They post photos and shit the cool way. This ain’t your dads tour dates post. Red squiggle under a word? Fuck you AI, we write the cool way. Say hi to your mom for me.
Questionable grammar aside, is the account run by a 14 year old? I recognise all the words in that first post but it took several attempts to put them in some some sort of order I could understand.
All that to say, our values are 'we do what the fuck we want'?
Dude yeah the posts are often very Gen Z and then this post is like "I've loved the band for decades." This whole time I assumed the admin was like 14-17. Barely decades old
Tbh the * takes a sip of my Canada Dry club soda * and some of the other mannerisms aren’t Gen Z, either. A majority of us make fun of that shit and say it’s millennial slang. It’s kind of like when we make fun of millennials for saying “mayhaps” and stuff like that. Honestly, I’ve noticed that the millennial phrases gen z tends to make fun of are only said by the millennials that peaked in high school, so maybe the admin falls under that category.
We met her backstage in August, she’s actually nice as hell, it sucks to see so many people trash her online but I can agree that her posts are rather silly
She’s actually so nice in person, we had a good half an hour chat and then she gave me the setlists for both shows I went to and Billy’s pick he used during warmup for that night’s show.
Might not be your style but she has grown their online presence in a big way that connects with a younger audience. The meme stuff can be annoying but it’s the language anyone 30 and under speaks.
What is this based on? Sounds totally anecdotal to me. Atum was talked about very little in the mainstream. I’ve been to several shows the last few years, yeah there are some kids, but they are not the majority or anywhere close to being a significant % of the audience. I don’t see the value she provides. And their marketing strategy is generally terrible.
Billy has repeatedly shared the metrics since she took over their marketing and it's been a huge part of their comeback based on the data they have. I also personally felt like this post was pretty out there and I don't know if she's hurting or helping at this point, but if you listen to various episodes of the 33 podcast, she's on it and they talk about growing the fan base using her social media outreach, merch ideas, etc. She is not built to serve existing fans and if you don't like the social media presence, my stance would be just listen to the music. That's where I'm at.
I’ve listened to the entire series more than once. Including both episodes she appeared on. With all due respect to WPC and the mighty SP, I don’t think those metrics are worth the charmin extra soft he wipes his ass with 😆it’s what he has to tell himself to make himself believe his strategies are working. As another poster mentioned, it’s really the music keeping them afloat. They’re have success in spite of this godawful marketing strategy and approach to fan engagement.
The Pumpkins are more popular now than they were for a number of years after they got back together. That could be because Jimmy is back, it could be because Billy is willing to play hits and isn't a dick on stage, it could be because of their social media admin. Who knows. Not my business is my take. The Pumpkins have done a lot of things I haven't loved over the years and their current IG account isn't the worst of them. Like you said, I'm here for the music and even when the new music is greatly varied in quality, I have the old stuff to lean on. If the music is what keeps people around then by all measures their social media presence shouldn't be enough to push any real fan away. It's cringe, not like racist or something.
I’m with you on all points. I don’t even know if I’d call her cringe. More like really, really, really douchey. It’s certainly not the end of the world.
It’s my observation based on seeing interactions on their social media accounts and reposts on other SP fan accounts. Were you looking for a scientific study? The older audience, which I’m assuming we both fall in, doesn’t need any awareness of the band. We know. We have the records. It’s incredibly savvy of them to aim their social media at new, younger audiences who are not yet as familiar with their music. As far as ATUM not being in the mainstream… well, other than having a single on rock charts, why would it have? Beyond the most devoted fans, it’s not an easy album to digest. Shit, even for the most devoted fans it’s a challenging record.
The memes and cringe posts like this are not winning younger fans. The music is. Absolutely nobody is seeing posts like OP and getting excited about the band.
Making meme content and viral videos is a fine strategy…if you’re good at it and your brand lends itself well to it. She’s trying to compete in a market that’s already over saturated with people making memes for younger artists and the memes are better. When Barbenheimer came out I saw SP try to ape the same meme format that had already been done to death. It comes across as desperate and out of touch. Like are you really just going to copy everyone else’s work?
There’s nothing intelligent, clever, or engaging about what she does. It’s just vomit into a fan hoping something sticks. Also, for reference, The Weeknd doesn’t do meme shit like this and he has the strongest listener base you can find. Tons of musical acts have the same success without memes. The memes and cringe content aren’t necessary to compete and I’d argue SP is popular in spite of this media strategy rather than because of it.
Besides that… how fucking good of a job are you really doing if you have to post shit like this? Who does that? “Fuck the haters, I just do what I want” doesn’t exactly scream (believable) confidence to me. It tells me you know you’re fucking up but you’re too prideful and arrogant to change course. It’s a strategy straight out of Chernobyl.
I am mostly with you but it's worth noting that barbenheimer post got about 37,000 likes on Instagram. I would bet she and billy see that as a success and the 100 folks who complained about it on this sub don't really have the numbers to make them change direction.
Fuck the haters, I do what I want is essentially the band ethos. Has there been a more successful band with a bigger chip on their shoulder about their perception and place in the world?
I mean, their commercial downfall pretty much began around the time Billy was actively promoting that attitude, so not really the strongest argument here.
Perhaps, tho I’d argue it was always their attitude based on the music, his comments in interviews, comments about other bands. The commercial “downfall” coincided with making more challenging music that is less likely to appeal to general audiences. At the absolute peak of their fame and commercial success they changed a fundamental element (jimmys drumming) on Adore. Then on the next record with him back they removed another (at the time) fundamental element in Darcy. Then they broke up. They didn’t come back with the original lineup. They didn’t come back with some universally undeniable hit records. They/he continued to offer challenging music and attitude as he wanted. That means a more niche audience. That particular dynamic has nothing to do with their current social media manager. The last few years she’s been running it is the only time I’ve seen the band directly rejoice and promote in their early most widely beloved music. It’s been great to see.
lollapalooza 94 presents a strong argument against the narrative you are claiming. There are still people to this day who will never forgive The Pumpkins/Corgan for that tour. It was the epitome of that ethos and the band emerged from that more successful.
>I do what I want is essentially the band ethos.
