“Call Me Marilyn,” or Just, You Know, Something…

A few days ago Tania and I saw “My Week With Marilyn,” which stars Michelle Williams as Marilyn Monroe.  In the film there is a scene in which Monroe, untouchable, unreliable, surrounded by an enabling entourage, tells the PA who has been “Ms. Monroe”-ing her up and down, to call her Marilyn.  It’s supposed to be the moment we know he’s broken through (SPOILER ALERT: Eh, you can guess).

Now for many reasons that are covered later, there is no actual “breaking through” with somebody who is aware of and embracing their iconic status.  Sure.  Still, this simple exchange struck me as interesting.

Today in Gchat: More Thoughts on the Princesses of Pop

In which we wrap up what has accidentally become female popstar week by expounding on Rihanna, Britney, Madonna, Beyoncé, and the packaging of female popstars:

Princess RiRi and the Technicolor Dreamporn

You’re probably aware of this already, but a few weeks ago Rihanna released a music video “We Found Love.” And though it’s technically old news by now, Lila’s post on Britney Spears was tangentially related to some thoughts I had about Rihanna after I saw this video for the first time, so I thought this might be a good opportunity to air them. In case you haven’t already seen the video (or are itching for an opportunity to watch it again), here you go:

Black Wednesday

Black Britney

Are you feeling it?  The sensation of a million marginally bored office-people clicking on a link whose featured location was purchased with large sums of parent-money by a bizarre company that creates viral internet sensations out of random talentless children?  I’m feeling it.

Today, friends, fake phenom Rebecca Black has “dropped” her new video for “Person Of Interest” (posted below). If the awkward dancing and bland tunes contained within this patently un-interesting 3 minute smile-fest don’t appeal to you, I get it. On a purely aesthetic level there is nothing here to comment on.

The fact that this video exists, however, is interesting.

What Britney Knew

From this...

So….it’s 2011 and Britney Spears is still famous.  Fine.  So is Nick Lachey. (Why?  Nobody knows, but I saw him in Us Weekly the other day.)  In Britney’s case, however, I saw this going down differently.

Don’t get me wrong, I knew we’d be looking at photos of Britney Spears in 2011 and possibly even into 2041.  And I’ll admit it: Britney Spears is entertaining.  She has had many highly public breakdowns, break-ups, and dance-offs.  She has had two babies by a man we all knew was ill-suited to her (soap opera!).  She has had parental drama, sibling drama, and general trashy drama.  In a world in which we are STILL speculating about whether or not Jessica Simpson is pregnant, Britney Spears’ extended time in the limelight is no surprise.

What shocks me however, is that despite the ups and downs Britney is still, above all, famous for doing exactly what she did to make herself famous: Singing.