Final

This project was very different from any project I have ever done, and I would like to thank you for being one of the few teachers that actually lets the students spread their wings for once and choose something they actually want to learn about. I enjoyed pretty much all of the project, but as you may have already guessed, my personal favorite part was attending the concert. Despite Mayer's good looks and charm, the concert was actually what inspired me to make this blog my topic in the first place, because you really don't realize how much you can love someone's music so much until you have witnessed their performance in person. Through this project I was able to learn things about Mayer that I didn't know before, the most interesting thing being that he befriended a four year old fan with MPS (an inherited enzyme disease) before a concert, who he still keeps in touch with. I found the most beneficial part of the project to be the book review. Even though I wasn't looking forward to reading "The Mirror Effect", it really helped me in my quest to answer the inevitable question: is John Mayer a Narcissist, full of vanity and insecurities, or is he a genius, unable to express his real emotions due to the harsh realities of stardom?

Now that I heave fed you some of the prerequisites, this is how I really felt about the project:

This project has evolved into a lot more than I had ever anticipated it being. At first, I thought that it would be something very simple, and not the least bit challenging. As I got more and more involved, I have came to the conclusion that John Mayer is neither a narcissist nor a genius. He is just a normal human being, who has said a couple of things without thinking. I would by lying if I said that I entered this project with an open mind, because it would be hard to try and disprove something I had decided on long before I began the project. What I think I learned the most from this is that no matter your status in society, people all make the same mistakes. Every single person has had at least one moment in their life when they just completely screw up, whether that be speaking before thinking or making a regrettable decision of sorts. That being said, I came to the conclusion that the media and the real world have more in common than meets the eye. They will both take your faults and exploit them, using your decisions and faults to come off as whatever the exploiter wants you to be. To be honest, I even did it myself in this very project. I did not exploit Mayer's faults, but rather his strengths. I could have taken countless things out of Mayer's interviews to make him seem like a total asshole, but I didn't because I wanted to make my point. Technically, you could say that this project made me realize my own hypocrisy, but that was my opinion and I stuck to it. If I could have done anything different, I would have come into this project with a more open mind, rather than approaching it on such a biased level. As much as I would like to say that I got some type of brilliant epiphany from this project, what I really got the most out of it was simply an enhanced respect for Mayer's music, and to put aside everything that the media had thrown at me and my personal presumptions and to see Mayer for who he really is: a musician, and a brilliant one at that. I envy his dedication to music, and I wish that I was able to be as passionate about anything as he is towards music. Through this project, I learned to respect him as both a musician and a person.

Note: I have literally been trying to figure out how to put this in words for weeks, but I still feel like there is something lacking. So i'm sorry if that was completely scrambled and contradicting.

February 9, 2010

It is a crisp February night in Birmingham, Alabama. Thousands of fans eagerly pour in the the BJCC Arena to witness the performance they have been anticipating for months. They rush to their seats and await for the show to begin. As the arena lights dim, a large, mesh curtain cascades over the stage. The arena is pitch black now, with nothing to be seen but the distant flashes of cameras. A vintage clock counts down from five on a screen directly behind the stage; Fans scream as the distant shadow of a man is seen under the illuminating amber stage lights, enlarging as he nears the front of the stage. John Mayer approaches the microphone, picks up a guitar with his perfectly toned and sleeve-tattooed covered arm and begins to strum. The curtain draws, and the band begins to play the introduction to "Heartbreak Warfare". His riveting voice fills the arena as he sings, the crowd singing along with him. Mayer goes on to play many of his countless hits, conversing and joking with the audience in between songs. Each song has it's own story to accompany it, each chord with speaking for itself. As several hours pass, the fans become aware that the lights will soon brighten, and the performance will draw to an end. Mayer eventually finishes his set, thanks the audience several times, and exits the stage. The arena becomes dark, but the fans refuse to leave their seats without an encore. Finally, the mesh curtain covers the stage once again, and the screams of fans fill the arena. Mayer and his band walk back on to the stage, and begin to play "Who Says". Mayer then closes the show with an incendiary guitar solo that lasts several minutes before turning into "Gravity". Mayer thanks the crowd again, and walks off of the stage for the last time of the night. The lights brighten and the fans file out out of the arena and into the bitter February air, dazed by the performance of a lifetime that they have just witnessed.

What did I get out of the John Mayer concert? I believe the correct question is what didn't I get out of the concert. Just in case it wasn't already obvious, I adore John Mayer, and I have long before this concert. I knew going into it that the likelihood of me being unimpressed by his performance was slim to none. Even though I expected it to be amazing, Mayer went above and beyond my expectations. Aside from playing every single one of my favorite songs, the general sound of the concert was great. His voice, the haunting sound of his guitar, everything. It was all perfect. John Mayer really knows how to put on a truly mind-blowing performance. My favorite part of the concert was when Mayer played a song called "In Your Atmosphere". While introducing the song, he says " I don't really remember this song, but i'm gonna go for it. I'm going to pretend like we're all hanging out in my living room, and i'll see if I can remember this song... I actually wrote this on a bus in Birmingham". Although I don't know if he meant his tour bus or a city bus, it still seemed as if he was trying to reach out and relate to the crowd. I like to think that he meant a city bus, because I would be thrilled to know that Birmingham City buses could be, in all their glory and lack of sanitation, worthy of John Mayer composing a truly beautiful song on one of them. This was a performance of a lifetime. I am beyond grateful to even be able to attend the concert, let alone have such an amazing experience. I find myself constantly reminiscing on February 9th, wishing I could be there over and over again. If John Mayer had not already won me over, this sure did it.