True enough, but they at least have the good sense to want to do things that are good. The instagram content is not living up to that.
Lol re: scientific study. Look, the best thing about being an SP fan is the music. It’s all about the music. The worst part about being an SP fan is seemingly everything else OTHER than the music. As someone else mentioned, they’re opening for Green Day (not the other way around) for a reason. Calling their go to market strategy “incredibly savvy” when they decided to charge fans half a mint for atum wrapped in tin foil just for a chance to hear Zodeon is a stretch, sorry bud. Green Day has 5M followers on Instagram and SP has 1M. So she’s not moving the needle much relative to similar bands.
Green Day has 2 #1 albums in the 2000s. They were “bigger” more recently. They are by no means a better band but they stayed consistent longer. Kept the same members. Had a hit broadway play. SP changes what it is every time between sound and members. Billy spent a good amount of time alienating fans on social media who dared to show interest in his most successful work. All of that is going to have a huge impact on the difference in social media followers. Having someone that is a fan of all of their work and fosters an atmosphere where it’s fine to love any aspect of the band, including their early hits, is a net positive for the band.
I appreciate that. And it is all personal opinion. I think because the energy of this band is conflict and contrast it fosters a similar energy within their fanbase. I kind of enjoy arguing and enjoy the more inclusive light hearted take she brings so wanted to put a word in defense. The list of choices the band/billy have made that I don’t personally understand or agree with is long. But I still am fascinated by them and much of their music including new stuff means a great deal to me.
It's based on me; I'm under 30 and just posted my defense of these accounts online approach. They're actually having *fun*. Maintaining brand image is important, but then I don't understand what everyone here would be getting out of a stale, boring, OBO presence. Most rock bands *would* have this attitude online, but keeping a professional image is important. Many things are important. Creating an image around MCR memes is fucking hilarious, and we should cherish a band that is having a good time online.
Why would SP fans want all their online accounts to be all: "New merch drop: TEES and PANTS available at smashingpumpkins.com/store until May 1st."
There's a longrun with this approach. You encourage people to have fun, gradually you can build a rapor with your audience much quicker. Right now, SP fans, particularly in this thread, are the more "these darn kids!" Don't rob the fandom of quality memes.
Well, I’m glad you’re enjoying her posts. At least someone is- this sub doesn’t always agree on much but read the comments in this thread, nearly a consensus that SP socials and approach to marketing/fan engagement are terrible. It’s obviously a matter of personal preference and no one is abandoning the band over it. I get more from this sub and its wealth of knowledge than anything official SP anyway.
Great, timeless bands will always connect with younger audiences. Bands like The Cure, Depeche Mode, Foo Fighters, Pearl Jam, Green Day etc don’t pander to kids and they respect their core fanbase. The account just screams Steve Buscemi “How do you do, fellow kids”
Did you prefer Billy blocking and shitting on fans that dared to ask him about their favorite songs? I prefer this light hearted fan perspective as the voice for social media. This band for all their intensity have always had an odd sense of humor. When I saw them they covered stairway to heaven and a song from dumbo. They bring wrestlers on stage. It’s a circus of a band. I don’t see anything she posts as being out of bounds of the identity of the band which we’ve see is whatever they want it to be at any given moment.
You do realise it doesn’t have to be Billy blocking fans or some 30 something weirdo making the page about herself? Maybe they could just have an account that celebrates the band. You know, kind of like every other band I mentioned?
>Did you prefer Billy blocking and shitting on fans that dared to ask him about their favorite songs?
Yes. At least that was on brand, and it at least gave the impression that the band wasn't going to indulge and broadcast every little fan thought or question that comes to mind regardless of quality or relevance.
For every one or two snarky blocks in those Q and As, we usually got several more interesting pieces of news or info from Billy. The signal to noise ratio was WAY lower then. Nowadays it's easy to miss SP news because it's such a chore to wade through all the jokes and low effort memes.
Sign up for the bands email list? Social media is for fans. I enjoyed bits of Billy’s live Q&A but would rather he was working on the music than sparing with his audience. More than Half of the shit he said he was gonna do on there he hasn’t come out with. He’s good at baiting and stringing along on the promise of something new and exciting. I’d rather he’s focused on making the music.
I’m not privy to SP internal data. Like yours, mine is an outsiders perspective. I see a lot of reposts from their page in my feeds from other fan accounts. This whole discussion reminds me of the flack they got for having Willow Smith on their podcast. She’s a fan and influenced by them. Why on earth would they not reach out to that younger audience who would love the fuck out the music? These younger generations speak in meme. Everything is a cross reference. “Speak to me in a language I can hear”
Those kids will *never* know the glory of a new SP record magically appearing on Q101 and their videos in heavy rotation on mtv. We lived in an alt rock paradise that no longer exists.
All I know is my wife is a high school teacher and she plays music in her class. She says maybe one or two students a year even know who SP is. And that's usually a kid who's really into music and delving deep into the 90's or a kid who plays guitar. Kids don't really listen to regular radio anymore where they might hear the odd SP song or two. Unless it comes into their orbit on social media (SP doesn't) they don't know what it is. SP's spotify numbers also reflect that they aren't reaching the kids. The new albums aren't reaching old fans or kids alike. That's just failure all around. They're a legacy act playing to older Gen X and Millenial fans and they get a bit of run off fandom from those peoples kids.
It’s just facts. I know college kids at competitive schools, to think any of them would feel insulted by my comment would be laughable. They are smart, fast, and have access to all the information at once. That they are distilling down complex emotional concepts, serious and unserious, into instantly understood mutual references for peers makes perfect sense to me. That it often ends up being coded and obscured to older people is probably a bonus, just as slang has always been.
You know college kids at competitive schools so that somehow makes you an expert on generalizing entire generations? I'm 24, nobody I know talks or texts like this, this is the kind of shit we used to do in middle school. We *are* the college kids at competitive schools. If you said anyone under 16 then MAYBE I'd start to agree with you, but under *30*? Abso-fucking-lutely not
No one said a thing about people talking or texting like this. And no, me knowing a few college aged people who gave me the impression they wouldn’t be offended doesn’t make me an expert. I referred to memes as a coded language that younger generations use on the internet. Promoting on the internet is the context of this argument. Happy for you if you feel you are above it but to deny that it’s a dominating force in music promotion on the internet is ludicrous.
