Because tonight's new episode of "Glee" features the much anticipated Britney Spears centered storyline, I started wondering about the entertainers that my generation will be left with. On a couple of occasions, I have discussed - with those older than me - the music, movies, and pop culture figures that my unfortunate generation lacks. We have no Clark Gable, no Frank Sinatra, and no Billie Holiday. Our versions can't even be considered poor substitutes.
If you've grown up like I have, you're lucky to have the opportunity to be exposed to some of the greats the entertainment world has ever offered. I remember many car rides listening to Sinatra, Bennett, or Torme. When I turned 12, we went to see Liza Minnelli at Radio City Music Hall, and I have her autograph hanging on my wall. And, although I never saw him perform live, I did watch Sinatra exit the stage door of Radio City. I can picture it exactly, including the brown, bomber jacket he wore. My dad saw him 31 times.
To this day, I also find myself singing along to oldies that I don't remember ever learning the words to. The Four Seasons, Beach Boys, Barry Manilow... I know all of them. When I got the chance to meet Frankie Valli, I couldn't contain my excitement.
So, what will I be playing for my kids one day? I have no doubt that my playlist will include some of my parents' favorites, but what about the current music that I am sometimes embarrassed to have on my iPod? Since the time that I started buying my own music and movies, I have spent a lot of money on both, filling books with CDs and shelves (or boxes) with DVDs. But no matter how much I love Gwen Stefani and No Doubt or Jennifer Lopez and Johnny Depp, it just isn't the same.
Today, we have celebrities that are created from nothing. Groups like Backstreet Boys and Spice Girls were formed by answering ads for auditions. People like Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian became famous for... hmm... Yeah, still thinking. Even though the early 1900s were full of movie studios sometimes now referred to as star factories, it was different. They found unknowns, gave them a look, and signed them to a picture deal. Press agents worked tirelessly to keep the bad news out of the movie magazines housewives read while their husbands were at work. Today, publicists thrive on the scandal and celebrities almost always rise, like a phoenix from the ashes, to revive seemingly ruined careers.
As a generation, we've seen entertainment world tragedies like the loss of Aaliyah and Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes. While both deaths were sad and all too soon, it's hard to compare the loss to that of John Lennon or Elvis Presley - musical legends the world still mourns to some degree. And while we've lost Michael Jackson in our time, it seems like we can't really claim him for our own. Though still working on music, the height of his career - as we know it - had unfortunately passed.
So what do we leave for the next generation? Chris Brown and Rihanna's infamous fight? Miley Cyrus's barebacked Vanity Fair shoot? Mel Gibson's multiple rants? Madonna's girl-on-girl-on-girl MTV liplock? Lindsay Lohan's jail stints? Britney Spears shaving her head/attacking a car with an umbrella/getting taken away in an ambulance?
The George Clooneys and Matt Damons are few and far between, and it's a shame. We are in a completely different time, and the need for fame and celebrity is scary, especially when it comes with few consequences. I'd take another Paul McCartney or Harrison Ford any day.
"But something touched me deep inside, the day the music died."
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