Should there be a limit to an artists flamboyance?

No limits.

 

I took your somewhat covert original post and thought about it for a bit and I believe we might well be in agreement.

 

80 mph

 

No limit. - can choose to ignore a gimic

if their material is up to snuff I'll pay attention

Bowie, young Eno, Early Elton, peter Gabriel, ian anderson, early Alice Cooper

 

So you support the dismemberment of live chickens?

 

Lmao I thought that was Ozzy?

 

Flamboyance is usually only considered that in its time. As the years roll on, flamboyance more often than not is looked upon retroactively as being groundbreaking and/or non-conformist.

So where our folks (mine, anyway) saw Little Richard and Esquerita as flamboyant, they now seem like artists who transcended their era, instead of being trapped within the social confines of it. Same goes for James Brown, Jimi Hendrix, Elton John, and Madonna.

This doesn't always work, of course. The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, KISS, and Alice Cooper often pushed their flamboyant leanings into the realm of self-parody.

Time will be the ultimate judge of Lady Gaga and the rest of today's performers. I personally think Miley Cyrus pushed her flamboyance well past the realm of ridiculousness. But if pornography and music eventually come together to form a new artistic genre (something I've long felt will happen), maybe she'll be seen as an innovator. And, no, that last line isn't an April Fool's joke.

 

The limit is the safety of their audience, as long as no one gets hurt let the show carry on.

 

It's ok to have fun.

 

Well, of course it helps that the music rocks hard and kicks ass, but Little Richard wouldn't be the same without his flamboyance (which, in a sense, affects his vocal performance).

 

I was thinking this as well. What this generation considers flamboyant and/or "out there" the next might not.

As for Miley Cyrus you're giving her far too much credit. If I'm not mistaken Madonna took 'Justify My Love' to #1 and released both 'Erotica' and her 'SEX' book before Cyrus was even born. Let's also not forget that Donna Summer moaned her way through 'Love To Love You Baby' back in 1975, 40 years ago.

 

Well, in the USA, artists can't do the kind of things they could do in Europe. I remember one singer who apparently killed her career because she showed a bit of breast...

 

As far as I know, it was actually Alice Cooper (the band name) in Toronto '69 as an opening act for Lennon's Live Peace in Toronto set with Clapton, Voorman, and Alan White. A great year for R&R, not such a great year for chickens.

 

Are we Big Brother ???

 

Madonna flashed her nipple on multiple occasions during her MDNA tour. I think you are referring to Janet Jackson?...

 

No.

 

Why?..... Have we run out of topics?I'm thinking so.

 

Finally a worse thread concept than What if Paul McCartney Wore Shoes on Abbey Road.

 

We live in a world where over the past 20 years things have changed to where nothing is taboo, everything is acceptable, and therefore nothing is shocking.
Artists who resort to absurd gimmicks were at one time quite successful at using it in place of talent or in tandem with average talent in order to propel themselves into stardom.
But that was back when it was still possible to shock people with appearance and behavior.

I think now they are trying everything to try to get attention, and most often they just come across as self parodies and look a bit silly.

Who would enforce limits on how absurd they can be?
There are only two groups of people who should, one is the law, and the other is the buying public.
If it is legal and the public is buying it up, who is going to put parameters on it?

 

Of course I am.
If there is indeed a limit to how flamboyant one can get, I think we can say we know what that limit is thanks to Ms Jackson.

 

I think you should always take it to the limit.
But just one more time.

 

In order for it to be tolerated I think the general response would need to be something other than "put that away!".

 

He couldn't. He was dead, remember?

 

apparently.