Pop Polymaths (he said poly)

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

katstevens suggested that I ask about pop stars who do OTHER THINGS. I think this is a fine area of study. First of all, let's find out who they are:

[Poll #1034227]

It seems to be that being a pop star makes it less likely that people will take your other things seriously (or will assume that you will be bad at them). Is this fair - and is it prejudice or precedent that causes it? Has anyone actually read Madonna's children's book? Is anyone going to see Daft Punk's robot movie in the serious expectation that it will be good?

USW!

Comments

Paris

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

My question was rly asked with Paris H in mind (and R Kelly but that's another matter). She's got a new CARTOON coming out, blimes. Of course she has a bunch of different business ventures but is pop her only creative outlet? Is her fashion designing any good at all (I have no idea)?

Re: Paris

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

She acts! I have never seen any of her films, though I intended to see House Of Wax, and her next role is in a futuristic rock musical (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6922877.stm) :o

I think...J-Lo started all of this off? The whole multi-branding thing.

Re: Paris

[dubdobdee.livejournal.com]

BOB DYLAN d00d! painter, poet, actor...

Re: Paris

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

Oh and Joni Mitchell I guess. I wonder what made J-Lo's multi-branding so newsworthy? I remember it being a massive and novel thing at the time.

Re: Paris

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Well, she was a hugely successful pop star and actual Oscar nominee within a year or so of each other - so concentration and intensity of success I guess.

Re: Paris

[braisedbywolves.livejournal.com]

I think it was a surprise because it bucked the narrative - Actress gets music producer boyfriend, decides to release album, hype machines lovingly rolled into place... and then IT'S ACTUALLY QUITE GOOD?

Re: Paris

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

obv it's good but I don't think this has ever been acknowledged - I don't remember any J-Lo single getting particular critical acclaim across the board, in fact she's more often mocked (unjustifiably) for her voice and tendency towards sounding bored.

Re: Paris

[sbp.livejournal.com]

"unjustifiably"?!

Re: Paris

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

Her voice isn't THAT bad, nothing a little autotune can't fix, and her songs are mostly GREAT.

Re: Paris

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

Dylan's an AWESOME radio presenter too - if that's not pop.

Re: Paris

[sbp.livejournal.com]

Musicians and acting has long been a crossover area - e.g. Madonna, Elvis, Roy Rogers. And Roy Rogers had his own line of cowboy clothing back in the 40s and 50s. There's nothing much new when it comes to this kind of thing.

Re: Paris

[friend-of-tofu.livejournal.com]

Bowie, surely???

(If he didn't start it, he was at least the superlative example)

Re: Paris

[sbp.livejournal.com]

Pammy Anderson had a cartoon ages ago - Stripperella.

Paris H isn't a pop star.

'Paris H isn't a pop star'

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

Dangerous ground here dude...

Re: Paris

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

Also I remember when J-Lo branched into pop as a proper second career rather than between-films diversion, she got loads of critical stick for it, but now it's the default, expected thing for (esp US) pop stars of her ilk to do - if they AREN'T multi-platform entertainers they'd be thought of as selling themselves short. Li-Lo, Paris, Christina Milian, Justin Timberlake, Hilary Duff, Aly & AJ, Ashlee Simpson, Ciara, Beyoncé, Missy Elliott, Madonna - all have CDs AND films AND perfumes AND fashion lines. I can't think of a single US pop star who doesn't have at least two of those things.

And, like, Ellen Allien! Producer and DJ and fashion designer and record label bosswoman and good at them all.

Re: Paris

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

Ellen is a v good example of a ubercoolische renaissance wumman!

The perfume thing is ubiquitous because the popstar need do NOTHING apart from publicity shots and interviews, which they would be doing ANYWAY. Please don't tell me J-Lo works late at night in her laboratory trying to find the perfect smell...

Re: Paris

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

Ellen says her fashion ambition is to design a record bag for Chanel!

Re: Paris

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

That's interesting, a difference in transatlantic attitudes maybe - in the UK, you're expected to stick to what you know and not branch out, in the States "talent" is seen more as an abstract quality that can be applied to anything, perhaps?

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

A talent for "entertaining" really - with a healthy dose of Protestant work ethic, if one is determined and confident enough why should one NOT be able to act as well as sing? Plus the obvious realisation that pop singing and acting are pretty much, give or take the ability to hit notes, fundamentally about PERFORMANCE and CHARACTER - they're not really dissimilar fields. And plus a lot more openness to the concept of self-as-brand.

I think the UK is (eventually) going to go that way more and more. It wouldn't surprise me to see Lily Allen and Amy Winehouse in films a few years hence (if the latter is still alive anyway).

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Yes, it's noticeable that none of us seem to have much difficulty of thinking of 'good' popstar actors but the writing and visual arts polls are much emptier!

[braisedbywolves.livejournal.com]

Yes but acting is about being able to do different characters, which pop singing isn't (necessarily).

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

most pop singing is, if not explicitly. and you will notice I didn't say they were the same thing!

[braisedbywolves.livejournal.com]

A lot of pop singing is (or is presented as) more "here are different sides of the same character" than "here are different characters". As you say, the self-as-brand. It's not all of it, and it's not impossible to do that in acting ("Here is Keanu on a bus" "Here is Keanu in a doublet"), but I think one is more accepted in one medium that the other. Though I may be putting my own interpretation on "good at acting" there.

[dubdobdee.livejournal.com]

bowie is a VERY TERRIBLE ACTOR, but lots of rappers seem naturally good

yr (ok and my) beloved costello is RUB in one of the austin powers movies AS HIMSELF

[sbp.livejournal.com]

Also American values of movie acting != UK values of movie and theatre moving acting. Often American actors are picked for their particular personality rather than the range of roles that they can portray.