Whatever happened to the star system ?

This article is a lament over the dismal state of entertainment. For those of you who are with me on this one, be prepared : it’s going to be a lengthy read.

Just a few moments ago, Narin asked me to watch the interview with Shah Rukh Khan on AlJazeera. I was quite impressed by the interview, but I was especially impressed with one of Shah Rukh Khan’s responses – something about the star system, and how it is business-related. He mentioned ; films from some great filmmaking countries – England and France in particular – have dwindled primarily because the star system is gone. Narin countered me, saying that it all had to do with demand. Shah Rukh Khan even continued by saying that it is through this star system that people in the performing arts are given an elevated status, and it is this elevated status that keeps the industry running.

I find a lot of sense in Shah Rukh Khan’s words. What happened to the star system ? Same goes for music – where is that zest the people are looking for ? (I won’t be mentioning films a lot here because my domain is music.) When we look at the hub of showbiz – take the United States – the average, chart-topping recording artiste records one album in the span of one year (or perhaps, 1.5 years). Britney Spears’ album “Blackout” was released in 2007 and a later album, “Circus”, was released in 2008. And many stars over there are given the demi-god status (not that they’re God, it’s just… they are elevated) ! The recording process takes place almost immediately after the talent search series are over because new talents are hunted down by recording studios and treated like gold. David Archuleta released his début album towards the end of 2008 (when we know full well that American Idol stretched from the beginning of the year to mid-May) !

In France (because I keep track of French pop as well) the number of performers who are given this elevated position are few and far between, and without this elevation, will they record ever so frequently ? No ! Mylène Farmer is an exception – she has already released several albums over the span of her career, and between each album is a time frame of two years (yeah, well, it defers slightly from the average, but it is still acceptable, and practically everyone around me knows Farmer by her red bouffant hairstyle and her ability to hit the really high notes). My other two favourites, possibly among the “favourite list” of French-speakers all over, Alizée and Zazie, might not have been given this elevation – or have they ? It’s saddening to note that while their potential and their star quality are there, they release a new album once in three years. That’s a bit too long for our liking.

Even the Japanese and Korean markets seem to be doing way better, with all that buzz over J-pop and K-pop. TVXQ, the Korean vocal group, staged their concert in KL towards the end of 2007 and even if I wasn’t there, I could already sense it – the throng of fans and spectators gathering just to hear their voices ! Everyone seems to know other names – FT Island, Rain (K-pop), Utada Hikaru, Ayumi Hamasaki, Yui, Angela Aki, News (J-pop), and the list is endless.

Now, Malaysia comes into the picture.

Because this is my home.

And it is Malaysia’s music industry that draws my concern. Oh, my heart aches.

To this very day, hardly anyone knows Malaysian artistes by the tips of his fingers. Perhaps Siti Nurhaliza, Jaclyn Victor and Too Phat, and to a certain extent, Pop Shuvit, are given international recognition – of course, Siti’s recognition was spurred by her performance at the Royal Albert Hall in London some years back. (And to be honest, when I mentioned Pop Shuvit in front of Narin, she asked me, “Who on earth is Pop Shuvit ?”) Otherwise, many bona fide talents just remain home, and I daresay, many people in the entertainment industry lack talent too. The way I oversee our music industry, the truly talented ones are coming in, no doubt, but we seem to be a dying breed. Not much emphasis is given to our home-grown artistes. If we turn on the radio – particularly the English radio stations, we hear what’s on Billboard – mainly artistes from the United States and the United Kingdom, and many people notice that many of these "hits" lack musicality, and are often dismissed as junk. Over here, in my beloved home, some names surface for a while and then disappear ! Some names stay, but within a small market – ours. I haven’t seen any spectacular breakthroughs yet !

Are we just happy doing it here alone, or are we afraid to break out of our shells and touch others’ hearts, in other places in the world, regardless of language or culture ? Are we too afraid of constraints and restraints from the huge shadow which is overcast on us all ? Oh pitié, where is the star system ? And if there is one, justify it.

Sooner or later, I’ll take the task of providing proper entertainment upon myself – there is good entertainment if we know where to find it. It can come from an unknown area in the world, but if it is good, there’re no second thoughts about it. There needs to be a revival where music is concerned.

And I, troisnyx*, pledge to contribute to this revival ; and if I don’t have the chance to do it within my lifetime, then it is a life not worth living.