Who cares what she sounds like as long as she has big t*ts

You're right, of course, about the 'Warbling Barbie': she couldn't sing to save her life, but she has blonde hair and a great chest.

But that's true as well of Girls Aloud, Britney Spears and many other 'pop tarts' over the years. Classical music labels are in dire need of sales, and they've just resorted to tactics used by pop labels. Still, it does mean that they can still rerelease genuine classics from their back catalogues.

I'd hope she had a nice bum and legs too!

..and while I'm on the subject how does Andrea Bocelli manage to sell so many cds - can it be that people feel sorry for him which as far as I can see is the only reason why anyone would buy anything by Paul Potts who would not even make the chorus of the Wivelsfield parish church christmas amateur dramatics society show (even if he took lessons).

quote:

Originally posted by BigH47:
I'd hope she had a nice bum and legs too!

Oh she's all good (except the voice)

Sexiness, sells anything?

Sniper,
I'm no expert on this subject but I recently saw Katherine Jenkins on the Graham Norton Show elucidating on this point. She was asked about why she did not perform in opera and she said that her voice will not be ready for around 6 or 7 years as it has not yet matured sufficiently. She said this as though it were a recognised fact.
I'm not a fan of opera or Katherine Jenkins but if this is true then give the girl time to mature (even though she looks well developed to me!). After all, Usain Boult would not have won his gold medal 7 years ago!
Regards,
Steve.

Hi Steve,

Yes, she answered exactly the same on the Parkinson show without breaking her dazzling smile for even a second and there is a little truth in it - her peak may come in around 6 or 7 years but that does not keep her from the Royal Opera house today and she would know this. Plenty of british opera stars were performing lead roles in their mid 20s. I've heard better than her in touring opera. Shame really as she is stunning, but I don't suppose she would mind as she is laughing all the way to the bank and good luck to her. I just wish that when I go to HMV shopping for classical music I have a choice between commercial releases aimed at people who get their opera from 'Britains got talent' and say something recorded at La Scala. Wherever I looked, piano, violin, cello,flute all I saw in HMV was young, beatiful and busty babes with minimal qualifications for solo recording. Yes, sex sells. I will give up on HMV.

Regards,

Sniper

Sniper:

That's because shows like Idle Americans, Britain's Got Talent, etc just show the absolute and nearly complete lack of musical taste and knowledge of the public...and the complete and total shite that passes for quality in music these days. Most young people these days are listening to music (such as it is) while surfing the internet on crappy little speakers or iPod headphones. Corporate a-holes with MBAs & accounting degrees now control most of the mainstream music industry...and it shows.

It's all a sign of the impending apocalypse...

quote:

Wherever I looked, piano, violin, cello,flute all I saw in HMV was young, beatiful and busty babes with minimal qualifications for solo recording. Yes, sex sells. I will give up on HMV.

Ok sniper, lets say that in general I agree with you, perhaps the Classic fm phenomina.
However I would hope you would not easily dismiss the artist because of looks. Beauty CAN have talent too.
I was fortunate enough to listen to Andrea Bocelli singing arias from The Merry Widow at The Arena in Verona, yes he was miked, so were all the performers, he did not do the full oparetta but how difficult would that be to direct with a blind performer? Does that mean he should not perform? Discrimanatory surely. That same season a young Jose Cura sang Rameses in Aida, did he sound significantly better?
Significantly different, sure, Cura had greater deapth although Bocelli was much more lyric in tone. By the way, Callas was considered a bit of a beauty (?) in some circles but I believe she could chant a bit.
I personally have high hopes for Ms Jenkins, particularly 'cos she's a Babe. Why must we always have to wait for the fat lady to sing
Charlie

I don't think anyone here is positing the theory that good looks preclude talent, but it does seem to all smack of the "sex sells" thing...

Even when one considers the mawkish phenomenon that is American Idol; notice that the only winning "performers" one hears about after the fact are generally the attractive females, The rest fade into the oblivion that would be the appropriate destination for all of them...

