Lisa keeps track of her pre-teen idols via "Non-Threatening Boys" magazine on "The Simpsons". Having passed by "Tiger Beat" and its ilk in the checkout aisle for lo these many years, "non-threatening boys" is not far from the mark. David Cassidy, Jackson 5-era Michael. or those kids who sang "M-m-m-Bop" are, from a parental perspective, safe objects of pre-teen affection.
What are we to make of the latest pre-teen idol, Justin Bieber? The lad had the #1 and #2 best-selling CDs last month. Riots ensued at his personal appearances in Australia. Kim Kardshian received death treats after mingling with him at the recent White House Correspondent's Dinner. (On a side note. one could justify Justin Bieber's invitation to the White House. What good is it being First Daughters if you can't wrangle an invite for your idol? But who insisted that Kim Kardashian be on the Guest List?)
Personally, I find Justin's side swept hair-do a tad too reminiscent of Donald Trump's classic comb-over. But that's just envy.
Young Mr Bieber cemented his claim to the hearts (and wallets) of American mothers yesterday with an appearance on "Oprah". Pre-teens can whine all they want for Justin CDs, posters, and paraphernalia, but Mom has to pay. Now, with the coveted Oprah Seal of Approval, the financial floodgates are open. There's a reason why Borders and Barnes & Noble put those Oprah's Book Club Selection tomes on the front shelves.
"Non-threatening boy" status is great while it lasts, but where are Donnie Osmond and Leif Garrett today? On the other hand, The Oprah Seal of Approval is forever. A couple of years ago, I was shocked to see that "Anna Karenina" was riding high on the NY Times Best Seller List. Had Tolstoy somehow come back to life and written a new ending? Had America suddenly embraced 800 page Russian novels?
Actually, Oprah selected it for her Book Club and it still is an Amazon best-seller. We will be seeing Justin Bieber for a long, long while.
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