TS: The Eddie Vedder vs. Mark McGrath Approach to Stardom

ditto to what Ned said.

and Eddie Vedder's "i don't really wanna be a famous, rich, pampered rock star" schtick is a fraud -- to wit, for someone who claims to hate the limelight so much, he sure seems to spend an awful lot of time in it.

He does? Maybe in 1993, but not now. I can't remember the last time I saw Vedder on tv.

"If the government gets desperate, it could always torture Al Qaeda operatives with tapes of Eddie Vedder discussing the perils of fame. 'That's enough!' the victims will cry. 'Stop these horrid sounds! Why must he continue to discuss his dreaded fame a decade after he was famous? And his sense of humor—it's worse than even bin Laden's!'"--Jay Ruttenberg, Time Out New York, 1 November 2002

I think rock stars should be as over the top as possible....where have all the Keith Moons gone?

To the grave?

I guess it all boils down to whether the artist is an extrovert or an introvert.
If someone just wants to party, and uses their music as an excuse to BE the party...I say fuckin' let 'em.
If someone just wants to play their music and then go home and build ships in a bottle in a quiet room, I say fuckin' let 'em.
David Lee Roth (and McGrath, apparently) is type A.
Eddie Vedder (and Greta Garbo) is Type B.
Assuming that an artist is being cynical or adopting a pose just because he's being...um...self contained...well, thats just harsh. Didn't you ever know a guy who, when it was picture-taking time at school, would slink to the back of the crowd to NOT be photographed?
And don't you remember the guy who pissed off the cameraman by suddenly sticking his tongue out and crossing his eyes right as he took the picture.
'Cross-eyed goof-off' grew up to be David Lee Roth. Slinker grew up to be Vedder.

Vedder's whole thing seems eminently believable to me -- even his singing style suggests that as a person he plays his cards pretty close to his chest.

The Vedder approach is more interesting because you wind up making your own interpretations of what he's actually all about, whereas with the McGrath option, everybody who uses it winds up looking exactly the same. Oh, quiet, you, I know what I mean.

Depends on the act, of course- if the music's flamboyant and showbizy, go the McGrath way; if it's blue collar and no-frills, use the Vedder approach. Whether the second one is a fraud is totally irrelevant- it's the image that counts.

All around the wooorld statues crumble for me, who knows how long I've loved you, Mark McGrath.