I wouldn't go as far as assuming the author is projecting, but the last paragraph of the article is indeed aligned with your second point:
> Many guardians of rock authenticity still complain that today there are plenty of people who buy a Ramones T‑shirt — maybe at some big multinational chain — who wouldn’t be able to recognize even one of the band’s songs. But the truth is that neither the Ramones themselves nor their heirs ever cared about that. In that sense, Arturo Vega’s work was just as important — if not more so — than the band’s first album.
Anyway, he would have been one of the folks signing the checks.
If he says something interesting, I might report it back. He sometimes just blows sunshine up my ass, but he's certainly one for interesting stories.
Worked with some of the most deplorable narcissists in history, and hardly ever has a bad thing to say about any of them. I can see how he did so well. They probably loved working with him.
He told me that they got paid plenty of money, but their T-shirt sales were enormous. He said they still sell like hotcakes. Apparently, Nirvana has also done well in that department.
Of course, I can't speak for the general health of each band. They made money, but I'm not sure how well things worked out for them... I don’t think there’s any Ramones, left.
