They Are Rock Stars After All...

What is it about rock stars, film stars, socialites and IT people that give them such a status that they are exempt from any social and cultural persecution? These people have been elevated to such a level that they are above the law. In the case of the typical, rock musician or rock star, taking drugs, abusing women, spending time in jail and having a severe illicit drug dependency seems to add to their success, as fans worship them regardless of their extracurricular activities. Tommy Lee, Anthony Keidis, Scott Weiland, Steven Tyler, Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, Slash and Paul McCartney are all big names within rock and roll, and have all been involved with a number of criminal offences.

One answer a to why the rebellious, law breaking rock star is accepted into our hearts time and time again after partaking in an act that would have us ringing 000 if we were involved, is the concept that their music, songs and personalities have created an ulterior meaning to the devoted fan, cancelling out any wrong doing in the audiences head.

Richard Dyer comments about this is in the article mapping the rebel image in that “the move star and rock star, as a publicly fictionalized subject whose cultural meanings are embedded in and yet cut across a wide variety of texts (songs films television appearances, magazine stories, album covers, videos and biographies), creating ideological subject positions,” (Dyer, 1992, p. 5).

I am guilty of this too. I worship the afore mentioned names with no regard to their rebellious desires to take drugs and treat women like crap. Even the subject matter of rock music is far from tasteful, yet with the right beat, melody, wrapped up in a big marketing ribbon, I accept and even enjoy the music. The power that these rock personalities have to evade cultural norms is amazing. The culture that rock and roll music evolved from and now breeds is commented on by Leerom Modovoi in a recent study by Martin and Segrave.

“With its black roots, its earthy, sexual or rebellious lyrics, and its exuberant acceptance by youth, rock and roll has long been under attack by the establishment world of adults. No other form of culture, and its artists, has met with such extensive hostility. The music has been damned as a corrupter of morals, and as an instigator of juvenile delinquency and violence. Denounced as a communist plot, perceived as a symbol of Western decadence, it has been fulminated against by the left, the right, the center, the establishment, rock musicians them-selves, doctors, clergy, journalists, politicians, and "good" musicians.... Rock has been blasted for promoting drugs and sex; for destroying hearing; and, by insidiously adding back-ward messages to records, pimping for Satan. And that's just the beginning. (Martin and Segrave 1)
Yet it one of the most popular and enduring music genres.

It is mind boggling that the fans, media and society in general has their guard down when it comes to the rock star, as if that is an excuse for them to behave like a criminal.

Nickelback’s song ‘Rockstar’ pokes fun at this unique relationship between the rock star and their fan. Have a listen…

I'm through with standin in line

To clubs I'll never get in

It's like the bottom of the nineth

And I'm never gonna win

This life just hasn't turned out

Quite the way I want it to be

(tell me what you want)

I want a brand new house

On an episode of cribs

And a bathroom I can play baseball in

And a king size tub

Big enough for ten plus me

(so what ya need)

I need a a credit card thats got no limit

And a big black jet with a bedroom in it

Gonna join the mile high club

At thirty-seven thousand feet

(been there done that)

I want a new tour bus full of old guitars

My own star on Hollywood Boulevard

Somewhere between Cher and James Dean is fine with me

(so how ya gonna do it)

I'm gonna trade this life for fortune and fame

I'd even cut my hair and change my name

Cause we all just wanna be big rockstars

Livin in top houses

Drivin fifteen cars

The girls come easy

And the drugs come cheap

We'll all stay skinny Cuz we just won't eat

References:
Modovoi L, 1992, ‘Mapping the Rebel Image’, Cultural Critique, no. 20, pp. 153-158, JSTOR.
Accessed via Internet Explorer 1st June, 2009.
URL: http://0-www.jstor.org.library.newcastle.edu.au/stable/pdfplus/1354226.pdf

Nickelback, Rockstar Lyrics. Accessed via Internet Explorer, 1st June, 2009.
URL: http://www.lyrics007.com/Nickelback%20Lyrics/Rockstar%20Lyrics.html