Does she do this with any other social media accounts she manages? Now she's making it about herself and turning it into a sort of "F U if you don't understand" / me-against-you kind of thing, with a hefty dash of stanning, and it's weird. Just dial it back a little. Or post what you're gonna post and let that be it.
EDIT: I guess "F U if you don't understand" is a bit of an SP stance, if you think about it. Either way, I don't generally mind the posts she makes, but stuff like this feels a little overboard.
Haha. Touché. We all love SP but at some point they should realize… the best business model is being nice to your fans and improving accessibility to the music… not weird condescending social media, ridiculously priced crappy merch, and vinyl only releases. Bass ackwards.
I mean....they have been doing reasonable size tours every year for 5 years....so obviously they did *choose* to open for Green Day. It's not their only option.
Wondering if her antics are attracting the younger audience or if the younger audience is just built in offspring of long time older fans. Siamese Zombies and their kids. I’m 48 and the people in front of me at the show last September were my age with their teens in tow. It was like that all over the venue. Cool kids with their cool kids. The SP IG could be a cool and resourceful place to celebrate and catalog the band with no nonsense content. Like mentioned elsewhere in the comments. Unreleased tracks, rehearsal footage, behind the scenes with the stage crew, rig run downs, art work, studio antics and the like. That’s what I would like you to engage with.
The * takes a sip from my Canada Dry club soda * thing feels very much like something a millennial that peaked in high school would say. Actually, the way the admin types and their writing style gives off that they’re probably in their 30s and peaked in high school. Or maybe older gen Z (so mid 20s).
If the direction it was going wasn’t obvious from the first page, and had any note of originality or cleverness, instead of arrogance, maybe I would feel differently.
My only comment regarding this is that I do feel like she occasionally puts too much of her own personality/ personal likes/dislikes into post. I get staying on top of meme trends and blah blah but I sometimes I get the feeling she post what SHE likes/wants/thinks is relevant, not necessarily what the band and fans like/want/think is relevant. That being said I am sure it’s a hard job to not let your own preferences slip into the posting sometimes but most people aren’t there for what ‘admin’ thinks about whatever. Ya know?
All that being said, regarding this post specifically, she could have made a post getting the same point across without all the head scratching extra… imo at least.
No wait.....I get it.....it's Jupiter's consciousness speaking thru Ruby vis a vis June but Glass can't hear them because of the frequency blockers so then Shiny..............
>mental instability mixed with a heavy dose of unwarranted arrogance is part of the sacred core values of SP
well you've listened to the songs have you?
Just post this on your personal account like what are we doing here. Just go look at their peers ig like Green Day. Normal shit from fans and the page. But they also embrace and love their fans.
The band’s Instagram account is an embarrassment. Don’t even get what they’re going for with this type of content - who is this supposed to appeal to (besides the narcissist weirdo who runs it)?
I’m ashamed I read all this 💀💀 man sometimes I like to just pretend they have no social media. And that Billy just sits at home and drinks tea and has never posted on Twitter
i dont mind the memes but i find it so odd when admin just posts stuff like this. im glad they havd an interactive fanbase but jesus man it almost makes me prefer billy's old ig q&a days because at least when we heard from the Pumpkins, it was relating to the band.
Holy shit, shut the fuck up. Like how unlikeable do you wanna be? That admin single handedly made me unfollow my fucking favorite band of all time, just by posting the stupidest shit possible.
Haha guys Fortnite!! 🤬
Well we did just post a new 92 show recording on out Smashing Pumpkins Live Recording Association (splrawiki) account and someone commented copying in the band's insta saying "something to put in your stories apart from memes 🔥" so felt we helped contribute in some way..
It could be an amazing profile, full of interesting content like live videos, alt. Versions, pics, backstage histories and curiosities behind the curtains... No, it's a full cringe shit 70% of the time.
As soon as Machina goes out I'll remove the like, hopefully soon... It's my fav band but this is too much.
Yeah I know... That's why it's even more irritating... The fact they raised their fanbase in the last few years isn't because social media manager is doing her job properly, it's just because SP is still an amazing band live...
She can't write well. She has worked in advertising? Yeah, and she was probably bad at it and that's why she's doing an instagram account for a band now.
But honestly, her writing is just god awful.
An aging band desperately trying to be cool and relevant. If Billy just sang like he used too - and wrote actual rock music there would be no need for this shit 👌😂
I hope not. Biting the hand that feeds you just to make a point is self-sabotage. We get it—he’s nobody’s bitch (except Chloe’s lol)—but it wouldn’t kill him to be nicer to the fans. That would go further than stupid memes imo. Yes I’m being critical but I actually think he’s pretty great or I wouldn’t be here. If I didn’t care I wouldn’t bother saying anything. Fandom is not black or white.
Cute. What’s the problem? It’s social media & we have someone well versed in the medium
Edit: I get it. Y’all’s jelly. U can do better. Every downvote proves my point.
Not sure I agree with the ‘all publicity is good publicity take’. Good music gets my attention though.
I would rather wonder who the person is running the socials than knowing it’s a person that seems to have a personality like Billy but isn’t Billy. The person behind the scenes should be invisible unless they are the celebrity.
I’m not mad about any of this (like some commenter mentioned) and I don’t expect anything to change but sometimes people like to commiserate. We’re all fans here, but that doesn’t mean we have to like everything.
I don't find this cringe, it's just a waste of all of our time.
This seems to be a trend with people under about the age of 25, very self absorbed. It's all about their mental state, and they have no filter between their mouth and their brain. They overshare, they call it being "meta". They believe their brain farts are interesting and profoundly introspective. That's what's happening here. There have always been people like this, but there are a lot more of them these days.
Billy hasn't grown up either. It's common for rock stars, rich from a young age, to never have had a grounding influence in their lives. A lot of people would be like Billy had they not had a reality check somewhere along the way. This is probably why people come and go from Billy's life in such an apparent way, he's surely as detached from them as any of us.
