NEW YORK - She was an "amazing talent," a young singer with a wonderful voice who wrote beautiful songs. But she was no beauty, plus flat-chested and overweight to boot.

Remembering the aspiring star, music executive Jody Gerson still feels terrible about thinking: "She's never going to get signed, even though she's fabulous."

Gerson might feel even worse after Wednesday night's exit of the matronly Melinda Doolittle from "American Idol." In today's music industry, Plain Janes need not apply. Sex appeal was once considered a bonus for a woman; now it's practically a requirement.

Doolittle and the heavyset, gap-toothed LaKisha Jones were widely considered this season's most talented "Idol" contestants. Yet both were eliminated from the final four in favor of Blake Lewis, who makes the teen girls swoon, and the long-locked, 17-year-old looker Jordin Sparks.

A quick check of the Billboard Top 40 turns up a list of candidates for "America's Top Model":Avril Lavigne, blonde stunner Carrie Underwood; tomboyish but sexy Ciara, fashionista Gwen Stefani and hip-swiveling Shakira (on a song featuring bootylicious Beyonce).

The only two in the Top 40 who might not be considered perfect 10s: Pink, who is still svelte and appealing; and multiplatinum Grammy-winner Kelly Clarkson, who got her break only through winning the democratically elected "American Idol."

When asked whether a female with so-so looks and sex appeal could get a record deal,Gretchen Wilson quickly replied: "They can't."

"I believe that very few will get through and they better be amazing," Wilson said in an interview. "The music is not about just music anymore, it's about the look, the 'it' factor if you will ... it's marketing."

True, looks have always been a part of the music business:Diana Ross played a model in the movie "Mahogany,"Marianne Faithfull was considered a beauty,Tina Turner's legs were part of her sex appeal,Olivia Newton-John was the lovely girl-next-door and Stevie Nicks rocked teenage boys with more than just her guitar.

But there also were stars like wild-haired, pudgy Janis Joplin and Barbra Streisand, who challenged beauty standards with her protruding nose. Even curvy Aretha Franklin was known mainly for her one-of-a-kind voice.

Today, it's hard to find a singer larger than a size 6 and without a sexy look —all of which are played up with sensuous videos, modeling spreads and provocative magazine covers. Lavigne, who once scoffed at singers who stripped for the cameras, fronts the new issue of Blender topless save for a strategically placed banner that reads "Hell Yeah, I'm Hot!"

The hit reality show "Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search for the Next Doll" is a striking example. In finding a replacement for current lead doll, stunner Nicole Scherzinger, the judging panel — which included the cosmetically enhanced rapper Lil' Kim — did talk about vocal qualities. But while a few contestants had strong voices, all were taut, toned and sexy, and the focus was more on their dancing and overall desirability. Which is to be expected from the group responsible for the anthem "Don't Cha" (as in, "don't cha wish your girlfriend was hot like me?").

Even singers who are heralded for their talent are gorgeous, like Alicia Keys, Corinne Bailey Rae or Norah Jones. And while critically acclaimed Amy Winehouse may not win any beauty contests, her songs have a raw sexuality that give her that "it" factor.

Dolly Parton, whose buxom figure sometimes overshadowed her talent as a songwriter and singer, said being "a good looking woman certainly can't hurt you any if you're trying to make it."

"But I would like to believe that true and great and pure talent will rise above whatever else," the country legend said in an interview. "But certainly in music these days, the better you look, the more apt you're going to get a contract.

"It's a damn pity, though, that people have to judge real talent on looks."

Gerson says the way female artists look reflects our society, where women are constantly judged on their appearance and oversexualized. But she also says it reflects the way we listen to music these days — or don't listen.

"They have to look hot and sexy in these videos," says Gerson, who is credited with helping discover Alicia Keys, among others, and is now executive vice president of the U.S. Creative division of EMI Music Publishing.

"In the days of Aretha Franklin, people saw Aretha maybe a couple of times a year," she said, "but you listened to a record without a visual. You didn't watch it. Everything today, you watch it."

Gerson also agrees with Wilson about the marketing factor. With dwindling profits and budgets, record labels try to maximize artist exposure with clothing deals, cosmetic contracts, movie roles and modeling gigs.

