Reality TV cannot replace Michael Hutchence
Now I remember what I'd wanted to say earlier. Last night I was at my parents' house and laid eyes on a tv guide for the first time in weeks. Not TV Guide the magazine, just the little rag that comes in the paper.
The guy on the cover looked vaguely familiar--his features rather feline and feminine, though he was clearly a man with facial hair, and not a bearded lady. Somewhere deep inside, my adolescent self stirred up strains of Jane's Addiction like heartburn churning in my stomach (I'm still deeply fond of JA, but there's no other band I associate more strongly with the terrible days of my heart-broken 19-year-old self).
I realized quickly that the guy on the cover of the tv guide that came in my local paper was Dave Navarro. Oh Dave, I've only vaguely followed your hijinks with Carmen Elektra and all those feather boas and eyeliner, but I just have to say. You make me sad. And to think it was only in the last few weeks, when I was moving into my new house, that I finally dumped my old copies of SPIN magazine with you and Perry on the cover, as if I sensed your growing lameness.
And to make it all much, much worse, I read in the tv guide that Dave is hosting an American Idol-style show in which contestants will compete to be the next lead singer of INXS. Now, you may or may not be sympathetic to Michael Hutchence and the circumstances of his suicide. That's another blog entry altogether. But really, I'm fairly appalled that 1) the members of his former band would agree to a reality show contest to find his replacement (a little respect, please?) and 2) a reality show winner (and come on--don't they always suck?) will be fronting one of the much-loved bands of my youth.
INXS won't be 1/20th as great without Michael's sexy voice. I'm gonna go listen to "Need You Tonight" right now.
posted by shorttina @ 2:18 PM
4 Comments
4 Comments:
Frances sent me that when they were having auditions and said, "You should apply for this." There are about 13 reasons I can quickly and easily reel off for why I shouldn't apply for that. But it's funny, while we were in London, I was talking to Mikey about Michael Hutchence and how his wife then killed herself, too, and now the kids live with Bob Geldof, the guy who just did Live8 and formerly arranged BandAid and LiveAid. Hutchence's daughter, Tiger Lily, will inherit a huge fortune someday. I feel rather sad for her, though. I was so infatuated with Michael Hutchence in my teenage years--like River Phoenix, I still feel a lot of sadness over his death. I actually feel sadder over River's death, but I am also sad that I'll never get to hear Michael sing those songs with a slight lisp and the right huskiness.
I should explain, just in case, that Bob Geldof was Hutchence's wife's first husband and the father of her first children.
Also, it is kind of sad and strange that they're making a reality show of it, but I think the band said they're doing this because they honestly felt this would be the best way to get good new talent for the band, and they're all old now, so it's kind of their only hope. They know they can't really replace him, but I can understand where they'd want to come out from under this shadow and have a new start. In a way, if you look at it, just because he had all of his addictions doesn't mean they shouldn't be able to have another shot or chance. But I know what you mean about the tackiness of using a reality show as a vehicle for accomplishing all of this.
I had forgotten that MH married BG's former wife -- Paula something, no? I had a friend in high school who loved, loved, LOVED Bob Geldof and loathed his ex-wife. I hadn't heard she killed herself also. How completely horrible.
I also feel sadder about River Phoenix, and also Kurt Cobain, although all of them were both tragic and completely infuriating and unnecessary.
I can see your point about the rest of the band and that they shouldn't have to live in his shadow, but it all seems so crass. I don't think I would watch the show, even as a guilty pleasure.
I am going to try to watch that show, because I love that band and have a sort of weird investment in who replaces him as the lead singer. They will never be him. But I care about the other members, too, as cheesy as that all probably sounds, considering they don't know me at all or anything. But I read about them extensively during my teen years and I actually saw two of them once in Arkansas. I know it sounds like I'm lying, but I'm not. Frances and I were too freaked out and star struck to talk to them. It was two of the Farris brothers (guitarist and drummer).
Re: his wife. I think it's up in the air as to whether she deliberately killed herself or not. She OD'd on drugs and had amped up her use of them after his death. She was really really depressed and just couldn't get herself out of depression after he died.
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