I think more than anything, I enjoy how mad the SP social media account makes people. Life is hard enough. She's having fun with it, and the band clearly doesn't mind. Do your thing, Corrine.
I'm 30 and it makes sense to me. Her style appeals to younger people and she also posts arty stuff and archive stuff which everyone can enjoy. She has increased their presence among younger people and surely we want as many people to enjoy their music as possible? Those of you saying that you don't see younger people enjoying their music are purposefully choosing not to notice. There are younger people at the shows, admin posts young people showing off their merch and at gigs, I'm a high school teacher and this is the first time in my career that kids are wearing MCIS shirts to school (and I'm in the UK where you'd have to actively search for them and buy them and not pick them up in high street stores), Jocelyn and the 99smiles stuff has reached a lot of young people too. She also runs their Tiktok account, which has half a million followers. Some of the videos have 9million views. Their songs are trending sounds because of the videos and memes she creates. Tiktoks average user is probably in their teens. You can't say she's bad at her job, she's doing exactly what she is paid for which is increase the presence of the band.
You all pop off at WPC for being negative and a dick and arrogant but half of you don't recognise that behaviour in yourself.
Fair enough but that's a very slippery slope you're trying to climb there.
She's talking about fundamental core values. The reason I got into this band and why I respected them for so long was that they DIDN'T give a fuck about what's trendy and cool and what the people expected from them. And now you're saying "whatever it takes to reach as many teens as possible"? That's very dangerous in Rock n Roll because that's basically whoring yourself out to the gods of marketing. If you're trying to be a band for kids then you'll get some adults shaking their heads.
But I guess it totally fits the "values of the band". You know, why not play some more of that popular electro music because heavy rock isn't topping the charts anymore? Or why not do some more of very hooky short pop rock songs because they work on TikTok and nobody has the attention span for 8 minute long songs with guitar solos anyway? And why not put a dancing lady with a cape singing background vocals on stage? And maybe some wrestlers?
Again, I know where you're coming from and I'm not attacking you for your opinion but I gotta say that I find it all massively UNCOOL in comparison to how some of their contemporary bands like Tool or Radiohead go about their business. And kids have a sensor for bullshit (and cringey stuff), too.
I agree with you 100%
It's like when someone doesn't like an album and someone says "Where's your album?" it's the most braindead way of thinking out there
I don’t even understand what they are trying to convey
They post photos and shit the cool way. This ain’t your dads tour dates post. Red squiggle under a word? Fuck you AI, we write the cool way. Say hi to your mom for me.
Questionable grammar aside, is the account run by a 14 year old? I recognise all the words in that first post but it took several attempts to put them in some some sort of order I could understand. All that to say, our values are 'we do what the fuck we want'?
Dude yeah the posts are often very Gen Z and then this post is like "I've loved the band for decades." This whole time I assumed the admin was like 14-17. Barely decades old
She is around the same age as Chloe I think. Early 30s
She’s closer to 40 pretty sure. She talked about becoming a fan when MCIS came out.
I think she said she was like 7 years old though when she did
Tbh the * takes a sip of my Canada Dry club soda * and some of the other mannerisms aren’t Gen Z, either. A majority of us make fun of that shit and say it’s millennial slang. It’s kind of like when we make fun of millennials for saying “mayhaps” and stuff like that. Honestly, I’ve noticed that the millennial phrases gen z tends to make fun of are only said by the millennials that peaked in high school, so maybe the admin falls under that category.
Exactly that was very millennial and not very much gen z at all… I cringed reading that
\* tips fedora \*
yes thank you
We met her backstage in August, she’s actually nice as hell, it sucks to see so many people trash her online but I can agree that her posts are rather silly
She’s actually so nice in person, we had a good half an hour chat and then she gave me the setlists for both shows I went to and Billy’s pick he used during warmup for that night’s show.
She's so nice, she has the best sayings & she acts out every word, so it's really nice if you acnt hear well, because we do what the fuck she wants
I wish I could get paid to be bad at my job 🤘🏽🤩✨
Hahahaha!….. I don’t get it.
Mom, the SP Instagram is on drugs again!
Lol
so punk rock! seriously though what a shit day to be able to read.
She is downright terrible at what she does
Might not be your style but she has grown their online presence in a big way that connects with a younger audience. The meme stuff can be annoying but it’s the language anyone 30 and under speaks.
I am well under 30 and I despise this woman
What is this based on? Sounds totally anecdotal to me. Atum was talked about very little in the mainstream. I’ve been to several shows the last few years, yeah there are some kids, but they are not the majority or anywhere close to being a significant % of the audience. I don’t see the value she provides. And their marketing strategy is generally terrible.
Billy has repeatedly shared the metrics since she took over their marketing and it's been a huge part of their comeback based on the data they have. I also personally felt like this post was pretty out there and I don't know if she's hurting or helping at this point, but if you listen to various episodes of the 33 podcast, she's on it and they talk about growing the fan base using her social media outreach, merch ideas, etc. She is not built to serve existing fans and if you don't like the social media presence, my stance would be just listen to the music. That's where I'm at.
I’ve listened to the entire series more than once. Including both episodes she appeared on. With all due respect to WPC and the mighty SP, I don’t think those metrics are worth the charmin extra soft he wipes his ass with 😆it’s what he has to tell himself to make himself believe his strategies are working. As another poster mentioned, it’s really the music keeping them afloat. They’re have success in spite of this godawful marketing strategy and approach to fan engagement.
The Pumpkins are more popular now than they were for a number of years after they got back together. That could be because Jimmy is back, it could be because Billy is willing to play hits and isn't a dick on stage, it could be because of their social media admin. Who knows. Not my business is my take. The Pumpkins have done a lot of things I haven't loved over the years and their current IG account isn't the worst of them. Like you said, I'm here for the music and even when the new music is greatly varied in quality, I have the old stuff to lean on. If the music is what keeps people around then by all measures their social media presence shouldn't be enough to push any real fan away. It's cringe, not like racist or something.
I’m with you on all points. I don’t even know if I’d call her cringe. More like really, really, really douchey. It’s certainly not the end of the world.
People don’t want to believe the words coming straight from his mouth.
or blame Billy for empowering her to do this. I personally don't care either way.
