MTV celebrated its tenth anniversary around 1992. [now in its 27th year or so] Unfortunately, soon after MTV went on the air, the rules for succeeding in the music industry totally changed, and not for the better. Nowadays, musical talent and ability seems to be of secondary importance, and at times it appears it is no longer even necessary. If a musician looks good (Vanity, Paula Abdul, Wilson Phillips), looks very bizarre (Grace Jones, Boy George, Sinead O'Connor), dresses salaciously (Madonna, in her Frederick's of Hollywood, red-light district outfits), can dance (Michael and Janet Jackson), makes interesting or memorable videos, or any combination of the above, then success is possible regardless of musical talent, or lack thereof.
Ideal examples of this success without real talent are best exemplified by such God-awful recent bands as the Breakfast Club, the Pet Shop Boys, Right Said Fred, Wham, New Kids on the Block, Milli Vanilli, and a vast majority of the Madonna clones who are currently so popular. Fifteen some-odd years ago not one of these so-called band would have made it through thirty seconds on "The Gong Show"; but these days such ultra-no-talents sell millions of records and surprisingly tend to make it into the weekly top-40 for several weeks at a time. (to be cont'd)
[Originally appeared in Eastern Connecticut State University's Campus Lantern student newspaper in the early '90s and part of my unpublished manuscript "In Mediocrity We Trust... In Debt We Die" and Other Essays]
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