The Mirror Effect

Dr. Drew Pinsky's book, The Mirror Effect: How Celebrity Narcissism is Seducing America stresses the importance of how celebrity actions can negatively effect society. Pinsky spends an entirely large portion of the book describing the common attributes of narcissists. He also discusses the importance of the media's involvement in the lives of celebrities and claims that narcissism can be fueled by technology, mainly the internet. According to Pinsky, many people confuse narcissism with egotism. In the very beginning of the book, he immediately gives insight on what narcissism really is. Pinsky writes, "[narcissism] is often taken to mean self-love, but in fact, narcissism has more to do with self-loathing than self-love" (Pinsky 7). Throughout the book, Pinsky gives crucial information on the truth of narcissism and offers advice to the reader on how to become seduced by celebrity narcissism.

Surprisingly (sort of), John Mayer is mentioned several times throughout the book. Although two out of the three times he is mentioned, it is in regards to potential narcissism, there is a specific chapter dedicated to a blog post he made while on tour in Japan in March of 2008. In the blog, Mayer brutally criticizes what he believes is happening to our generation: a fixation on the media, rebellion against society's expectations, and the attempt to act different from others and create a pseudo-self. He goes on describe people's insecurities being at a level "so high... that it's actually toxic" (Pinsky 235). Mayer even includes himself in this category of captious and insecure individuals. Pinsky seems to be impressed and agree with Mayer's remarks, and notes that he was the first celebrity to "address the issue of narcissism among young people, including himself, explicitly" (Pinsky 236).

Based on the book, I do not believe that John Mayer is a narcissist for several reasons. Although Mayer may display several of the common character traits associated with narcissism, there are many crucial aspects of narcissism that John Mayer does not fit into. For instance, Pinsky asserts that narcissistic musicians "don't talk to their audience... they don't tell stories or take the time to build a connection... there's no emotion" (Pinsky 105). Well, I have had the absolute privilege of attend a John Mayer concert, and I can confidently say that John Mayer is in no way shy, and has absolutely no problem making connections and relating to his audience. Pinsky also describes narcissists as having the inability to relate to other people's feelings, and rarely feel ashamed of their actions. Let's be honest, John Mayer can be a major tool at times, but I do not think that he completely disregards the feelings of others. Although I think that it is undebatable that Mayer suffers from an enlarged ego and can be exceedingly vain, I do not believe he is a narcissist.

Pinsky , Dr. Drew, and Dr. Mark Young. The Mirror Effect: How Celebrity Narcissism is Seducing America . 1st ed. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2009. Print.

Understanding John Mayer's Lyrics

The only actual way to really interpret John Mayer is to listen to what he is saying through his music. His lyrics could possibly be the most important way to understand him, because they are pure and meaningful. I thought it would be really important to take apart some of his deepest lyrics and try to understand them.

How come the only way to know how high you get me/Is to see how far I fall/God only knows how much I'd love you if you'd let me/But I can't break through at all

“Heartbreak Warfare” is exactly what it sounds like, a song about a girl whom he is trying so hard to love, but she will not let him love her. When he writes, “clouds of sulfur in the air/bombs are falling everywhere” he is metaphorically saying that what this girl is doing to his heart is similar to warfare. Near the end of the song, Mayer writes, “good to know its all a game/disappointment has a name, its heartbreak warfare”. This is basically saying that all the work and envy he has put into trying to love this girl was ultimately not even worth it.

And I could see clearly, an indelible line was drawn/Between what was good, what just slipped out and what went wrong

“My Stupid Mouth” should really be the story of John Mayer’s recent life. The song is about how his comments have offended a girl. In the chorus, Mayer writes, “I'm never speaking up again/It only hurts me/I'd rather be a mystery/Than she desert me”. This means that he is going to watch his tongue, because he would rather not say anything at all that offend the girl anymore than he already has, eventually leaving her to leave him. There was one particular part of the song that I really thought summed him up. Near the end of the song he writes, “I just wanna be liked/I just wanna be funny/Looks like the jokes on me”. This means he was joking around about something and she either took it offensively or he took it too far, a situation he must be all too familiar with recently.

I'm not running/I'm not scared/I am waiting and well prepared

“War of My Life” is a very simple song, but it has a strong meaning. It is about overcoming something great, and facing something difficult. In the chorus, Mayer writes, “I’m in the war of my life/at the core of my life/got no choice to fight till its done”. This part is about not having any fears and facing his issues head-on. At first glance, the song may seem like what he is describing emotional destruction, but it is really about letting go and facing your fears.