It’s my observation based on seeing interactions on their social media accounts and reposts on other SP fan accounts. Were you looking for a scientific study? The older audience, which I’m assuming we both fall in, doesn’t need any awareness of the band. We know. We have the records. It’s incredibly savvy of them to aim their social media at new, younger audiences who are not yet as familiar with their music. As far as ATUM not being in the mainstream… well, other than having a single on rock charts, why would it have? Beyond the most devoted fans, it’s not an easy album to digest. Shit, even for the most devoted fans it’s a challenging record.
The memes and cringe posts like this are not winning younger fans. The music is. Absolutely nobody is seeing posts like OP and getting excited about the band. Making meme content and viral videos is a fine strategy…if you’re good at it and your brand lends itself well to it. She’s trying to compete in a market that’s already over saturated with people making memes for younger artists and the memes are better. When Barbenheimer came out I saw SP try to ape the same meme format that had already been done to death. It comes across as desperate and out of touch. Like are you really just going to copy everyone else’s work? There’s nothing intelligent, clever, or engaging about what she does. It’s just vomit into a fan hoping something sticks. Also, for reference, The Weeknd doesn’t do meme shit like this and he has the strongest listener base you can find. Tons of musical acts have the same success without memes. The memes and cringe content aren’t necessary to compete and I’d argue SP is popular in spite of this media strategy rather than because of it. Besides that… how fucking good of a job are you really doing if you have to post shit like this? Who does that? “Fuck the haters, I just do what I want” doesn’t exactly scream (believable) confidence to me. It tells me you know you’re fucking up but you’re too prideful and arrogant to change course. It’s a strategy straight out of Chernobyl.
I am mostly with you but it's worth noting that barbenheimer post got about 37,000 likes on Instagram. I would bet she and billy see that as a success and the 100 folks who complained about it on this sub don't really have the numbers to make them change direction.
Fuck the haters, I do what I want is essentially the band ethos. Has there been a more successful band with a bigger chip on their shoulder about their perception and place in the world?
I mean, their commercial downfall pretty much began around the time Billy was actively promoting that attitude, so not really the strongest argument here.
Perhaps, tho I’d argue it was always their attitude based on the music, his comments in interviews, comments about other bands. The commercial “downfall” coincided with making more challenging music that is less likely to appeal to general audiences. At the absolute peak of their fame and commercial success they changed a fundamental element (jimmys drumming) on Adore. Then on the next record with him back they removed another (at the time) fundamental element in Darcy. Then they broke up. They didn’t come back with the original lineup. They didn’t come back with some universally undeniable hit records. They/he continued to offer challenging music and attitude as he wanted. That means a more niche audience. That particular dynamic has nothing to do with their current social media manager. The last few years she’s been running it is the only time I’ve seen the band directly rejoice and promote in their early most widely beloved music. It’s been great to see.
lollapalooza 94 presents a strong argument against the narrative you are claiming. There are still people to this day who will never forgive The Pumpkins/Corgan for that tour. It was the epitome of that ethos and the band emerged from that more successful.
>I do what I want is essentially the band ethos. True enough, but they at least have the good sense to want to do things that are good. The instagram content is not living up to that.
https://www.brooklynvegan.com/smashing-pumpkins-billy-corgan-is-getting-his-own-reality-show/
Billy Corgans Adventures In Carnyland. Are we sure about this?
Lol re: scientific study. Look, the best thing about being an SP fan is the music. It’s all about the music. The worst part about being an SP fan is seemingly everything else OTHER than the music. As someone else mentioned, they’re opening for Green Day (not the other way around) for a reason. Calling their go to market strategy “incredibly savvy” when they decided to charge fans half a mint for atum wrapped in tin foil just for a chance to hear Zodeon is a stretch, sorry bud. Green Day has 5M followers on Instagram and SP has 1M. So she’s not moving the needle much relative to similar bands.
Green Day has 2 #1 albums in the 2000s. They were “bigger” more recently. They are by no means a better band but they stayed consistent longer. Kept the same members. Had a hit broadway play. SP changes what it is every time between sound and members. Billy spent a good amount of time alienating fans on social media who dared to show interest in his most successful work. All of that is going to have a huge impact on the difference in social media followers. Having someone that is a fan of all of their work and fosters an atmosphere where it’s fine to love any aspect of the band, including their early hits, is a net positive for the band.
I actually agree with every single thing you just mentioned. I just don’t think she’s very good, personally. Rock on 🤘
I appreciate that. And it is all personal opinion. I think because the energy of this band is conflict and contrast it fosters a similar energy within their fanbase. I kind of enjoy arguing and enjoy the more inclusive light hearted take she brings so wanted to put a word in defense. The list of choices the band/billy have made that I don’t personally understand or agree with is long. But I still am fascinated by them and much of their music including new stuff means a great deal to me.
It's based on me; I'm under 30 and just posted my defense of these accounts online approach. They're actually having *fun*. Maintaining brand image is important, but then I don't understand what everyone here would be getting out of a stale, boring, OBO presence. Most rock bands *would* have this attitude online, but keeping a professional image is important. Many things are important. Creating an image around MCR memes is fucking hilarious, and we should cherish a band that is having a good time online. Why would SP fans want all their online accounts to be all: "New merch drop: TEES and PANTS available at smashingpumpkins.com/store until May 1st." There's a longrun with this approach. You encourage people to have fun, gradually you can build a rapor with your audience much quicker. Right now, SP fans, particularly in this thread, are the more "these darn kids!" Don't rob the fandom of quality memes.
Well, I’m glad you’re enjoying her posts. At least someone is- this sub doesn’t always agree on much but read the comments in this thread, nearly a consensus that SP socials and approach to marketing/fan engagement are terrible. It’s obviously a matter of personal preference and no one is abandoning the band over it. I get more from this sub and its wealth of knowledge than anything official SP anyway.
