14 DAY TRIAL // 'Twinkle, twinkle little star/ How I wonder where you are...'. Remember this? I do and it immediately got me thinking about all those celebrities who are trying to make a comeback into the spotlight. Some fail miserably, others make it big for the second time in their careers but only one thing is common to all: the desire not to be forgotten, not to slip into that corner of shade destined to washed-up stars, to have their names again on everybody's lips.
Some celebs are more than famous for their obstinacy to shine again like they did in the past and the consequence is that we, the general public, have to stand and witness lame attempts at reviving sagging careers, absurd comments and press statements that are meant to attract attention but end up by being simply ridiculous. The general feel is that, more or less, we are forced to swallow it all and not ask a single question about it but, in the end, it's us who decide which one stays and which goes for ever.
By simply casting a general look over these past couple of weeks, at least two big names come to mind in relation to making a comeback: Michael Jackson and Britney Spears. The first instance is already a closed case: Jacko will never sing again! He proved that (and more) with his World Music Awards stint, when he showed to the entire world that he is no longer able to sing as he used to.
To sum up a very, very long story (plus, I imagine everyone knows about Michael and his music career), the end came for him once he was accused of molesting a child. Acquittal, in his case, meant absolutely nothing, as the public got to decide on its own whether he was a 'pedophile' or not. Anyway, the label stuck to him and he had no other choice than to leave the States and exile himself to the farthest corner of the world.
Meanwhile, the loyal fans, the ones who still believed in his innocence, were kept waiting by Michael's repeated promises that he would release another album, one that wouldn't flop as 'HIStory' did. Year after year, said album was delayed without explanation and people were already doubtful about whether it would ever come out. Then, it was heard that the King of Pop would be performing at the WMAs in London and sing his greatest hit ever, 'Thriller'.
The excitement rose to such proportions that, when he finally arrived in England, he got literally ambushed by the paparazzi, the media and the fans. What came out of all of that? Jackson on a stage, surrounded by children (oh, how the British and international media trashed him for that!), trying to sing a couple of lines from his 'We Are the World' and failing to rise a note. His voice cracked, his fans cried and some even booed him off the stage.
That was done and over with. The mighty public has spoken: Michael Jackson will never come back! For all of us, he will still remain the greatest performer of all times, the best-selling artist that ever lived and, at the same time, the freakiest black/white man of all. He is now just a celebrity for being a 'freak show' (that's how the media labeled him) and no more an artist in the true sense of the word.
And we now come to our second comeback singer, on whose fate the people haven't decided yet. Of course it's Britney Spears! The pop star, one of the best-selling female artists of all time (despite the questionable amount of talent she has) has been in self-imposed retirement for the last two years or so. Her rise to fame is due, as I was saying, not to her talent (like in Michael's case), but thanks to the fact that she came out at the right moment, when there was such a frenzy over manufactured pop stars.
Among all those girl and boy bands, Brit Brit was like a breath of fresh air. Later, she realized that the girlie-girlie routine and lyrics no longer worked out for her and she went for a more mature, provocative and sexy image which earned her millions and millions. She became The Icon, the ultimate image of pop stardom.
Then came the downfall. Britney chose to marry her backup dancer, Kevin Federline, a man who was obviously out for financial gain and a lifestyle he couldn't afford. She gave birth to two babies and soon made it into all the headlines for her inability to take care of them (dropping Sean Preston on the floor of a store and driving with him on her lap). America was outraged: what had happened to our princess? Is she turning into a redneck, a base woman who chews gum with her mouth open, burps in front of the camera and walks barefoot into a public restroom?
Finally, Spears got wiser and dumped the biggest dead weight that was holding her down: K-Fed. It's no use telling you how the world greeted her and which was the universal reaction when she made that special appearance on Letterman, looking sexy again and apparently on the way back to success: at last, the moment has come!
The sad part is that lately, Britney has been hanging a lot with Paris Hilton and her influence is visible on the impressionable singer. Just yesterday, Spears flashed her blue underwear in the true Paris-like spirit, while looking like a disheveled hooker you meet at each corner of the street. Since her friendship with the heiress began, many are the voices that claim she is already ruining her newly half improved image, switching one lesser evil (Federline) for the biggest evil of all times (Paris).
Rumor has it that Britney is now recording for a new album, scheduled to come out next year, and for a third personal fragrance. Things are looking up again for her and, who knows, maybe she'll make it the second time around. That's only up to us to decide...
To conclude: today, comebacks are a must. Whether they are successful or not, the artists who attempt them are not to have a say; the public decides on this, but one should never forget that there's a limit (both temporal and behavioral) that must never be crossed.
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