In an age of Beyonce worship, Miley fanaticism and whatever it is people enjoy about Riff Raff, I’ve been confused and befuddled by the role of music icons in today’s society.
And when Kanye West exclaimed to a generally disappointed crowd at Bonnaroo that he was the “biggest fucking rock star on the planet” a month ago, it led me to ask myself: What is a rock star, and is it their purpose to enlighten us?
The Oxford Dictionary provides two definitions for the term “rock star.”
1. A famous and successful singer or performer of rock music
2. A person treated as a celebrity, especially in inspiring fanatical admiration
Now, by this definition, figures such as Miley Cyrus and Riff Raff are, indeed, rock stars. The likes of 2 Chainz, Justin Bieber and Katy Perry are rock stars. And Kanye West, Beyonce, Jay-Z and whoever else has a mindless following of cultural sheep are, indeed, rock stars (No disrespect to any of these people. This is directed toward the consumers of media rather than the producers.)
I’m not writing to debate linguistics or the etymology of phrases. Frankly, it’s futile and unimportant in this case. This is all more about idol worship in modern society. This is because we live in a society that’s grown ignorant enough to believe somebody claiming “I’m different” isn’t a part of a well-oiled popular music machine that incessantly churns out the same bullshit. This is because all it takes to be one of the most influential figures in culture is to claim that you’re “the biggest fucking rock star on the planet.”
Perhaps I’m generalizing, maybe not, but society gains nothing from idolizing figures that have a need to actively promote their greatness, prowess or prominence (In politics, these sort of people are generally tyrannical dictators i.e. Josef Stalin, Adolf Hitler, Kim Jong-Il, etc.). True greatness speaks for itself.
Have we always been a society entranced by pop culture icons that promote selfish engrossment? Do we have a history of celebrating the people who live lavish, self-destructive lives? Sure we do.
We’re obsessed with people who make mountains of money and live carelessly because we confuse those ideas with living happily and attaining fulfillment. But there’s a difference between money and happiness and a difference between not giving a fuck and living life on your own terms. And there’s been a significant transition in the general message of pop music over the years to cater to the lowest common denominator, creating a downward spiral of stupidity.
Wondering how this trend started is like asking whether the chicken or the egg came first. Did musicians and record labels begin cranking out lackluster records first? Or was that a response to society’s standards of artistic expression going down the toilet? Ultimately, it’s futile to ponder.
We, as an audience of the entire spectrum of art, need to demand a certain standard of expression that will entertain us while enriching our lives. We can’t be complacent with the likes of Jay-Z and various other monstrous music industry figures to tell us what is good or popular. We must look to people who continuously strive to experiment with their music, who, themselves, do not get complacent with sound or the money that comes along with the sound de jour.
The issue spreads far beyond the influence of music, and encompasses the entire spectrum of consumed media. While music spreads a muddied up message of “look how much money I have/you’ll never get this much money/you can do it,” films like last year’s “The Wolf of Wall Street” have equally as confusing messages too, telling the tale of a man brought down by greed, among other things, while simultaneously glorifying his Quaalude-latent lifestyle. We’re constantly presented with the idea that money and power equate to happiness in all forms of media, and as a society we buy into it because so-and-so is so fucking cool.
I’m not saying making money is a bad thing, far from it. I’m saying we, as a society, need to seek out the artists and people in the media that don’t glorify it. The rock stars we listen to and watch shouldn’t be power and money hungry, nor part of a machine strictly interested in monetary profit.
The role of the rock star in society is not to empower him or herself, but to empower the masses in such a way that the entire population of the planet benefits from his or her ability.
Featured photo courtesy of: Pitchfork