"How many endorsements does Beyonce have? Do you think it's because she's the most talented person on earth or do you think it's because she's gorgeous? I think she's talented but she's also gorgeous," Gerson says. "I think you need the whole package."

And that notion, according to Wilson, "totally sucks."

"My favorite singers in the world were Patsy Cline and Loretta Lynn, and Patsy was a large woman, and Loretta — she was never some kind of a supermodel, but they were the greatest female voices in country music, and they changed lives and they made a difference," says Wilson, who, although considered sexy, feels she doesn't fit today's beauty standards.

Where are the Patsy Clines of today? More often than not on smaller, underground labels, which put more of a premium on talent. And with the devolution of today's music industry, Gerson says, small labels may be the best path to success for a woman who doesn't look like a mold of a Barbie doll.

So how would Gerson advise the flat-chested, overweight, amazingly talented singer to chase her dream? Put out her own music and promote herself on the Web.

"As far as we've come as women," Gerson asked, "where are we really?"

http://news.yahoo.com/s/a...xy_singers

Krytonite said:

Agreed but its always been this way since the dawn of the time, right or wrong. Especially now that Media/Magazines and videos have merged with Music. Rihanna was signed because she can get magazine covers, not because she can get people to see her LIVE show. I however, would not consider Alicia Keys Amy whinehouse and Norah Gorgeous women, they are attractive but HAVE talent to back it, they werent signed for their look, but its a double standard, you can have someone like Ryan Adams come out and look like a sack of dirt or Justin Timberlake look like he needs a shower, but we are always checking females on their outift,hair,asses,legs u name it.

Krytonite said:

That's cold.

Pissdribble. Maybe if these so-called "ugly" girls sang something more interesting than the regular shouty subpar Pop/R&B nonsense they're required to do on American Idol, then they'd have a bigger chance.

If LaKisha and Melinda want to go away, find a sound of their own and come back then all power to them. Winning that competition doesn't mean anything unless you're planning to stick around and re-evaluate how you want to market yourself. A good voice isn't going to get you that far these days because you've got a hell of a lot of competition. Just like the paragraph said about Amy Winehouse, she's no oil painting but her songs and sound have the "it" factor.

NEWSFLASH: ATTRACTIVE PEOPLE ARE POPULAR


it's always been this way and it will always continue to be so. and it's true for almost all aspects of society, not just entertainment. good looking people get ahead, and it's NOT just for women either. men may have more leeway in the looks department, but being attractive sure helps a whole lot.

The only thing I have an objection to is the pretty girls getting contracts when they have hardly any talent at all (Cassie, Rihanna etc.), but I don't see why they should be grouped in the same category as Beyonce, Shakira and Pink.

Stephanie Mills, Cheryl Lynn, Gladys Knight and Patti LaBelle would not be able to get a record deal if they were starting out now. And if they did, they would be relegated to the Urban AC Charts...that's where the fat, non-sexy, black women go. Are there exceptions? Yes...but it's certainly not the rule now.
[Edited 5/18/07 14:47pm]

PurpleCharm said:

Some poeple are giving the likes of Melinda Doolittle a bit too much credit. Her voice is nowhere near as good as those women.

This is one of the things I hate about American Idol. Some people can hold notes and sing on key pleasantly, but their voices aren't special.

Ellie said:

I was saying this before I ever heard of Melinda Doolittle. As a matter of fact, I've been saying this for years. AI has absolutely nothing to do with my opinion.

OK, I was just responding to the article.

What you're saying is just a fact of the industry in the age of the video and mass-consumption of music and news via the internet anyway. If you've got a great voice but you're not stunning, you've got to at least have songwriting talent as well to get noticed.

I read that article this morning. Unfortunately this is very true. And we have music videos to thank for that. No matter how good you can sing You have to be at least an 8 with a figure to match. Sure there's Jill Scott, Angie Stone and Indie Arie. These three can sing circles around Rihanna, Ciara and Cassie. But because they all look like plain janes, They just won't get the recognition. PurpleCharm was right on the money saying that Stephanie Mills, Cheryl Lynn, Gladys Knight and Patti Labelle wouldn't get contracts nowadays. The sad thing about it is, we're missing out on the next generation of great singers who won't even try to make it because they don't have the looks.