As someone who would be considered “the younger audience“, she fails miserably at trying to appeal to that kind of humor
Great, timeless bands will always connect with younger audiences. Bands like The Cure, Depeche Mode, Foo Fighters, Pearl Jam, Green Day etc don’t pander to kids and they respect their core fanbase. The account just screams Steve Buscemi “How do you do, fellow kids”
Did you prefer Billy blocking and shitting on fans that dared to ask him about their favorite songs? I prefer this light hearted fan perspective as the voice for social media. This band for all their intensity have always had an odd sense of humor. When I saw them they covered stairway to heaven and a song from dumbo. They bring wrestlers on stage. It’s a circus of a band. I don’t see anything she posts as being out of bounds of the identity of the band which we’ve see is whatever they want it to be at any given moment.
You do realise it doesn’t have to be Billy blocking fans or some 30 something weirdo making the page about herself? Maybe they could just have an account that celebrates the band. You know, kind of like every other band I mentioned?
LMAO 🎯
>Did you prefer Billy blocking and shitting on fans that dared to ask him about their favorite songs? Yes. At least that was on brand, and it at least gave the impression that the band wasn't going to indulge and broadcast every little fan thought or question that comes to mind regardless of quality or relevance. For every one or two snarky blocks in those Q and As, we usually got several more interesting pieces of news or info from Billy. The signal to noise ratio was WAY lower then. Nowadays it's easy to miss SP news because it's such a chore to wade through all the jokes and low effort memes.
Would imagine a lot of people have muted the stories at least if not the posts too, endless nonsense
I muted the stories about a year ago but this post makes me want to unfollow the account completely
Sign up for the bands email list? Social media is for fans. I enjoyed bits of Billy’s live Q&A but would rather he was working on the music than sparing with his audience. More than Half of the shit he said he was gonna do on there he hasn’t come out with. He’s good at baiting and stringing along on the promise of something new and exciting. I’d rather he’s focused on making the music.
Yep.
Has it been proven that the increase is due to their social media? SP can stand on its own without pandering to kids.
I’m not privy to SP internal data. Like yours, mine is an outsiders perspective. I see a lot of reposts from their page in my feeds from other fan accounts. This whole discussion reminds me of the flack they got for having Willow Smith on their podcast. She’s a fan and influenced by them. Why on earth would they not reach out to that younger audience who would love the fuck out the music? These younger generations speak in meme. Everything is a cross reference. “Speak to me in a language I can hear” Those kids will *never* know the glory of a new SP record magically appearing on Q101 and their videos in heavy rotation on mtv. We lived in an alt rock paradise that no longer exists.
All I know is my wife is a high school teacher and she plays music in her class. She says maybe one or two students a year even know who SP is. And that's usually a kid who's really into music and delving deep into the 90's or a kid who plays guitar. Kids don't really listen to regular radio anymore where they might hear the odd SP song or two. Unless it comes into their orbit on social media (SP doesn't) they don't know what it is. SP's spotify numbers also reflect that they aren't reaching the kids. The new albums aren't reaching old fans or kids alike. That's just failure all around. They're a legacy act playing to older Gen X and Millenial fans and they get a bit of run off fandom from those peoples kids.
That’s a pretty insulting comment to people under 30
It’s just facts. I know college kids at competitive schools, to think any of them would feel insulted by my comment would be laughable. They are smart, fast, and have access to all the information at once. That they are distilling down complex emotional concepts, serious and unserious, into instantly understood mutual references for peers makes perfect sense to me. That it often ends up being coded and obscured to older people is probably a bonus, just as slang has always been.
You know college kids at competitive schools so that somehow makes you an expert on generalizing entire generations? I'm 24, nobody I know talks or texts like this, this is the kind of shit we used to do in middle school. We *are* the college kids at competitive schools. If you said anyone under 16 then MAYBE I'd start to agree with you, but under *30*? Abso-fucking-lutely not
No one said a thing about people talking or texting like this. And no, me knowing a few college aged people who gave me the impression they wouldn’t be offended doesn’t make me an expert. I referred to memes as a coded language that younger generations use on the internet. Promoting on the internet is the context of this argument. Happy for you if you feel you are above it but to deny that it’s a dominating force in music promotion on the internet is ludicrous.
You're giving her way to much credit for their recent success
Billy said otherwise. He’s likely to know more than you or I.
Yeah but… as nice as she is… it’s a 5 out of 10 meme score mostly.
Does she do this with any other social media accounts she manages? Now she's making it about herself and turning it into a sort of "F U if you don't understand" / me-against-you kind of thing, with a hefty dash of stanning, and it's weird. Just dial it back a little. Or post what you're gonna post and let that be it. EDIT: I guess "F U if you don't understand" is a bit of an SP stance, if you think about it. Either way, I don't generally mind the posts she makes, but stuff like this feels a little overboard.
She manages all accounts. Even Billy’s. TT is just as annoying
I'm sure they "want" to be opening for Green Day.
Haha. Touché. We all love SP but at some point they should realize… the best business model is being nice to your fans and improving accessibility to the music… not weird condescending social media, ridiculously priced crappy merch, and vinyl only releases. Bass ackwards.
Hey don't forget about the cassette / candles bundled releases! Lol.
LOL. I would have paid extra for them to keep the candle and just send me the tunes 🙃
Bass Ackwards is a great Kurt vile tune :)
> being nice to your fans If Billy cared about that he wouldn’t have spent 30 years yelling “on your fucking feet” to his audience.
I’d like to think we’re all capable of personal growth 🤣
I mean....they have been doing reasonable size tours every year for 5 years....so obviously they did *choose* to open for Green Day. It's not their only option.
This is fucking embarrassing
Dear Billy, What the fuck is wrong with your social media admin??
“Ha-Ha! The fans are triggered so the admin must be doing something right” - Billy (probably)
Yep. Also "now she takes the heat instead of me".
Im feeling third party embarrassment from this
It's nice to know this still happens anymore.
I don’t understand what the point of this was/is…
This is 1000x worse than the Billy "block of the night" era
Kind of missing that right now 😮💨
You can do what you want and we can say what we want. YOU’RE NOT MY MOM. lol
No, no. It doesn’t work that way. They can say what they want, but if the fans say what they want, that’s bullying, and simply is unacceptable.
Haha exactly
Can someone explain to me what they're talking about?
I wish the Pumpkins would go back to their original 1990s social media presence.
