by GinaSuperCat on 08 Jul 2007 18:10
Well, she's not necessarily my cup o tea but I do have to re-think my anti-American Idol tirades I've been known to go on. Usually my take is that singers are just shot up to the top of the charts with Idol, short circuiting years of climbing up to the top and the attendant acquisition of all the professional, personal, and protective skills along the way...as well as the pitfalls. Bands who fight their way up to the top, playing in shitholes, etc, do develop a certain grit and honing of thier craft while playing for 6 punters, etc. but it's easy, on the other hand, to fetishize that route as the only legit way to the top and it carries with it all sorts of problematic assumptions like that of the tortured artiste, authenticity of the ole 'bootstraps' ideology, etc.
On the other hand, in the new age of Idol-ization, that kind of instant-fame has usually been preceded by years of struggle of their own to get there, as well plenty of its own, perhaps hidden, costs. Kelly has faced pressure about her image and weight and subsequent eating disrder battle (LOL she's beautiful and looks great to me), and that rocket ride to the top comes with cruelties all their own, especially for a young girl...She looked like she was having fun, she belted out a few I enjoyed watching, she worked the crowd a lil, I thought the drummer was having a blast, to boot...
Dunno really, but I try to temper my crankiness with the particularities of each case...
PS: Madonna has always been A#1 Cool in my book! She's one tough biatch!
MMMMEEEEEOOOOOOWWWWWW!!!!