So I was at the arena for the second night in a row, this time to work another family-entertainment event, though this one was aimed at families with young daughters. The Cheetah Girls, a prefab girl group working with the full force of the Disney media juggernaut on its behalf, brought in thousands of preteens and their moms, many of whom (both moms and daughters) were decked out in the best cheetah or leopard spotted get-ups they could drape themselves in. When the crowds were on the move through the concourse, it looked like a migrating herd at times.
I took the time to download some Cheetah Girls songs this weekend so I could get familiar with the tunes that I'd be hearing from the concession stand. I haven't availed myself of much more than that though - I know what the girls look like but don't know the story of the movie or just what it is (beyond sheer marketing muscle) that makes the CG's such a draw to so many girls. I can surmise that the package is overall very parent-friendly... the message of the songs presents a wholesome and positive spin on the whole girl-power thing - they even have a song titled "Girl Power" - without getting into anything too edgy (e.g. sexuality, militant feminism, non-conformity or excessively independent thinking.) Of course, they're not aiming for the same audience as Madonna or even Britney Spears, even though they incorporate a similar sound and dance moves (with higher necklines and more subdued hip gyrations.) Instead, they seek to connect with younger girls in their formative years whose media intake is closely scrutinized by caring, invested moms who still like to have a bit of fun themselves. The Disney Corp. is more than happy to supply this need, and thus, The Cheetah Girls™ were born, or should I say, manufactured?
I took the time to download some Cheetah Girls songs this weekend so I could get familiar with the tunes that I'd be hearing from the concession stand. I haven't availed myself of much more than that though - I know what the girls look like but don't know the story of the movie or just what it is (beyond sheer marketing muscle) that makes the CG's such a draw to so many girls. I can surmise that the package is overall very parent-friendly... the message of the songs presents a wholesome and positive spin on the whole girl-power thing - they even have a song titled "Girl Power" - without getting into anything too edgy (e.g. sexuality, militant feminism, non-conformity or excessively independent thinking.) Of course, they're not aiming for the same audience as Madonna or even Britney Spears, even though they incorporate a similar sound and dance moves (with higher necklines and more subdued hip gyrations.) Instead, they seek to connect with younger girls in their formative years whose media intake is closely scrutinized by caring, invested moms who still like to have a bit of fun themselves. The Disney Corp. is more than happy to supply this need, and thus, The Cheetah Girls™ were born, or should I say, manufactured?
Lest I come across as snide and hipper-than-thou, let me say that I have a realistic and sincere appreciation for what this project is all about, and I'm willing to overlook (to some extent) the more craven and mercenary money-making aspects of this operation. Moms and daughters need an excuse for a fun night out and since the USA is a media-saturated culture (of which I'm an enthusiastic participant) it only makes sense that entertainment that families can enjoy together generates a large and lucrative share of the market. Given the alternatives, with the raunchiness and harsh, exploitative mentality found in the entertainment that will be aimed at these same youngsters just a few years from now when they are at the age to be considered ready for "mature" alternatives, this Cheetah Girls phase presents itself as an opportunity for something of a cultural idyll, an "age of innocence" that the girls will, in sequence, quickly outgrow and regard with sheer embarrassment ("OMG, I can't believe I listened to that stuff!"), then with cynical contempt ("how gimmicky, how plastic! Disney bands are so fake!") and, later, with a nostalgic fondness ("yes, it was kind of silly and naive, but we sure had a lot of fun listening to the Cheetah Girls! Remember back when we used to buy our music on CDs?!?!") So far be it from me to deflate the enthusiasm from my jaundiced, world-weary vantage point...
As for the act itself, it was all cute and bouncy and peppy enough. The Girls (who are really young women in their early 20's) did pretty much what you would expect them to do, which was the equivalent of a thoroughly well-rehearsed cheerleading routine. Lots of synchronized dancing, gesturing to the crowd, whoop-whoop shout outs and dozens if not hundreds of utterances of the word "CHEETAH!" over the course of the one-hour-and-five-minute performance. (Don't want to overtax the attention span of the kids now!) The overall vibe of the night was fun but a bit "shopping mall-ish" as the crowd was hustled in and out so quickly (the final curtain came down at 9:05 p.m., no encore, hafta get the kids to bed on time, tomorrow is a school day...) Musically speaking, if you don't have daughters who've already brought Cheetah Girls media into your home, don't bother downloading it because I don't think it was really made to last. But that's the nature of pop, isn't it?
This is going to be the last Van Andel show I work until February (I'm signed on to work a John Mayer concert,) unless something comes up unexpectedly. So don't expect quite so many music reviews as I've put out here over the past few weeks. Which is fine, I have plenty of other stuff to vent about.
3 comments:
In my opinion anything to distract kids from Britney Spears and the like is wonderful. I'm familiar with the Cheetah girls as much as one can be without having seen the movies or listened to more than a minute or their songs. They say Cheetah way more than I can handle, but I'm pretty far from the intended audience.
Personally I think Hannah Montana AKA Miley Cyrus, daughter of Billy Ray Cyrus, is going to be a big thing. She is also being pushed by Disney with a tv series she does with her father who also plays her dad on the show (when the heck did he get cool!?) and now her first album is out. Unlike H.Duff, L.Lohan, Cheetah Girls, and etc, I actually enjoy hearing her music despite the lyrics, though they arent all that bad, just not my taste. She has a powerfull and very distinct voice. With that and her pre-existing connections in the music industry I think we will be hearing about her for a long time.
Aly and AJ seem to have some genuine talent as well if you've heard them. For the sake of today's young girls, I have to say I have a pretty positive attitude about this genre of music, pre-fabricated or not.
I did not know that Hannah Montana is really Billy Ray's daughter... but I do know that Billy Ray Cyrus and I were born on the same day in 1961. Thus, he is my personal yardstick for career accomplishments and success in life. I think he isn't so much "cool" as he is willing to play a serviceable role as an affable, slightly hunky male lead (he was in some country doctor show a couple years ago.) And the novelty of having Mr. Boot Scootin' Boogie play dad to his real-life daughter fits perfectly with the contemporary Disney mythos.
When I see pictures of Hannah Montana, I see a young Hillary Duff look-alike. They are products of a highly efficient star-making machine that knows what it's looking for in kids and successfully preps and presents them for a ready-made audience. Don't forget that performers like Britney, Lindsey, XTina and Justin Timberlake were all part of this same system when they were younger, but then grew up to go their own off-color (or worse) way. The Cheetah "women" are already grown up and from all appearances are pretty well locked into their squeaky-clean stage personae. I don't see them ever turning into a Pussycat Dolls act, in other words. Of course, I don't think that the Cheetahs will be around for more than another year or two before they decide its time to pursue their individual careers, or Disney shifts their promotional efforts to something newer and fresher.
But thanks for the tip on Hannah Montana, I will be tracking her more closely now.
Her Hilliary Duff look-alike hair is actually a wig she wears to perform as part of the premise of the show. She is actually a brunette, and will probably lose the blonde image sooner or later.
I think because she works with her father and little sister who appears frequently on the show she is a bit more grounded than much of the previous Disney crops. I'd be really suprised if she followed in a way similarly to most any of them.
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