http://www.zennie62.com - Ok. Maybe I'm being a grump but who the heck is Zac Efron? All of a sudden I'm told some guy named "Zac Efron" is a star, an idol, and - like I care because I'm straight and male - a hunk. So what! Why him? Why not someone Black? I'm concerned that we as a society don't think critically about what institutions push at us to consume -- Efron's a great example. I fail to see why he's star and I am derisive of the system that tells me he is. Zac's not the product of a vote on American Idol and if he were on it, he would not win. I learned that Efron's voice was digitally blended with that of Disney singer Andrew Seeley for the album for "High School Musical" in 2007. So if he needed that kind of help, there's no way he'd survive "Idol" at all. I'm surprised Simon Cowell actually offered him a record deal, and Cowell can thank God and Efron, for Efron's rejection of the offer. The failure of his record would have made Cowell look real bad. The fact is Zac Efron's the product of a Disney PR machine that's produced Britany Spears, Christina Aquilera, Miley Sirus, Vanessa Hudgens, and other famous singers, and all either white or "of color" but light-skinned. The only exception is "Raven", the star of "That's so Raven." If you're saying "Why the focus on race?" my counter is because Disney's focused on race, and in fact a commitment to diversity, while more desirable, is still an emphasis of race - you can't escape that fact. But I'm tired of having a certain kind of look pushed at me and in the collective face of the industrialized World without a vote. That's what makes Susan Boyle's story so cool! The World voted for her 30 million times if you consider the video views as votes. And if you think of the rise of Hip-Hop and Rap stars, that could not have happened without a vote by dollar: white guys and white girls buying their albums (and without Disney's influence.) That dynamic has produced many a Black sex symbol and yes to white women. LL Cool J is a great ...