I don’t remember you looking any better/but then again I don’t remember you

“Who Says” is one of the few songs off of Mayer’s new album that is not about heartbreak. The title of the song says it all. When he writes “Who says I can’t get stoned/turn off the lights and the telephone”, what he is trying to say is “Who says I can’t ____”. It’s about reflecting on your life and not letting anyone tell you that you can’t do something. Despite the lyrics, the song is in fact not about getting stoned. It is a chameleon, and it can mean different things to different people. In my opinion, its about not caring about other people’s opinions and judgment, and not letting anyone tell you how to live your life.

And the streetlights say never mind/and the canyon lines say never mind/and the sunset says we see this all the time

“In Your Atmosphere” has got to be my favorite John Mayer song by far. The song is not as complex as most of his songs. It has a very simple meaning and a nostalgic/melancholy mood. The song is about not wanting to return to old territory where his ex is, in fear that it will either stir up old feelings or make him even more depressed. For example, Mayer writes “I don’t think I’m gonna go to LA anymore/I don’t know what its like to land and not race to your door”. What he is saying is that going back to LA would leave him empty and lonely. At the very end of the song, he writes, “Wherever I go/whatever I do/I wonder where I am in my relationship to you/wherever you go/whatever you are/I watch that life play out in pictures from afar”. This simply means that he will forever look back on their relationship, and the only thing that is left is the pictures of the memories they have together. This is such a moving and powerful song, because Mayer seems to take the feelings that countless people experience and put them into lyrics.

Ellen Interview

As expected, John Mayer's interview with comedian Ellen DeGeneres on the Ellen show in February of 2009 is all laughs. When the two comedians (yes, John Mayer is not technically a comedian, but he mine as well be) join forces, they create a great chemistry and keep the crowd laughing with hilarious interpretations of famous musicians. Even though this interview is very low-key and entertaining, there are some moments in the interview that really help prove that Mayer does not portray narcissistic traits. The two talk about Mayer's vulnerability while in his "writing mode", his then relationship with Jennifer Anniston, and The 2009 Grammy Awards, in which he took home two Grammys.

When talking about the Grammy's, Ellen Asks Mayer if there was any specific artists that Mayer wanted to win the Grammy for Song of the Year. Mayer replied by saying "There's actually more often people that i think should win over me". For example, he explains that when he won song of the year for "Daughters" over Alicia Keys' "If I Ain't Got You" , he says he "didn't think [he] should have because I thought she had a better song". He goes on to explain that after a night of working together in the recording studio, he removed the top half of the Grammy and gave it to her. I feel like this was extremely cool, because many artists fail to acknowledge the work of other artists. Mayer seems to have a respect for all types of music, and he comes off as someone who lacks vanity and selfishness. He come off as a real person in this interview, and his ability to charm the crowd and his fans with his humor and wittiness.

"John Mayer on Ellen Show 2/9/2009 [Full] ." Youtube . Web. 15 Apr 2010. .

Rolling Stone Article

Rolling Stone's 2010 article, "The Dirty Mind and Lonely Heart of John Mayer" offers a lot of insight on John Mayer's daily life and experiences. The author, Erik Heddegaard brilliantly writes about Mayer's real opinions on women, his life growing up, his sharp tongue, and of course his always over-publicized sex life. Unlike many articles I have read through out this project, this article was not so much of an interview. Although one might assume this is more challenging to write about, I believe that this article is the most beneficial article I have read thus far.

I thought this article was very interesting. As I mentioned before, the article is more of a biography than an interview. It was very good to get insight of Mayer's life growing up, because it is crucial to know that factor when trying to classify someone as a narcissist. I would explain that now, but I really want to save that for the big finale response. In one part of the article, Heddegaard writes about Mayer's love life and constant search for "the Joshua Tree of Vaginas" (Hedegaard 40). While on the topic of women, Mayer turns the tables, asking Hedegaard what his opinion on the singer's lack of finding genuine love for a woman. He asks Hedegaard, "Do you think it's going to take meeting someone who I admire more than I admire myself?" (Hedegaard 40). Mayer goes on to explain that relationships are not just physical, and that "you need to have [your significant other] go head to toe with you intellectually" (Hedegaard 40). Although many people assume Mayer is just a player who objectifies women, this article can prove them wrong. Mayer describes his love and respect for some of his exes in the past, including Jennifer Anniston and the girl that inspired his first hit, "Your Body is a Wonderland". What I really admired most about the article was learning about Mayer's journey to success and his love for music, even as a child. In one part of the article, Mayer's father tells Hedegaard that as a child, Mayer would "pick up a guitar and isolate himself because he's so overtaken by passion for the instrument" (Hedegaard 44). I really enjoyed reading this article because it was truthful and straightforward. It was nice to read an article that respected him as an artist for once, rather than bait for the media. It was all about he music from the beginning anyway.

Hedegaard, Erik. "The Dirty Mind and Lonely Heart of John Mayer ." Rolling Stone 04 Feb 2010: 38-45, 68. Print.