Do you have to be beautiful to "Make it?"

I was watching MTV's "First Year," a documentary following the first year of young career oriented peoples. There was one basketball athlete, a young cop, and a pop/rock singer. All of them were aspiring to show off their skills and make a name for themselves in their given expertise.

My mother asked me a question after we watched this show together over lunch, "Do you know what reality is?" I say nothing. "It means that in order to make it (as a singer...a really popular and record sale breaking artist) you have to be beautiful." And I said after a hesitant thought of not wanting to give into the beauty trap that the media feeds us, "Yeah...it's true."

I thought about all the hugely sucessful singing artists and they are some hot, good looking people. Acting on the other hand has more of a rainbow of beautiful faces, but singing is a tough gig. It's beauty or no record deal/contract.

To be hot or not to be hot? What do you think? Are we as a people that shallow that we will not support a less than "hot" artist in this day in age?

Interesting that you are bringing this up--- just today as I was driving home, I was thinking about what it is going to take to "make it". In the 50s, 60s, 70s artists had talent, skill, the whole thing. It is quite obvious that if you could make it from being a truly talented artist, Delisco would have been BIG a long time ago. Since he has the voice, the stage presence, the moves and the energy already in the bag.... what are we missing?

So I started thinking about artists who are huge... they may not be so talented, but there is some reason that they are huge, something that the record companies, labels and managers saw in them and instantly knew they could make them stars without talent-- and the american public wouldn't be the wiser. What is that something? If we can corner that "something" then Delisco will be huge anyway, and will be given the chance to show his remarkable talents and amazing self.... then we can circle back and create a restoration of musical talent and genius in the mainstream.

We already know and see that record labels are slowly becoming obsolete with internet distribution. We all have to take a stand to take the power back. we are the people, we are the listeners, we will always love and enjoy music-- so WE should be the ones choosing who we like! I don't want to be fed music and told that is what I am supposed to like... and due to lack of options (I rarely hear a song I've never heard before on the radio) I am forced to listen to their music.

I think you are right Jaz, you do have to be beautiful, that is a given like the basis for being succcessful... but there is more to it... and I want to get to the bottom of this!