Do you think it makes what they used to do seem "older" than it would have been otherwise? It's like people kinda tend to forget about their other life, because they get a new instant image in the media when people think of their name. It gives the illusion that their former career is longer ago than it really is.

For instance, it seems like less people know about Jerry Springer's earlier life (although he wasn't really "famous" in a household way pre-1995...either in politics, as a news anchor or even in the serious, early incarnation of his talk show). In the late '90s, it was recent enough in people's minds, but alot of people today don't even seem to know the show was anything other than trashy.

I've also used this example before, but Paula Abdul's music career seemed to suddenly get viewed much older after American Idol. I can get a pretty close parallel by comparing her to Janet Jackson. They're pretty close in age, had at least somewhat similar music and were popular around the same time (even if Janet probably had commercial success a little longer). Yet nowadays, when people think of her music, it's still talked about like it's a recentish part of the pop cultural memory. Even the Control era.

In the late '90s or even 2001, when people talked about Paula it was the same way. Like a young star who was popular "several years back" or "some time ago". Despite it's datedness, it was very far from being old. It's pretty astonishing how fast this changed with AI. I imagine if not for that, people would still talk about her musical career in a Janet Jackson-esque way, because there'd be nothing else to compare it to.

I guess another example I could use is Lionel Richie. Now he's "Nicole Richie's dad, and oh yeah, he used to be a pop star back in the '80s too." I admit it ticks me off when I hear that, because to me it's the other way around. ;)

It's not reallly an accurate comparison because even though they started around the same time Janet Jackson had huge hit songs in the 2000s while Paula Abdul hadn't had a hit for a while at that point. Ten plus years is a bit more than a little, isn't it?

Janet is still successful today to the extent of releasing CDs with big enough hits, but I think her last really recognizable song to most people was "Back Together Again" from 1998. While Paula did release Head Over Heels in '95, which actually was pretty good and sounded of its time (maybe even a little advanced, as it was more R&B and hip hopesque), you're right that it wasn't as commercially successful as her 1989-1992 period.

I guess things usually stay in the pop cultural memory for about 10 years after they're big. So in that sense, Idol was timed perfectly, lol. In the entire '90s, even the "deep Eighties" music that was tied to that period, people still remembered and talked about like it wasn't that long ago. Like Huey Lewis, Journey or Hall and Oates. What freaks me out is how alot of that stuff is like a mere footnote of history now.

I bet there's teenagers that are only familiar with Flava Flav as an annoying reality show personality than a member of an 80's/early 90's hardcore  rap group...

A good example of a career change is the UK duo Everything But the Girl.  They were a jazz group who had several hits throughout Europe in the 80s and early 90s.  

In 1995, an American DJ named Todd Terry remixed their single 'Missing' and it reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 giving them their first ever US hit.  Banking on this success, they began recording in the Eletronica/Dance genre, and evnetually hit #1 on the US Dance chart with several singles, also giving them a constant stream of UK Top 40 hits, something they never achieved in the 80s

Deborah Gibson as a stage actress, but most people are only familiar with her as an 80's pop princess. Also unaware that she still releases music.

Rex smith really did it...
he was a pop idol and actor and now has a Real Estate firm.

I would say Mark Wahlberg falls into this category as well. He's a fairly well know actor today, it seems like very few people remember he used to be a rapper.

and he's really good...

and he's really good...



His brother's not so bad either...he's come a long way from being a member of New Kids On The Block. ;)

Does anyone agree that things like this really are a prime example of how awkward the passing of time is? Aside from the actual careers of people you like gaining years....it's weird to have it doubled with the image you've always had of them getting pushed to the backseat in favor of what they're doing today. Like I still view Lionel Richie and Paula Abdul for their music and how they were known originally (maybe because I remember), so it's weird to me that everyone else doesn't see it the same way, if that makes sense. When I experience stuff like this, it reminds me that I'm getting older.