Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, April 27, 1990 TAG: 9004270055
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: E-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MICHAEL MILLS COX NEWS SERVICE
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Just ask Johnny Depp, who made his starring film debut in the recently released "Cry Baby." Despite an avalanche of publicity, the John Waters musical comedy made a disappointing $3 million its first week of release and less than $1 million last week.
Where were the legions of teen-agers who helped make Depp's TV series, "21 Jump Street," a hit?
"I think a lot of it is that Johnny isn't real accessible to his young fans," said Julie Laufer, editor of "Bop" and "Big Bopper," two teen magazines with a combined international circulation of about 850,000. "He has said in many interviews he doesn't want to be in teen-age entertainment magazines. He doesn't think highly of them."
The target audience for Laufer's magazines consists of young teen girls in small towns. It's important to her readers that they relate to their idols, she said.
"If they play somebody nice and vulnerable and emotional and sensitive, and things don't always go their way, our readers have a tendency to relate to that, because they can share some of those same feelings."
There's also an element of budding sexuality involved with teen idolatry, said Jack Nachbar, professor of popular culture at Ohio's Bowling Green State University.
"For a teen-age girl, idols are safe," Nachbar said. "They're not a real test of one's sexual allure at a time when teen-age girls are very self-conscious, very unsure of themselves. A lot of them are just going through puberty, so that's a touchy time, and it's easy therefore to take on this kind of highly emotional thing with somebody who is at a safe distance."
Depp fit the bill when "21 Jump Street" first aired three seasons ago, Laufer said.
"The girls didn't know that much about him yet. He's handsome on the show, and his character is emotional and vulnerable. He did become very popular, but as he spoke out more, he became distant to his young audience."
As Nachbar and Laufer point out, the young audience is extremely fickle.
"They're real trend-oriented. Their main concern is acceptance," Nachbar said. "This goes with, I think, the whole business of being insecure. Something catches on and you don't want to be left out, so you grab onto it as quickly as you can. And then you don't want to be seen as sticking with it too long because the danger is then you'll be thought of as a has-been."
"They are loyal to a point, but not when they're cut down," said Laufer. "There's a lot of other people out there that they can put their energies - and their money - toward."
Greater spending power is an important distinction between the young fans of today and those who popularized such early teen idols as Rudy Vallee and Frank Sinatra.
Kids between 12 and 19 spend about $30 billion annually these days, and the teen magazines are a $100 million-a-year market. With that kind of financial clout, teen fans can make or break an idol.
Exposure is another factor, said Laufer, adding that musicians often fare better as teen idols than actors. Judging from reader fan mail, she said New Kids on the Block are THE hot teen idols of the moment.
"Young teen-agers need that stimulation almost daily, and that's why musicians seem to really gain the popularity, because their fans can listen to their voices and see their videos every day."
The simple fact of aging ultimately comes into play, according to Nachbar, who said a teen idol who doesn't work hard to broaden his image and appeal can expect to fade fast.
"If you don't act like you're 17 anymore, kids just aren't interested. The only person I know of who's really been able to maintain that sort of rebellious, sneering image for any long length of time would be somebody like Mick Jagger, who is actually starting to look a little bit ridiculous.
"But most of these people are associated with youth, and that's why there's the sense of identification."
by CNB