I happen to think Jill Scott and Angie Stone are very beautiful. They take really great photographs. All of them aren't properly "ugly" in the slightest, you just won't see them on MTV in hotpants grinding away on a stripper pole.

In mainstream music, women have to have the talent AND the look. I hate this. I sometimes feel like I shouldn't bother doing my music because no one wants to hear a fat girl play piano and sing. Even the women that are praised for being deep thoughtful songwriters still look good in a halter top and low rise jeans.

UCantHavaDaMango said:

Don't let this warped society stop you from doing your music. There's an audience out there for you.
[Edited 5/18/07 17:38pm]

PurpleCharm said:

Thank you Purple Charm! I know that some people will enjoy it, but I don't think I'll ever go mainstream. It's ok with me tho. I'd rather play for small audiences who really like me, than change to become a part of someone's marketing machine.

sextonseven said:

and yet not as accurate as "And while critically acclaimed Amy Winehouse may look like someone set her face on fire and put it out with a bag of nickles..."

RZR said:

Ellie said:

I Think they're both beautiful also. But they're being held back because they don't look like the Pussycat Dolls.

ThePunisher said:

and the same would be true if they were working at Wal-Mart instead of as singers. good looking people get ahead in life easier than average or ugly people

RZR said:

I'm not sure how old you are, but you have to know that it was not always about looks in the music business. That's why I listed several women that the average person would not consider to be attractive or sexy, but they were able to have a career because it was about the talent, not what you looked like. If those same ladies were starting their careers now, it would be extremely difficult.

Do you think a plus size woman like Cheryl Lynn would be able to do uptempo jams and have her videos played on TRL if she were starting out now?

PurpleCharm said:

Quote of the year.

It really bother's and disgusts me that there is an expectation for women to be beautiful and sexy in the music industry. What happened to talent being the real neccessity?

I watched a TV show once, about female artists and male artists. The male list was much, much stronger, because they are allowed to be in the industry without being "picture perfect," where as the female list was weak - because it was full of pretty faces with weak talent.
Thats where the root of the problem is. Society expects women to look a certain way and if they don't - fuck what they can write or sing.

Tori Amos is the prime example. She is a serious singer/ songwriter who has written some amazing songs... If she were a man she'd be hailed a bloody genius. But she has a vagina - the fact that she doesn't look like a busty blonde and sing about love affairs means that she is ignored laregely by the charts and media.


DOUBLE STANDARDS.

PurpleCharm said:

no. in fact, i would argue that had she been prettier, she would have had more hits back then, because she doesn't have all that many.

RZR said:

With your logic, Patti LaBelle and Gladys Knight should be virtually hitless, but since that's not the case...well, I'll stop right there.

PurpleCharm said:

i don't know... Gladys is a pretty decent looking woman. and Patti doesn't actually have that many hits.

Fiona01 said:

I couldn't say it any better.

There was this column by some jazz critic(a jazz freak more like it) and he made a remark about Charlie Parker playing behind Billie Holiday being the "setback of his career"(( )).

I stopped and figured "Ok, true! Bird is a genius and his place is not behind anybody no matter how fiercely talented they are".

But then he rambled on & on about Billie being a crazy crackhead(overlooking the fact that Charlie is a drug addict too, which is beside the point) who should be committed to Bellevue and step aside to let Charlie come to the forefront.

I thought, if Charlie was a woman, he'd be considered as a "good" as Billie,,,,which both would've been doomed as "Bellevue patients".

Your post reminded me of that

RZR said:

Very true RZR however if Wal-Mart ran their business like the music business, They'd go bankrupt. Cause i've seen some fugly people working there. And that includes the cat who tried to sell my wife and I a 24 pack of toilet paper in the parking lot after we got done shopping.

ThePunisher said:

Exactly, if retail outlets imposed the same policies as showbiz than they would go out of business, so although they may prefer beautiful people behind the checkout, there are only so many beautiful people who will want to work at Wal-Mart especially if they know they can get a seven figure contract in the music industry for looking very beautiful and just being able to hold a tune.

And let's face it most people are not drop dowm gorgeous. Most people are between plain and attractive.