Over the past several months we have lost many musical legends. Two of these people were David Bowie and now Prince.
I mention these two names from among the rest only because they both transcended the world of music and were culturally transformative figures. They both had a unique set of talents that seemed to mix with their inner humanity. This magnificent brew of creativity came forth in their music and performances.
Every older generation claims that contemporary music does not match what once existed back in the day. Unfortunately, the time may be upon us that this proverbial pretention might actually be true.
In general, the nature of our cultural icons and more specifically what they are famous for doing has drastically changed. Having a famous parent and backing your ass into a camera lens is a good start. A voyeuristic video depicting overt sexual acts or drug use going viral is often the next step. From there it is a reality TV show along with selling your name to market lines of stinky perfume.
Yes, there were provocateurs in the past but most of them used sexuality to promote at least some legitimate talent or social relevance.
The music industry is now competing for attention in an ever fragmented world of digital media; within an overall wasteland of a marketplace where anything and a whole lot of nothing equally goes along. The skilled likes of David Bowie and Prince once produced music that drove the industry and a heartbeat of a generation. Now, the industry produces synthetic stars to drive the industry and to fit into glitzy avatars while they entice the audience with nip slip pics to follow and like them.
Here’s the kicker. There’s always a kicker right? Well, the kicker is that the system works.
The preplanned, prepackaged, and pre-staged musical acts, dancing to the preprogrammed beats, slide right into the pulse-coded and modulated, streamed-lined digital marketplace; full of self-absorbed, self-aware, selfie-taking know-nothings; lining up to buy the stinky perfume.
The kicker is that it isn’t so much the quality of the musical acts that has changed for the worse as much as it has been the audience.
Will there ever be another Bowie or Prince?
Maybe the question should be that if there is, will anyone notice?
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Alas, the talent we grew up appreciating seems to be dropping like flies. At least we’ve got some great concerts to look forward to when we bite the dust (assuming we’re all going to the same place).
Good sentiments, Roxannne.
There’s always rock ‘n’ roll heaven. They must have a hell of a band.
That’s a good sentiment, Bill.
Pretty much exactly what I’ve been thinking. And, as someone trying to establish a writing career, I’d extend that to my industry: If you want to get a book published, don’t worry about talent–be a convict, a celebrity, or preferably both.
Mark, unfortunately this phenomena extends its reach into way too many aspects of society.