Starlet: A singer, dancer and/or actress known primarily for her beauty, and whose genuine talent is sometimes underestimated because of it.
This is not a definition from a dusty, old dictionary or even a hip new one like the online Urban Dictionary. This definition for "starlet" is one I made up.
Recently, some coworkers and I engaged in a water-cooler discussion about starlets who rose to fame in the late '90s and '00s. These "baby divas" are no longer topping the charts, but have managed to remain in the spotlight and make money through various marketing endeavors.
It struck me that the vamps of the 1980s could learn a lot from the enterprising young starlets of today.
The term "famous for being famous" has been around for a long time, but it's taken on a whole new meaning in the 21st century. Now more than ever, it's possible to become famous for being marginally talented or having no discernible talent other than being good-looking and having an insatiable lust for the limelight.
Back in the '80s when I was growing up, options were relatively limited for "starlets." Guest appearances on TV shows, starring in B movies and make the rounds of the talk-show circuit were pretty much it. But now, there's a wide variety of tools available to extend your 15 minutes of fame.
Two of my teen crushes, who got their start with Prince, were unfairly labeled as starlets: Vanity (Denise Matthews) and Prince's "Purple Rain" costar Apollonia (Patty Kotero). I've had the pleasure of meeting both of these women and they're very nice, accessible people.
Both women shot to fame as the sexy lead singers of the scantily-clad female trio that Prince formed. Each made only one album under Prince's guidance before leaving his camp for solo careers.
Two of my teen crushes, who got their start with Prince, were unfairly labeled as starlets: Vanity (Denise Matthews) and Prince's "Purple Rain" costar Apollonia (Patty Kotero). I've had the pleasure of meeting both of these women and they're very nice, accessible people.
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| Vanity |
Could Vanity or Apollonia belt it out like Aretha Franklin? No, but they could carry a tune, dance and work a stage - just like Britney Spears, Jessica Simpson and some of the other pop divas who continue to appear on magazine covers and garner attention.
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| Apollonia |
Be a talent show judge. Like Paula Abdul, J.Lo, Pussycat Dolls lead singer Nicole Scherzinger and "Scary Spice" Melanie Brown, Vanity and Apollonia could have served a stint as a judge on singing contest like "The Voice," "American Idol" or the now-defunct American version of "The X Factor." To be a judge on one of these shows, what matters most isn't necessarily vocal prowess but an ability to succeed in many different aspects of show business and be an all-around entertainer.
Write a juicy tell-all. Like '90s and '00s video vamp Karrine Steffans, Vanity and Apollonia could have written juicy tell-all memoirs detailing their relationships with Prince and other famous men in the vein of Steffan's best-seller "Confessions of a Video Vixen."
Vanity did go on to write a memoir, "Blame It on Vanity," in the late 1990s after she became a born-again Christian.
Star in a reality show. Of course, to be famous these days, one must have their own reality show. Taking a cue from Prince's ex-wife, Mayte Garcia, who appeared in VH-1's "Rock Star Wives," Vanity and Apollonia could have had reality shows with cameras following them as they got back in the dating game after being with Prince. It would have been interesting to see how Vanity's relationship with Motley Crue bassist Nikki Sixx played out and see if there was any real-life chemistry between Apollonia and her "Falcon Crest" co-star Lorenzo Lamas.
Do a striptease workout DVD. Taking a cue from another Prince alum, Carmen Electra, Vanity or Apollonia could have released a striptease exercise video featuring some of the sexy moves they performed onstage and in music videos.
Endorse products. Many singers and actresses today make their money not off music or movies, but on pitching products that bear their name. Vanity and Apollonia really missed out on money-making opportunities in this arena.
How about a line of cosmetics like Kim Kardashian? A shoe line featuring sexy high heels like Jessica Simpson? A line of wigs and extensions like Nicki Minaj?
Like Britney Spears, Apollonia could have had her own celebrity scent. Apollonia's perfume could have been coyly titled "Purple Passion," an allusion to her onscreen relationship with Prince in "Purple Rain." And, of course, both Vanity and Apollonia should have launched their own lingerie lines. After all, they became famous for performing in camisoles!
If an Oscar winner like Halle Berry can hawk her own lingerie line and still be taken seriously, then Vanity and Apollonia certainly could have done the same back in the '80s.
Write a juicy tell-all. Like '90s and '00s video vamp Karrine Steffans, Vanity and Apollonia could have written juicy tell-all memoirs detailing their relationships with Prince and other famous men in the vein of Steffan's best-seller "Confessions of a Video Vixen."
Vanity did go on to write a memoir, "Blame It on Vanity," in the late 1990s after she became a born-again Christian.
Star in a reality show. Of course, to be famous these days, one must have their own reality show. Taking a cue from Prince's ex-wife, Mayte Garcia, who appeared in VH-1's "Rock Star Wives," Vanity and Apollonia could have had reality shows with cameras following them as they got back in the dating game after being with Prince. It would have been interesting to see how Vanity's relationship with Motley Crue bassist Nikki Sixx played out and see if there was any real-life chemistry between Apollonia and her "Falcon Crest" co-star Lorenzo Lamas.
Do a striptease workout DVD. Taking a cue from another Prince alum, Carmen Electra, Vanity or Apollonia could have released a striptease exercise video featuring some of the sexy moves they performed onstage and in music videos.
Endorse products. Many singers and actresses today make their money not off music or movies, but on pitching products that bear their name. Vanity and Apollonia really missed out on money-making opportunities in this arena.
How about a line of cosmetics like Kim Kardashian? A shoe line featuring sexy high heels like Jessica Simpson? A line of wigs and extensions like Nicki Minaj?
Like Britney Spears, Apollonia could have had her own celebrity scent. Apollonia's perfume could have been coyly titled "Purple Passion," an allusion to her onscreen relationship with Prince in "Purple Rain." And, of course, both Vanity and Apollonia should have launched their own lingerie lines. After all, they became famous for performing in camisoles!
If an Oscar winner like Halle Berry can hawk her own lingerie line and still be taken seriously, then Vanity and Apollonia certainly could have done the same back in the '80s.
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