Jack White lashes out indiscriminately

There was a bit of a dust-up while I was away for the past few days (for my real job) between Jack White and Q101 Chicago's DJ Electra. If this is the first you're hearing about it, here's the deal:

Electra got her hands on Icky Thump and played it on the air. The whole thing, with a break in between each song. Someone recorded it (they had plenty of warning to fire up their pirating machines because it was heavily front-sold) and put it on the Internet. Jack got on the horn, and ripped Electra a new one. Electra wrote a bit of a sob story about it, and now it's all over the web. Read her version of the story at Stereogum.

Honestly Jack, I know you're upset, but you're taking it out on the wrong person. Someone (probably her PD) had to give Electra that record to play, and not only that, but someone probably had to tell her to play the whole thing. A DJ in 2007 doesn't get to take up an hour of valuable programming with a stunt like that without express permission at best and in all likelihood, direct marching orders. Electra, in taking responsibility in her story, is merely propping up the myth that she plays what she wants because that's what people at radio stations want to believe people still think. She played it because someone told her to.

What's more Jack, someone gave the record to that radio station. If you're looking for your Judas, you need look no further than your own record label. That CD didn't materialize for Electra and co. out of thin air.

I just hope she wasn't the only one to get an angry phone call, is all.