Do you believe stardom can be manufactured?

[bliss_eternal]

With the popularity of so many contest style, reality shows(American Idol, America's Next Top Model, So You Think you Can Dance, etc., etc.) I frequently wonder if stardom can truly be manufactured?

Cream always rises, and if someone is really talented, they may have the ability to maintain their initial tv show success. But particularly in the case of shows like America's Next Top Model, I wonder how long any winners of this show will last, in terms of being models, etc.

So--what do you guys think? Can you manufacture stardom? Start at the top after a contest win--and really stay there? Or are all these people merely flavours of the week?

[Dave Reynolds]

1. Well,

Justin and Kelly are not on everyone's A-list. Clay and Ruben seem to have disappeared as well. The folks who win on the country music version have about one or two popular songs and then disappear as well.

Models are models, and probably get at least *some* work until they reach the age of no career....

[bliss_eternal]

4. I'm glad you mentioned the country version--

I don't really follow that one, but wondered how their winners fared after the show ends.

I see Kelly in ads for Candy's and on the teenaged magazine covers. I was disappointed to recently see her blonde and not looking at all like the girl that seemed very happy with who she was. I'm kind of sick of everyone thinking they have to be blonde and exactly like every other 'pop princess'--it may be marketable to the masses but I consider it rather boring.

[XemaSab]

2. Look at all the bimbos

with pop careers.... no singing talent, singing songs that other people wrote, with plastic bodies, plastic hair, and then airbrushed to boot.

It's all marketing.

[BigMcLargehuge]

3. it certainly can

look at The Jackson 5 (Joe Jackson)
New Kids on the Block (Maurice Starr)
Jane Russel (Howard Hughes)

Just three examples of many.

[bliss_eternal]

5. Good points--and it seems the Hollywood

so called 'golden era' stardom was very much manufactured by the studios. Studio heads didn't put people in films unless they had an interest in making them stars.

Once they did, they seemed to feel they 'owned them' and they seldom had lives of their own. When they did do things the studio disliked or thought was in contrast to their well groomed, studio image the studios had the press 'hush it up.' In the most severe cases, they manufactured rumours to debunk the reality of the celebrity's life more to the liking of the studio--in a way they felt made them more palatable, likeable, etc.

:hi:

[hibbing]

6. how do you define stardom?

I guess it is one of those terms that can be hard to define. I certainly think celebrity/fame can be manufactured, The Monkees, Milli Vanilla, Ashlee Simpson and gosh knows how many more. Did Scott Peterson achieve stardom?

Peace

[bliss_eternal]

7. That's another interesting point...

just seems there's a lot of 'manufacturing' going on. I wonder if it's lasting.

I guess in the cases of some (Monkees, Milli Vanilli)no, or at least it isn't in a way they would probably want to be remembered.

[yvr girl]

8. Two words: Paris Hilton

'nuff said.