The death of celebrity

I was walking past Penn Station this morning and saw the advertisement for the new Fantastic Four film. What I saw were two generic good-looking men--Mr. Fantastic & The Human Torch, The Thing, and a rather slutty looking Invisible Woman. None of the actors' names were on the poster at all, which seems like a slap on the face to Michael Chiklis as The Thing since he's been around the block for quite some time and has several Emmys on his shelf for his work on The Shield and The Commish.

Yet, the studio's marketing department seems to think that these actors aren't worth the general public knowing...well, the majority that doesn't watch entertainment coverage in the media, that is. I think this is a sign of the fact that stardom is waning in the 21st Century. Stardom stems from the belief that people will go to a movie/concert/television show because they are interested in a certain celebrity and that takes precedence over the actual content.

Now, it seems like the content overrules the celebrity. If you look at the posters for War of the Worlds, you'll see Tom Cruise's name billed above the tile, but his image is noticeably absent from the poster itself. Likewise, if you read some of the assorted postings from online message boards, you'll see that there is a sizeable group that will go to the film despite of instead of because of Tom Cruise. Yet, their detractors say that by going to see the film, they are continuing to support the twisted bubble that Cruise is inflicting on the public right now, because this will cause the studios to believe that Cruise is a "bankable star."

I don't think so.

"Bankable stardom" as we knew it has disappeared. I think the studios themselves know it, but there's no system in place to replace it, so they'll continue to use it until a better way comes along. What killed it? The information age. Secrecy is almost nonexistent these days. With the advent of message boards, online gossip, digital cameras, anything can be posted, verified, and broadcast to the world in a matter of minutes. Secrecy is what allowed the mystique of the movie star to continue, and subsequently ensure the profitability of films that without name actors in them, would probably flounder. Secrecy is what allowed Rock Hudson and countless other celebrities to remain in publicly closeted.

Is it a good thing that our idols are now shown warts and all? It remains to be seen. On one hand, it might be good if people began looking to more accessible sources for their role models and such. (Remember the glut of Young Hollywood types advocating "Just Say No" in the 1980's? Think about how many of them were probably doing lines the second the director yelled "cut.")

On the other hand, this tearing down of idols could also portend the death of fantasy. The entertainment business is basically the business of fantasy-making. Creativity is all about making a fantastical idea and/or image reality. Note how the majority of reality TV stars seem to appear and disappear in an instant. The ones who seem to be interested in making their 15 minutes last longer are the subjects of mockery. (Reichen "Burke" Lehmkuhl being a prime example.) The problem is that we know them, and they can offer us nothing beyond that. I think soon the same will apply to the A-list actors as their public facades crumble. They need to ask themselves, is my image the overriding aspect of my career or is my "talent?"

The time is coming for the wheat to be seperated from the chaff.

By the way: None of this applies to Famous Author Rob Byrnes. He is a "stah" and a "stah" he shall remain.