Athletes make millions of dollars to play games, if that isn't bad enough they also get paid millions of dollars to endorse useless crap. I personally don't care which athlete endorses my shoes and my fragrance isn't one you'll find in a store (it has been described as an ashtray found in Jimi Hendrix's dressing room). The only thing endorsements really seem to do is drive up the price of a product simply because it has a celebrity name attached to it, stitched on it, or plastered all over it by various means, that's great for those who are selling it.
Just get an electric guitar and take some time and learn how to play. The record industry is desperately trying to stay alive, unfortunately attempts being made by major labels focus not on quality of material, but appeal to advertisers. Most pop top 40 music is written with specific advertisers in mind and artists are willing to do whatever the record companies demand to get the most out of their royalty checks. Some artists such as The Black Keys have balanced the paycheck and quality of their music quite well. They have sold over 1.7 million records and have had their songs featured in movie soundtracks and several commercials. They have never written songs specifically to be chart toppers or used in advertisements and have forgone much of the the digital studio trickery in favor of analog recording methods and have stuck to their blues rock roots quite well. Their Merchandise is also quite modest and concert posters are designed by independent artists. They also know how to fire back at the record label when they step out of line, just watch the video.
The record industry needs to hand more of the creative control back to the artists rather then making demands of the artists for large sums of cash and big profits. Why would I pay for shitty music that has already been bought and sold for millions that has been crafted by lazy artists with a lack of individuality? If artists are able to create a fan base based solely on the quality of music and creativity, they will have no problem making it and living comfortably.
