The Curse Of Fame

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

I read a (rather poorly-written) comment piece about Amy Winehouse's Mercury Awards appearance yesterday. Apparently her performance was 'electric' and it was generally agreed that somehow over the last year, Amy had transformed from a talented soul singer from Camden into an International Megastar Icon!!1!1.

"Every generation needs its Kurt Cobain!" wailed the writer, gnashing his teeth and already writing the poor lass off for lost.

Well, does it? Do we need self-destructive pop icons like Cobain/Hendrix/Sid Vicious? If Amy is the latest victim of rock'n'roll, then who will be next?

Comments

Re: Assorted thoughts

[piratemoggy.livejournal.com]

Are these nasty side effects not becoming glamourised, even turned into virtues though? Like 'oh man you've really been there when you've overdosed like that' etc. due to the requirement for the angst of music to be backed by some kind of "genuine pain" (this is Cobain's legacy, blech, I hate him) eg: oh no I am addicted to drugs. Therefore, yer common or garden teenager wants that ugliness; it's not enough any more to do a bit of coke maybe and then have a giggle and come home, you've got to get wrecked or you're not doing it right.

You can see it in the idolisation of Nicole Richie circa. her anorexic low because that woman was not beautiful then, was definitely not glamourous but people wanted to achieve it.

Re: Assorted thoughts

[mcarratala.livejournal.com]

Also, witness the reaction when Keane-chap went into the Priory: "what's he doing there? His music is so dull..." – totally buying in to the whole lifestyle=music thing. Bah.

Re: Assorted thoughts

[piratemoggy.livejournal.com]

Precisely; he couldn't possibly be doing drugs right because he still looked like a relatively normal human being etc.

Re: Assorted thoughts

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

Ah yes, the ill-judged port addiction.