Ch. 4: Deceptive Bends: Bullsh*t doesn't help

Obvious lies to journalists and Congress aren't going to help

"CD sales have slumped 25 % since 2000, while webcasting audiences have grown dramatically." -- SoundExchange FAQ

As Penn & Teller (well, actually, Penn) would say, "Bullshi*t!" That's being presented as a causal relationship when they know full well that's not true!

It would be equally true to say "CD sales have slumped 25 % since 2000, while consumption of Starbucks Orange Mocha Frappuccinos has grown dramatically."

Logically, therefore, Congress should impose a tax on Orange Mocha Frappuccinos and give the money to the big four record labels!

CD sales are slumping because DVDs and video games and other competitive products are offering increasingly better relative values... and because people are less interested in music nowadays (partially for that reason)... and because there are no hot new musical trends (like boy bands in 1999 and rock-rap in 2002).

Internet radio, on the other hand, is helping PROP UP those declining CD sales! (See http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/saveinternetradio/signatures.html for the comments of over 60,000 people who explain why.)

So conflating those two data points in the SX FAQ is just wrong on every possible level.