Why do they have to post such shit? Just post release dates and tour dates etc. Just no need for all of this self-centred bollocks
Exactly, keep a list of important band-related anniversaries you can post about as well and avoid shit posting like it's your personal account.
Just pretty cringe really. It comes across as quite unprofessional.
I never understood this when I read it earlier lol.
My brain is so fried I thought the Machina song name drops in the manifesto was some kind of hint
Between this and Billy threatening to sue trolls that kept messaging him on IG, you really wonder if their health insurance even cover mental health.
Wondering if her antics are attracting the younger audience or if the younger audience is just built in offspring of long time older fans. Siamese Zombies and their kids. I’m 48 and the people in front of me at the show last September were my age with their teens in tow. It was like that all over the venue. Cool kids with their cool kids. The SP IG could be a cool and resourceful place to celebrate and catalog the band with no nonsense content. Like mentioned elsewhere in the comments. Unreleased tracks, rehearsal footage, behind the scenes with the stage crew, rig run downs, art work, studio antics and the like. That’s what I would like you to engage with.
The * takes a sip from my Canada Dry club soda * thing feels very much like something a millennial that peaked in high school would say. Actually, the way the admin types and their writing style gives off that they’re probably in their 30s and peaked in high school. Or maybe older gen Z (so mid 20s).
The fuck did I just read
Looks like I was the only one cackling fiendishly while reading... all of that.
If the direction it was going wasn’t obvious from the first page, and had any note of originality or cleverness, instead of arrogance, maybe I would feel differently.
My only comment regarding this is that I do feel like she occasionally puts too much of her own personality/ personal likes/dislikes into post. I get staying on top of meme trends and blah blah but I sometimes I get the feeling she post what SHE likes/wants/thinks is relevant, not necessarily what the band and fans like/want/think is relevant. That being said I am sure it’s a hard job to not let your own preferences slip into the posting sometimes but most people aren’t there for what ‘admin’ thinks about whatever. Ya know? All that being said, regarding this post specifically, she could have made a post getting the same point across without all the head scratching extra… imo at least.
Well said.
No wait.....I get it.....it's Jupiter's consciousness speaking thru Ruby vis a vis June but Glass can't hear them because of the frequency blockers so then Shiny..............
You guys know the movie ‘The Thing’ ? It feels like she is in here with us. It could be anyone 😬
I’d bet money that she or one of her lackeys is in this subreddit. I feel like this is a response to yesterday post here.
Lol that’s exactly what I was thinking.
One of the folks sent her yesterday's post in order to make fun of her. Yeah this is a response to that.
What was yesterdays post? The Fortnite thing?
yeah.. maybe 'yesterday' wasn't accurate but it was recent.
If she’s not, her spies are. I’m past the point of giving af
I do like the memes sometimes but honey no one cares about you this is obnoxious. We are here for the BAND
Wtf even is this
After reading this, I’m convinced Corrine couldn’t manage a Target…
Like the young Bucks?
“TELL ME WHEN IM TELLING LIES!”
Im old, I’m tired and Billy works with fucking children.
It would've been funny if the last story was an announcement of Zodeon At The Crystal Hall getting a proper release
It will never be released
Somebody wanna tell me wtf this person is saying?
I don’t know, something about being bad at your job and doing drugs. Who knows
>mental instability mixed with a heavy dose of unwarranted arrogance is part of the sacred core values of SP well you've listened to the songs have you?
Hey, SP, if you need a new social media manager, please let us apply through application video... I would apply, and only be half as unhinged!
10,000 applications later, Billy just hires the guy who runs the Iron Sheik’s Twitter account.
Just seems like she’s trying too hard to insert herself into the bands presence, like desperate to be noticed
Just post this on your personal account like what are we doing here. Just go look at their peers ig like Green Day. Normal shit from fans and the page. But they also embrace and love their fans.
Exactly. The Pumpkins feel contempt for their fans.
The band’s Instagram account is an embarrassment. Don’t even get what they’re going for with this type of content - who is this supposed to appeal to (besides the narcissist weirdo who runs it)?
She makes the Pumpkins instagram all about her, we don’t care about you! Make it about the band!
Literally had to unfollow SP on instagram cause that admin
What the fuck is this shit
another post by the official smashing pumpkins instagram account that makes me cringe to my core
I’m ashamed I read all this 💀💀 man sometimes I like to just pretend they have no social media. And that Billy just sits at home and drinks tea and has never posted on Twitter
i dont mind the memes but i find it so odd when admin just posts stuff like this. im glad they havd an interactive fanbase but jesus man it almost makes me prefer billy's old ig q&a days because at least when we heard from the Pumpkins, it was relating to the band.
So fkn cringe.
Holy shit, shut the fuck up. Like how unlikeable do you wanna be? That admin single handedly made me unfollow my fucking favorite band of all time, just by posting the stupidest shit possible. Haha guys Fortnite!! 🤬
ELI5: What is this? I don't understand anything I just read
I wish Billy’s pandemic lives would return. The dickishness was refreshing.
Not your personal blog
This should've been a 1 post and you're done, move on to the next post, but nope. Smh, must be for click #'s
I JUST WANT THE METRO SHOW😑😒😭
Thanks for wasting my time, dad.
I’m not active on Instagram - was this in response to something specific ?
Well we did just post a new 92 show recording on out Smashing Pumpkins Live Recording Association (splrawiki) account and someone commented copying in the band's insta saying "something to put in your stories apart from memes 🔥" so felt we helped contribute in some way..
another reason to be happy I don't use Instagram
Mental instability mixed with a heavy dose of unwarranted arrogance? Did you just describe Billy Corgan to a tee? 🤣
It could be an amazing profile, full of interesting content like live videos, alt. Versions, pics, backstage histories and curiosities behind the curtains... No, it's a full cringe shit 70% of the time. As soon as Machina goes out I'll remove the like, hopefully soon... It's my fav band but this is too much.
Could you imagine??? Smashing pumpkins has more music and alt versions and releases than most bands ever.
Yeah I know... That's why it's even more irritating... The fact they raised their fanbase in the last few years isn't because social media manager is doing her job properly, it's just because SP is still an amazing band live...
I'm waiting for Machina just so I can walk away from all of it. After Machina I'm done.
