Monday, April 21, 2008

Fabricated Talent

If I see another reality show on TV about a group of girls competing for a shot to be the next IT pop group I’m going to scream! MTV’s Making the Band’s Danity Kane, CW’s Girlicious…these girl groups will never live up to great artist groups such as the Supremes, Destiny’s child, or even the Dixie Chicks. The reality world these days puts the physical in front talent. Cute+ marketable+ mediocre voices is the formula for success in the growing music industry world. Having a reality show, well that puts the icing on top of the strawberry shortcake. Whatever happened to great groups who started off promoting themselves in bars, lounges, and clubs, hustling to get their big break. These days reality shows limit the artists hunger to go out and make it on their own with no Diddy (Sean Combs: founder and CEO of Bad Boys Records) at their side to back them up. Is it really just me and my old school soul that feels this way? Girlicious is a second production similar to the former The Search for the Next Pussycat Doll reality show on the CW network. This time around, a new girl group search goes underway with all the similar antics of singing, getting judged, feisty quarrels among the girls, great wardrobe malfunction skimpy outfits, and sexy choreography.

Either way, girl groups like Diddy’s Danity Kane’s new album went straight to #1 on the billboard charts and the hit song “damaged”, was one of the most downloaded on ITunes. Does the success of Danity Kane’s new pop stardom contribute to great group artistry such as group harmony, songwriting, and live stage presence or does it really contribute to the reality shows consumption by young Americans who watch the shows religiously and are brainwashed / programmed to go out and buy the albums as soon as the reality shows season finales. Music Industry reality shows are just another form of how media demassification even affects the quality of music we listen to.

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