And unfortunately performers who are good looking (particularly so with the distaff side) have to fight the notion that the only reason they have "made it" is because of their appearance. I know that Diana Krall has suffered from this criticism, whether rightly or wrongly. Ditto Norah Jones. (Who I think is an absolute hottie.)

You have picked an appropriate user name there Sniper!

This thread would be much better with pictures

I had to G**gle the lady in question as I was unaware of her previously.

Gordon Bennett! And she says she hasn't developed? If she develops much more she won't be able to stand up.

The point about sex selling is well made. It's the same throughout the music industry. Beth Ditto is(rightly) standing up against it but I'll bet her record company's marketing team wish she wouldn't...

steve

Tis not the beauty I'm against, far from it, I love beautiful women as much as the next man - what I'm against is when someone can exploit a mediocre talent on the back of er..their front. There ought to be some correlation between how well someone performs and how much they sell but there is not. Katherine jenkins does have some classical credentials but her voice would have got her nowhere without her looks. Bocelli does have a beautiful lyrical voice and he has done real opera but would he have sold quite so many cds if he had not been blind? Would he have sold any at all? There are so many jobbing opera singers out there who have trained for years, can play 2 or 3 instruments or at least (say)the piano to grade 8, who have learnt Italian, French, perhaps even Russian, who have learnt entire roles in considerable depth if not the entire opera and not just a few pop arias and who do it for love not for fame nor money. What these devoted and talented performers think when the see and hear Paul Potts I shudder to think. I maintain Katherine jenkins will never sing a lead role on the stage of a major opera house. The excuse will be she has got married and wants to devote herself to her children etc. (although she will still give concerts of course) and the classic fm brigade will fall for it. I think she is gorgeous. Given half the chance I would love to check out her tonsils myself but I won't be buying any of her cds in a hurry.

Many fair points well put Sniper. I do not necessarily disagree with you, and believe it will only get worse as sex continues, as always to sell. One need only look at mainstream pop music to see manufactured bands everywhere. Music downloading could probably come into this very swame argument, i.e. the instant gratification of popular work over an understanding of true talent over a breadth of work? My point is not to dismiss someone because of looks (good or bad) It is only by the paying public taking this stance that true talent will win out. Oh, and a HUGE slice of luck

A sad result of the X factor "Music" delivery system?

Hi Sniper,
As I wrote earlier I don't know if KJ claims were genuine or not and as I'm not an opera fan I don't imagine it's something I'll lose sleep over. I think it's true of the music business in general nowadays. You're either instantly marketable or you don't get a fair shot. And it's a phenomena that extends into the entertainment business not just music. How many ugly actors and entertainers do you see out there. It's easier to market pretty people I'm afraid.
Regards,
Steve

Sniper, is this the same Katherine Jenkins??

If so,

I think Jenkins is a bit of a warbler too.

I have a few Bocelli cd's and think he has a wonderful voice... didn't realise he was blind until after I bought the second

I love X Factor

Have a nice day

Regards

Diccus

Well she does look great, but an opera singer should have a good voice. My favorites are Rene Fleming and Susan Graham, they can hit all the high notes they want. Karita Mattila also, incredible singer and actress.

I don't know Katherine Jenkin's work, but even among some of the best classical musicians, the record companies do seem to want to simply use the marketing approaches which have proven successful in other areas. As Joni Mitchell said, sex sells everything. Ann Sophie Mutter and Sharon Isbin are clearly in the first rank of players on their respective instruments, and their artistry would find one audience with blank CD covers, but they are often photographed in a way that might suggest they would like nothing more than playing around the house buck naked, and presumably, this may help them find a larger audience than the blank cover fans might afford.

Nothing new under the sun here, unfortunately.

Cheers,

Bruce

quote:

Originally posted by Spoonboy:
Sniper, is this the same Katherine Jenkins??

If so,

Oh Lord, yes that's her. I think I will forgive her and go out and buy all her stuff. Why did Diccus have to post that pic?