Hope I Die Before I Get Old

Billy Corgan complains to MSNBC

Pete Townshend has essentially been saying the same thing as Corgan here. While the cult of celebrity is more pronounced in pop music than it was 20 or 30 years ago, it's not much more dire.

After all, when Motown was at its peak of influence, the manufacturing of pop was not only a priority, it was considered artistic. That the process is exposed via "American Idol" or "Making a Pop Star" isn't any worse--it's actually better. These shows are merely revealing that behind 15 minutes of fame is an elaborate production, something Broadway and Hollywood has known for decades.

Doesn't value the icon? Jeez Billy, I'd say it does. And if anything, technology is on the verge of granting musicianship to anyone with a computer and a $50 application called iLife. It's easy to remain cynical, especially for a guy like Corgan who is no longer musically relevant, but in the end the possibilities have never been better and the revolution never closer.