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View Full Version : Image is EVERYTHING?

kingclick
02-20-2004, 04:53 PM
LONDON (Reuters) - An aging UK rock group gave themselves a facelift by getting a group of teenagers to stand in for them on the video of their latest song, helping them score their first chart hit for some 15 years.

Convinced the music industry is prejudiced against wrinkly rockers, The Alarm gave themselves the pseudonym The Poppyfields and persuaded a group of fresh-faced youths to mime their part.

"They did it to show they wanted to be judged on music and not on their image and haircuts of 15 years ago," said a spokesman for the band.

The single, 45RPM, went into the UK charts this week at number 28.

The Welsh band were previously best known for 1983 hit "68 guns" and said they pulled the stunt to show how much image affected sales in the music industry.

Ok then. Here is the debate question. Are we more into image than substance when it comes to music? How come most rock stars are relegated to rehash the same old music when they go on tour after they hit 40? Do we really care about the music or do we just care about the flash and pow of the image?
Beck
02-20-2004, 05:06 PM
Good question!! I've often wondered why ugly, fat, deformed, .. etc people never seem to make it to the top. (I know there are exceptions, but only a few I can think of right off the top of my head)

The prettier, sexier the singer (band members, whatever) the more popular they band.

Personally, I'm to listen to the music, than look at the singer.
OnederWoman
02-21-2004, 07:34 PM
Sadly, yes. Image accounts for much of what passes as "talent" in the music industry. Look at Britney Spears. If she was not gorgeous, she would not have made it. There are nice exceptions to the rule, and usually they are uber talented people like Celine Dion. If Britney looked like Celine, she would not have made it. Celine has an incredible incredible voice, so she was able to make it on talent. There are so many bands and singers out there that suck live because they are all studio magic run through auto tuners and pro tools, but they've got "the look". It's vile to me.
kingclick
02-21-2004, 07:37 PM
Sadly, yes. Image accounts for much of what passes as "talent" in the music industry. Look at Britney Spears. If she was not gorgeous, she would not have made it. There are nice exceptions to the rule, and usually they are uber talented people like Celine Dion. If Britney looked like Celine, she would not have made it. Celine has an incredible incredible voice, so she was able to make it on talent. There are so many bands and singers out there that suck live because they are all studio magic run through auto tuners and pro tools, but they've got "the look". It's vile to me.


Alot of people think Celine is very beautiful and even some think that is the only reason WHY she is popular.
OnederWoman
02-21-2004, 07:59 PM
Alot of people think Celine is very beautiful and even some think that is the only reason WHY she is popular. LOL. I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But seriously, if she sang like Britney Spears, do you thing she would have made it?
kingclick
02-21-2004, 10:11 PM
LOL. I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But seriously, if she sang like Britney Spears, do you thing she would have made it?

You mean she doesn't? LOL.
RogueAngel
02-22-2004, 12:04 AM
Well I'm sort of undecided on this. Barbra Streisand definitely not on most men's "hot chick" list, yet she's made millions. Same with Bette Midler. Mick Jagger has got to be one of the UGLIEST men I have ever seen, yet buncha bucks there too. And Michael Jackson?? :shudder: now there is a scary looking man to me.
Beelzebub
02-22-2004, 02:33 PM
Image is important everywhere, lets face it.

You dress up in your nicest clothes, you change your appearance to something which is most appealing, even the way you talk and act is altered to make you seem the best choice.

Take a receptionist job. Most companies will take the well-spoken attractive female because that is more appealing than any other type. I have seen women and men who are intelligent and qualified for secretarial work get turned down because they are not as attractive as the other applicants even if they are more qualified for the job.
MuddPrincess
02-22-2004, 03:00 PM
The prettier, sexier the singer (band members, whatever) the more popular they band.

Ozzy
AC/DC
Little Richard
Sammy Davis Jr
Hank Williams Jr.
Kid Rock
Tina Turner
RITA
Jo-Dee Messena (sp)
Michael Jackson (But let me say He WAS the cutest little black boy, WHEN HE WAS BLACK!)

These are off the top of my head REALLY UGLY singers who've made it BIG.
OnederWoman
02-22-2004, 03:12 PM
Ozzy
AC/DC
Little Richard
Sammy Davis Jr
Hank Williams Jr.
Kid Rock
Tina Turner
RITA
Jo-Dee Messena (sp)
Michael Jackson (But let me say He WAS the cutest little black boy, WHEN HE WAS BLACK!)

With the exception of AC/DC, none of those people are really really ugly. (Although you forgot Steven Tyler, gag!). Michael Jackson was already insanely famous by the time he turned into a white woman. Tina Turner has a great body and her face isn't scary to look at. Kid Rock is just ugly because he looks dirty all the time.

I'll give you that there are unattractive people who have "made it", but they are, by and large, much more talented than the Britney's and the O-Town's and the InSync's of the business. It's much easier to market someone who's attractive and doesn't sound too good because you can fix sound in the studio. Looks are a different thing. You can only airbrush so much!
MuddPrincess
02-22-2004, 03:17 PM
Michael Jackson was already insanely famous by the time he turned into a white woman

LMFAO, OMG that is what everyone thinks isn't it!!!!!

See and that is the thing right there, HE thinks he looks better, Most others think he looks ridiculious.

So I guess Ugly is what the person judging makes of their view!

Perhaps IF people wern't so self conscious, then they wouldn't feel compelled to hide behind what THEY see as a prettier face.

Milli Vanilli, did this, they got two (what they thought) goos looking men (I thought they were dogs) to do their videos, because they thoguht they were to ugly. Turns out The REAL singers were in my opinion better looking than the imposters!
OnederWoman
02-22-2004, 03:29 PM
I thought they were dogs Really! I thought one of them was hot. I don't remember which is which though.
kingclick
02-22-2004, 07:58 PM
Ozzy
AC/DC
Little Richard
Sammy Davis Jr
Hank Williams Jr.
Kid Rock
Tina Turner
RITA
Jo-Dee Messena (sp)
Michael Jackson (But let me say He WAS the cutest little black boy, WHEN HE WAS BLACK!)

These are off the top of my head REALLY UGLY singers who've made it BIG.


I think that they may be ugly but again. It's image not just pretty. The person can even be DEAD and still have a strong "image".
OnederWoman
02-22-2004, 08:50 PM
Great point, KL about the difference between looks and image. I actually had not even thought of that.
Tuba Dude
02-28-2004, 02:43 AM
Ozzy
AC/DC
Little Richard
Sammy Davis Jr
Hank Williams Jr.
Kid Rock
Tina Turner
RITA
Jo-Dee Messena (sp)
Michael Jackson (But let me say He WAS the cutest little black boy, WHEN HE WAS BLACK!)

These are off the top of my head REALLY UGLY singers who've made it BIG.

I believe that Jo Dee Messina is, and has been for all of her career, beautiful.
Tuba Dude
02-28-2004, 02:47 AM
When we're talking about the general public, then yeah, image counts. I can't count how many debates I saw about the last American Idol where people said things like "CLAY HAS BIG EARS SO HE SHOULDN'T WIN!" or "Ruben's so FAT....". It's insane. And Britney Spears, Christina Aguleria, Nsync, all of those people wouldn't have made it far at all if they didn't have their looks.

However, some other styles don't place as much on image. Country, for example. Most of them are decent looking, but they're more towards the "average" side than "beautiful", which is what I think make so many people think that they look good.

I really don't know where I'm going with this..