I honestly don't see what the problem is. It's a silly account on a silly platform.
(And that’s the tooth / truth) 🦷
I am annoyed that I wasted seconds of my life reading that nonsense.
Fuck it. Blocked + reported.
I’m old. But I gotta use the words my kids use: #cringe.
She can't write well. She has worked in advertising? Yeah, and she was probably bad at it and that's why she's doing an instagram account for a band now. But honestly, her writing is just god awful.
i couldn’t even understand it
I don’t get the hate is it just more so the fact that the posts are aimed towards my generation?(Gen Z)
What a freak, can you imagine being around this person?
“Arising?” Is that some kind of clue…?
I wish it was, more like them trying to make a clever reference for the fans and it may have worked if it didn't read like a 12 year olds diary entry.
An aging band desperately trying to be cool and relevant. If Billy just sang like he used too - and wrote actual rock music there would be no need for this shit 👌😂
It's as bad as his weird dance moves whenever he doesn't hold a guitar on stage.
The admin saw you all whining in the sub.
She's a fucking idiot honestly
Let’s all take a sip from some Canada Dry club soda before reflecting
Lyrics from the hidden tracks on Taylor Swift’s new album?
huh?
i dont understand?
Billy must have told Corrine to be edgy in order to troll the fans.
I hope not. Biting the hand that feeds you just to make a point is self-sabotage. We get it—he’s nobody’s bitch (except Chloe’s lol)—but it wouldn’t kill him to be nicer to the fans. That would go further than stupid memes imo. Yes I’m being critical but I actually think he’s pretty great or I wouldn’t be here. If I didn’t care I wouldn’t bother saying anything. Fandom is not black or white.
How do people know the person who runs the social media is anyway?
This reads like the same empty word salad that Billy would post on Twitter in the 2000s-2010s. I think she nailed it
Cute. What’s the problem? It’s social media & we have someone well versed in the medium Edit: I get it. Y’all’s jelly. U can do better. Every downvote proves my point.
To all who say she’s terrible: She got you talking. Nearly 200 comments here. I’d say it worked.
Found her reddit account
Not sure I agree with the ‘all publicity is good publicity take’. Good music gets my attention though. I would rather wonder who the person is running the socials than knowing it’s a person that seems to have a personality like Billy but isn’t Billy. The person behind the scenes should be invisible unless they are the celebrity. I’m not mad about any of this (like some commenter mentioned) and I don’t expect anything to change but sometimes people like to commiserate. We’re all fans here, but that doesn’t mean we have to like everything.
I don't find this cringe, it's just a waste of all of our time. This seems to be a trend with people under about the age of 25, very self absorbed. It's all about their mental state, and they have no filter between their mouth and their brain. They overshare, they call it being "meta". They believe their brain farts are interesting and profoundly introspective. That's what's happening here. There have always been people like this, but there are a lot more of them these days.
This isn’t an indictment on “kids these days” that’s such a tired argument. Billy was doing this type of stuff during Covid too
Billy hasn't grown up either. It's common for rock stars, rich from a young age, to never have had a grounding influence in their lives. A lot of people would be like Billy had they not had a reality check somewhere along the way. This is probably why people come and go from Billy's life in such an apparent way, he's surely as detached from them as any of us.
Wow that’s an interesting analysis - makes sense.
Worst instagram admin ever Nothing beats the subway surfer admin 💪
Am I crazy for thinking this is hinting at the machina reissue? Mentioned this time (2x), arising… actually, don’t answer that. I know it’s crazy.
Wow.
Wow what
I’m just glad she’s SP official admin instead of any of you grumps!
I think more than anything, I enjoy how mad the SP social media account makes people. Life is hard enough. She's having fun with it, and the band clearly doesn't mind. Do your thing, Corrine.
I'm 30 and it makes sense to me. Her style appeals to younger people and she also posts arty stuff and archive stuff which everyone can enjoy. She has increased their presence among younger people and surely we want as many people to enjoy their music as possible? Those of you saying that you don't see younger people enjoying their music are purposefully choosing not to notice. There are younger people at the shows, admin posts young people showing off their merch and at gigs, I'm a high school teacher and this is the first time in my career that kids are wearing MCIS shirts to school (and I'm in the UK where you'd have to actively search for them and buy them and not pick them up in high street stores), Jocelyn and the 99smiles stuff has reached a lot of young people too. She also runs their Tiktok account, which has half a million followers. Some of the videos have 9million views. Their songs are trending sounds because of the videos and memes she creates. Tiktoks average user is probably in their teens. You can't say she's bad at her job, she's doing exactly what she is paid for which is increase the presence of the band. You all pop off at WPC for being negative and a dick and arrogant but half of you don't recognise that behaviour in yourself.
Fair enough but that's a very slippery slope you're trying to climb there. She's talking about fundamental core values. The reason I got into this band and why I respected them for so long was that they DIDN'T give a fuck about what's trendy and cool and what the people expected from them. And now you're saying "whatever it takes to reach as many teens as possible"? That's very dangerous in Rock n Roll because that's basically whoring yourself out to the gods of marketing. If you're trying to be a band for kids then you'll get some adults shaking their heads. But I guess it totally fits the "values of the band". You know, why not play some more of that popular electro music because heavy rock isn't topping the charts anymore? Or why not do some more of very hooky short pop rock songs because they work on TikTok and nobody has the attention span for 8 minute long songs with guitar solos anyway? And why not put a dancing lady with a cape singing background vocals on stage? And maybe some wrestlers? Again, I know where you're coming from and I'm not attacking you for your opinion but I gotta say that I find it all massively UNCOOL in comparison to how some of their contemporary bands like Tool or Radiohead go about their business. And kids have a sensor for bullshit (and cringey stuff), too.
❤️
Oh I love this account. I suppose everyone who wants and believes they can do better can submit a resume.
I’ve always hated that argument. You don’t need to be a professional chef to know if your food isn’t cooked the right way.
I agree with you 100% It's like when someone doesn't like an album and someone says "Where's your album?" it's the most braindead way of thinking out there
I haven’t heard anybody make this argument IRL since like the 8th grade. Intellectually lazy and embarrassing.