been a lot of buzz, especially created by online media sources, that has translated into some success for the band. However, the current musical climate has not allowed for the band to be completely accepted again. So, it may take years to gauge the true impact of the rebirth of The Smashing Pumpkins.

Hey Eye....I'll offer some constructive criticism. Not trying to downgrade or anything...just some things I noticed.

You've got several grammatical errors and spelling mistakes. When you're applying for a job as a writer, this distracts from the pionts you're making, no matter how good those points might be.

It's a well thought out article, but it almost seems like too much of just a re-cap of what happened, and not enough of an opinion article designed to stimulate debate amongst users of the site....which is what they said they wanted.

Good job, though.

It's funny, the media militia posted just a few minutes ago in response to all the "did I do it right?" or "can I do something differently?" or "can I re-submit mine?" type posts. The comment says something to the effect of "all you guys who are freaking out so much don't seem like the type for this job anyway. I rule with an iron fist."

I was talking to my wife last night about how I thought the specific directions we were given were a test of character. They're only going to hire people who can follow directions and meet deadlines without any confusion or tentative questions, so they made specific directions for the email subject line, file names, etc. to see who could follow the directions best. I think you're already a step behind if you didn't format everything the way they requested.

Continued good luck to everybody who entered...the deadline is 9 PM eastern time tonight.

I hope they post the winning entries, plus ones that came close.

Good job Eye, I agree with GC, there are some grammatical errors but otherwise it looks great to me.

Pete did you enter? Don't remember if you said so or not.