Semipopular
I read a great article in Sunday's New York Times Magazine about KCRW's programming director Nic Harcourt who is also the host of possibly the best radio show going, Morning Becomes Eclectic.
The article called Nic "The Star Maker of the Semipopular".
That's what I want to be - semipopular.
My mom always told me "everything in moderation". That's a good rule to live life by.
I think being too popular isn't a good thing. You often crash and burn that way.
Obviously being unpopular isn't a great way to go about living life either.
But semipopular, that's a great place to be.
So I would be happy to be taken off all these nutty lists. I don't want to be a star. I want to be semipopular.
Ever watch Spanglish? Reminds me of when Sandler's character aim's for 3.5 stars instead of 4, to keep the restaurant down to earth.
Posted by: Darby | June 27, 2005 at 03:52 PM
Exactly so. Just to narrow it to musicians, who that has become known in the last, say, dozen years that is highly popular is really any good. IOW, leaving aside the Dylan's, the Willie Nelson's, etc., who's really big that doesn't stink?
Look at your lists. No real huge stars there (living, that is). Current greats like Steve Earle, Lucinda Williams (revealing my tastes, but the point is still the same), they're ... yes, semi-popular. Robert Earl Keen, Scott Miller. Semi-popular. It's the best you can do.
Posted by: bskeels | June 27, 2005 at 05:11 PM
Nick Harcourt is a playa'!
Posted by: Raj Bala | June 27, 2005 at 06:01 PM
Isn't semi-popular what the "B-List" is all about anyway though? :)
I'm on it too, but I feel pretty comfortable there because I'm not the target of any "Why is HE on there" chatter, and yet I probably get more traffic that half of the people on the A-List. It's a good place to be, considering that lists will be lists and people will always try to compile them.
Posted by: Mike D. | June 27, 2005 at 10:19 PM