TEEN IDOL

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Contents

Who are "teen idols?"

What makes a teen idol?

Early teen idols

1950-1970s

Since the 1980s

In other countries

In sports

References

See also

Who are "teen idols?"

Teen idols are usually actors or pop singers, but some sports figures have had an appeal to teenagers. The term encapsulates both some of the greatest performers of all time and some of the most inconsequential.
The term refers to someone idolized by teens; a teen idol is often young but in many cases no longer teenaged. Some teen idols are child actors. The idol's popularity may be limited to teens or extend to all age groups.

What makes a teen idol?

Teen idols are usually commonly featured in teen magazines such as ''16 magazine,'' ''Tiger Beat'', ''Right On!'' in the United States and similar magazines elsewhere. With the advent of television, teen idols were also promoted through programs such as ''American Bandstand'', ''The Ed Sullivan Show'', and ''Soul Train''. In Melbourne, Australia a show known as ''Teen Idol'' offers a forum for Teens to sing competitively. Contestants report back that they are treated like 'Idols' by their peers, family and general public after their performance. They are now 'Teen Idols'.
It is the essence of the teen idol to appeal to the burgeoning sexuality of the young without in any way threatening it. As recently as the 1970s, some stars were asked to shave their chests because it was perceived that chest hair was threatening to young girls. In previous times, teen idols were supposed to have an aura of approachability, so they often had to keep romantic relationships and marriages a secret because it was feared it could decrease the popularity of the celebrity. In recent times teen idols have changed though. While most teens are attracted to teen idols that are namely harmless as movie stars, t.v. stars, pop singers, boy bands, or possibly active in the fashion industry some lean towards lifestyles unlike their own. Many members of rock and punk bands are seen as teen idols by more individual teens because the celebrities lead rawer and uncensored lives.
This is believed to be one of the main reasons teenagers are prone to differ so much from one another as some insist on being a stereotype teenie others feel the need to rebel as their idols did/do.

Early teen idols

The teen idol is primarily a phenomenon of 20th century mass communication. Its earliest manifestation (often referred to as matinee idol) may have been Rudolph Valentino, whose good looks and winning way with women featured heavily in such silent movies as ''The Sheik''. But it was probably Frank Sinatra, whose early career is often linked to his appeal to bobby soxers, who is generally regarded as being the first true 'teen idol'.

1950-1970s

Eddie Fisher also had a huge following of screaming and swooning teen-aged fans, but many of them turned against him when he divorced Debbie Reynolds in 1959 to marry Elizabeth Taylor. Brenda Lee and Mousketeer Annette Funicello were among the first female teen idols to achieve widespread popularity.
The great success of Elvis Presley in the 1950s led clever promoters to the deliberate creation of teen idols, such as Frankie Avalon and Fabian. Tommy Sands' debut in a television movie about the phenomenon, ''The Idol'', made a teen idol out of Sands himself. Ricky Nelson, a performer of rockabilly music, also became a teen idol via his parents' television show, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet.
The difference is graphically illustrated by the early career of Presley, who started out playing hard rhythm and blues and jazzed-up country music until he was retrofitted as a teen idol by his management. The lyrics of his "Teddy Bear" explicitly document the change:
:Don't wanna be your tiger, 'cause tigers play too rough,
:Don't wanna be your lion, 'cause lions aren't the kind you love enough;
:I just wanna be your teddy bear.
Likewise, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones were teen idols, especially during the earlier part of their careers. Although both quickly grew out of that status. The Rolling Stones did it through a more rebellious image, The Beatles did it through their more developed(or "Grown up") music.

Since the 1980s

The manufacturing of teen idols has been marketed more aggressively and with greater sophistication since the 1980s. The rise of MTV in the 1980s and the success of the boy bands of the 1990s and 2000s has continued to fuel the phenomenon. Besides the obvious combination of what are perceived to be good, clean-cut looks and a ubiquitous, almost invasive marketing campaign, one of the key selling points of the "manufactured band" is the "something for everyone" approach, although this strategy has been criticised for being more along the lines of "something for everyone who hasn't had much exposure to music." Each band member can be promoted separately for a unique look and one-note personality: the "shy one," the "intelligent one," "the rebel," and so on. Examples of modern day teen idols are Zac Efron, Ashley Tisdale, Miley Cyrus, RBD, while in the 1990s, Leonardo DiCaprio was a major teen idol.

In other countries

Teen idols are popular in Asian countries, especially in the Philippines, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea and Taiwan.

In sports

Basketball player Michael Jordan is considered a teen idol.

References

See also

★ List of teen idols

★ American Idol

★ Boy band

★ Sex symbol

★ Pin-up

★ Matinee idol

★ Celebrity crush

★ List of Asian teen idols

★ List of Latin teen idols