Trent Reznor - Authentic?

This post by my favorite needle-worker the Lovely Paula G. about Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails really set me off. Paula makes the case for Reznor and his ability to honestly examine his feelings of despair, loneliness, and pain in his music. The Lovely Siobahn thinks he's a spoiled little rich kid who doesn't really know pain and suffering.

Melissa comments that Reznor seems "juvenile and angsty" in comparison to some of the novelists she admires. I flail about in the comments section, weighing the concept of Reznor's "authenticity."

Afterwards I couldn't let it go. I spent most of the rest of the day in some weird internal dialogue about genuine-ness, authenticity, sincerity etc. How do know what's in a man's soul? Isn't that why implements of torture were invented - the wrack, the screw, water-boarding, etc.? And of course that doesn't get us to any kind of truth - it only leads us to the gates of hell.

I think when it comes to art, anything goes. It really comes down to the work - does it speak to you? The intentions (or the origins or financial state) of the artist don't really matter (except maybe to them). Reznor may be a spoiled rich kid. He may be "full of shit," and still his work can work. He can make art that lives. Or not. And I guess it's kind of up to each of us to decide.

What if Reznor is just playing a role? What if he's playing a juvenile, angsty guy called Trent Reznor. What if he sings about pain, suffering and loneliness just because he finds those subjects a kick? And what if it's all a ruse? What if Trent is actually a happy go lucky dude without a care in the world? Would that make our appreciation of what he does increase? Would there be more "art" in his method?

Does the ruse make his songs less valid? Couldn't he still be examining some basic human truth? That touches us? Or not?

Some of my favorite musical artists on some level seem in-authentic - I think of Dylan, of the Stones, Madonna, Sonic Youth (Sonic Youth's songs always seem to be about insincerity - although they seem to be totally sincere in their insincerity!). They are wearing masks, playing a role. There is artifice (definition: ruse, a deceptive maneuver, especially to avoid capture) in their art. One of the reasons I admire these people, they play, pretend, create. What they create has some human-ness, some basic human connection is revealed, but sometimes it's done under the cover of fiction - art is the lie that reveals the truth.

I worked with a great actor way back when I just started my little theater group. I was amazed by not only how he totally sunk into his role, at the same time, he came to every rehearsal, every performance and gave 100%. No complaints, no doubts, no back talk. I wondered how he did it. Every time. When I asked him how he did it, he looked in my eyes, a half-smile on his face and said, "Acting!"

Even if he wasn't into it, he made it look like he was - it was a complete performance all-around. He was playing the role of a completely committed actor. Now that's what I call manufactured authenticity! And there is art in there.