Courtney Love has a problem with Kurt Cobain advertising for Dr. Martens shoes, but she apparently has no problem putting his face on lunchboxes, keychains, or having her dead husband replicated in action figure form.
The rock star’s widow is at it again, this time licensing Cobain’s image to National Entertainment Collectables Association and enabling the company to sell Cobain memorabilia mere weeks after protesting a Dr. Martens’ campaign that used an image of Cobain as an angel wearing Dr. Martens combat boots.
Someone cue the inevitable outrage by fans.
I can hear the cries already. “How could someone profit from the death of an American icon?” fans will ask. “How could someone have such moral disrespect? “
But my question is, “Why does it still surprise people?”
This kind of moral disrespect has been going on for decades. Every dead rocker will forever live on through collector’s items, tribute songs, and rereleases, which will all be sold for profit. It’s really not anything new.
You can’t fight the popularity that follows in the wake of a popular artist’s death. All people want to do, after stars pass, is commemorate and memorialize them as much as possible. We’re all guilty of it.
It’s because of us that a new career is born for Cobain and every rock star that dies young. It’s because of us that Hot Topic sells Notorious B.I.G. pins and Sid Vicious T-shirts.
The man was an icon to so many people in the early ’90s. And chances are, people who
listened to him then; now have memories, jobs, and an income.
And for that reason, I don’t think twice about sipping coffee from my Elvis mug or purchasing a James Dean calendar for my sister’s birthday. Because the fact of the matter is, we contribute to the business of these kinds of products.
So when Britney Spears meets her invitable demise (even if it seems like she has already) the amount of keychains and lighters won’t surprise me. It’ll just be another day in the music business.
Crystal Olvera is a copy editor and music columnist for the Valley Morning Star. She also maintains a blog at www.intothegroove.freedomblogging.com. She can be reached at crystalo@valleystar.com.
