Public opinion vs. actual fact

[Woops]

Despite that Deb have stated that she never liked the name "Debbie"...even as a teenager, many people assume that she "changed her name" to distant herself from the past despite that the liner notes in her early albums stated 'Written/produced by Deborah Gibson'. She even stated that in early interviews.


Not familiar with Rick Shroader* (Oddly, I think of Snoopy), but people act as if actor Mark Walhburg was never early '90's  teen rapper  "Marky Mark".


* I know he appeared in "Silver Spoons" (which was on before my time) and "NYPD Blue"


Also Playboy, which many people have assumed that it's a desperate attempt for attention, but in fact Deb felt more comfortable with herself. Not to mention that she have worn sexy costumes in theatre roles like "Gypsy"  & "Cabaret". Also midriffs and low cut shirts in the past decade.


Personally, the pictures were classy, done in good taste and there's far more raunchier images in magazines, tv/movies, and music videos.

Also, many look at Deb as a hasbeen despite that she's been active in theatre and still releases music despite not being in the public eye. Many celebrities, especially from the world of popular music & film, have done theatre like Matthew Broderick to Mary Tyler Moore.



Has-Been, from Answers.com

Dictionary: has-been  (h?z'b?n')

 n. Informal., pl. has-beens.
One that is no longer famous, popular, successful, or useful.

Somewhat disagree. Just because they're not in the public eye doesn't mean that they're not successful.

Former teen star Molly Ringwald  still acts  and there's many bands/artists that still perform and/or still release music despite they're nolonger in the public eye.

When I think of 'has beens' I think of somebody who have gone into the downward spiral or end up getting in trouble and/or become tabloid fodder like seen on shows like "E! True Hollywood Story". Ironically, that's what most of today's celebrities are mostly known for.

[Eric]

When I think of 'has been', I think of a word that is useless and that many people have their own interpretation of. I can't tell for other languages but I know that in french, that word doesn't have any equivalent. It tells a lot about how useless it is !

That word simply comes from bitterness so you will never catch me using that word (except when expressing myself on what I think of it) as I wouldn't want people to see me as a bitter man !

Sorry, I know I mentionned all of this in the past but I simply don't understand the people that uses that word ! So annoying to me !

[Out of the Blue]

A has-been is someone who has no work, no agent, and no prospect of getting work.  Using that definition Britney is closer to has-been status than Deborah is.

[artsiistra]

I would throw in somebody like Catherine Bach as a has-been.  You know her well as Daisy Duke in The Dukes of Hazzard, but she has kind of retired from her acting profession.  Loni Anderson could be another.  You know them, but they're no longer active.

With Deb, she keeps dipping her toes in music, tv, movies and stage theatre.  Even with Playboy, she didn't go all "centerfold" on us. (Which is fine by me)

I'm half expecting paintings or drawings from her next.    That would be cool for the next cd cover.  Like Billy Joel's River of Dreams.

[Shane2]

I'd rather be a has-been then a never-was. ANyone making their living from the entertainment industry is successful IMO...it dosent matter that sales are not what they once were. Everyone peaks at some point!

[Woops]

Though she had 9 Top 40 hits, the average joe probably would only be familiar with about three of the songs. Mainly "Only In My Dreams" or "Lost In Your Eyes".

Wonder how many people know about her record of being the youngest artist to write, produce, & record a #1 hit in 1988 with "Foolish Beat" at age 17? Probably not many...  Or some don't realize that she actually have written her own material.

[IK]

Yup, I'm pretty sure the "Debbie" thing was just Atlantic execs, thinking they would sell her easier with that twist on her name.  Heh...at least she had a Scandanavian last name, otherwise they would have been all over that too.  Everybody remember how Ricardo Valenzuela's name got changed to Ritchie Valens?  Robert Zimmerman became Bob Dylan?  (both for obvious reasons I won't start a discussion on) All to make the artist more "marketable" in the eyes of record execs.

BTW, Deb's Playboy photos were all very nice and tasteful.  I remember that she started getting a little "racy" in her photo shoot for the Electric Youth insert, posing with the motorcycle.  Still, very nicely done.

[Out of the Blue]

At least they let her keep her real name.  They just shortened "Deborah" to "Debbie." 

Some of her very first photo shoots from 1987 had a much more sophisticated and sexier image.  Atlantic really wanted her to look much older than she was because they were afraid that they just wouldn't be able to sell a teenager to the masses.  I don't think that she really liked that image at that age though and when she got more creative control she didn't push the sexy angle very much.  I don't think that she ever realized it at the time but she's always been sexy.  She was very sexy in "Only in My Dreams" and it was a sexy video.  It wasn't blatent, sexually aggresssive, or in your face kind of sexy that we see from Britney, but it was a more subtle, girl next door kind of sexy.  Britney has always confused trashy and slutty with sexy.  When it comes down to it most men just won't go for a woman that's like that. 

[sweetsangria]

It seems the word has been is frequently used by Americans when discussing
actresses and singers from the eighties.

[Woops]

Also the cover of her "Out Of The Blue" album.

As for image, Deb was age appropriate. Though Deb looked hot in tight jeans and leggings.  

Have to admit that she's probably the most cutest pop princess ever  and one of the hottest female entertainers.



What I find odd is that there's comments  from recent years about Britney being "clean cut" despite that she have caused controversy with the Rolling Stone magazine cover in 1999 and her debut music video that featured her in a Lolita-esque school girl outfit (she gets more trashier later on). Even as a teenager at the time, I didn't find her appealing. Ironically, I was getting more into a pop princess from another era.

[Out of the Blue]

The ironic (and maybe tragic) thing is that Britney was considered to be "clean cut" when her first album came out.  I guess when you compare it to her second album or especially the way she is now you could make an arguement for that, but that's the only way you can.

[Woops]

It puzzles me on how a Paula Abdul fan would dislike Deb only because she was a a teenager...

He's a fan of classic rock and ballads. (ironically, Deb's known for ballads)




Granted that Abdul was a bit edgier, but that because she's older and also had a bit of a sexualized image.


Her music also appealed to teenagers, which would also categorize her as a "teen idol".

Nothing wrong with that since Elvis Presley and The Beatles, both legends, were also considered teen idols. Madonna & Duran Duran weren't teenagers either. Though I personally don't like the term "bubblegum pop".


Charlotte Chuch was a teenage opera singer, but doubt she appealed to teenagers.
 Rick Springfield was in his 30s and  Gwen Stefani's old enough to be a parent of a teenager herself.


Teen pop is basically pop music that's aimed towards teenagers and/or early 20 somethings.

As for their voices, it because most are young and their vocals are still developing.






from a dumb thread at the nostalgia board.

Debbie Debbie DEBBIE DEBBIE DEBBIE DEBBIE DEBBIE....who really freaking cares! See that didn't hurt anybody, did it? Seriously, even when I was 6 I thought her music was no big deal...like if one of my babysitters were on the radio (that's actually what I thought too, lol). I certainly don't care now!

Anyway, I don't think Rick Astley was teenpop himself per se (I liked him back then and still do, "Never Gonna Give You Up" is a great song), he just had some peripheral influences and could've appealed to people who were into that stuff.

Checked "pheripheral" on Answers.com. If they want to appear "intellectual", they should atleast be familiar with the word before using it.


If I were to categorize Deb's music, I put her more towards adult contemporary.

Also she sets apart from other female pop artists (around her age and older) is her talent, which she actually wrote/produced her own material and played piano.

Deb had many influences herself and was, still is, a serious artist, not some record label creation.

Deb's voice was still  pleasing, fun, and not mechanicalized (unlike countless pop acts today) as a teenager. Her voice becomes more richer/smoother over time.


This maybe an unlikely comparision, but Deb's pretty much similar to Hanson. BTW, I'm not a fan of that band. They wrote songs and played instruments, but were a target of ridicule for being teenagers and sounding young, but later evolved into a generic pop rock band, still recording despite ever changing trends, and still have a fanbase.




Sorry that I sound like a wannabe music critic, though that board probably have rubbed on me.  

[Out of the Blue]

A lot of those people I bet also think that Ashlee Simpson is a musical genius and they don't recognize any music before 2000, except for Nirvanna or Pearl Jam.

[Woops]

Recently, I stood up against online bullies at a nostalgia forum since there's been a few junk that went too far and several still act immature/rude.




I'm suprised that some have a perspection of me as some Chris Crocker type person or whatever.


 I don't look at Deb as perfet and there's a very few songs I don't like (ie "Shock Your Mama"), I prefer her traditional pop songs/ballads over showtunes, and I've only stated that she's better than certain artists and also more than Madonna (which I rarely rant on anymore).

I've posted threads about animation, random pop songs, and Scarlett Johansson's upcoming album.

Also that I've been on that forum for long that I mostly post at the board games section.

Heck, my room is mostly a J Lo poster and framed pictures of cartoon movie posters from the Disney Treasure DVDs. I havea  framed pic of Deb, but isn't on display since I don't have much room.

The main intention for those threads/mentioning of Deb were to get people interested and to show that she's more than an '80's pop princess. If people's perspective of Bon Jovi can change...Why not Deb?




Then again, the forum is mostly about political rants and celebrity gossip

[Woops]

Come to think of it, I may appear a bit immature myself, but felt like venting...

added: just locked the thread since I'm over it and want to move on to other topics.