I stopped for a moment, mesmerized.

Based on the size of the audience at the concert I’m guessing she was an A-List singer and a huge draw to potential shoppers.

Based on the fact that I could not hear her voice, but could see various, jiggling and exposed parts, I was incredibly sad.  Why should a talented young woman have to rely on dressing up as a stripper to gain attention for her vocal talents?

I’m not much of a TV watcher, but a few recent musical interludes further fueled my rant on musical exposure of  young women.

Ray Davies appeared on David Letterman last week clad in scruffy pants with a shirt that may or may not have matched.  His performance was sublime with nary a choreographed hip shimmy in sight.  Shakira, on the other hand, who appeared on the show earlier in the week, seemed too busy awkwardly contorting her body to concentrate even on lip syncing.

Lady GaGa appeared on the American Music Awards the other night clad in a pair of flesh colored shorts while draped in some sort of neon snake like body belt.  Think Elton John in his early days, only without pants or a shirt and you’re close.  Her fierce talent was eclipsed by her regularly exposed posterior.

Don’t get me wrong. I love a great live musical performance.  What I don’t love is the notion that it’s become the norm for young female singers to perform dressed as burlesque dancers or strippers to gain some sort of mass approval of their music.  There is enough pressure on women and too much emphasis based on the ideal of female beauty over the realities and struggles that most women face.

Two more pop culture references and I promise that I’m done.

1. Tween sensation Justin Bieber’s appearance at a mall recently set off a riot by over 3,000 screaming young girls.

2. According to The Wall Street Journal “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” beat out both “The Dark Knight” and “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” by taking in $72.7  million on its first day – the largest opening-day box office gross on record,

My point? Young girls have incredible buying power and clout and what they’re spending on and eager to see over all else is a squeaky clean barely pubescent boy and a film extolling the virtues of abstinence.  It’s only when women get older that they become less desirable and respected a demographic to music marketers and/or the film industry.  Somewhere in the middle of all of that, the more musically inclined amongst them are expected to primp and pout and shimmy while singing for their supper.

Rachel, who can’t imagine anyone asking Aretha Franklin to don a bikini for a photo shoot

Like what you’ve read? Need a style expert, pop culture column, fun speaker or snappy sound bite? write to me at rachelblogs@gmail.com

While writing up hand-outs and material for these events, I somehow became possessed by the ghost of ’70s music past, obsessively playing  ‘Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters‘ one of Elton John‘s early gems.  As I programmed my playlist I was surprised at the cover image of John’s album Honky Chateau.  In those days, Mr. John né Reginald Kenneth Dwight hadn’t quite reached cult status as an entertainer and wore his thinning hair long and shaggy and his beard untrimmed.  Before the days of rhinestones, feathers and Donald Duck costumes, Elton John’s personal brand was not particularly defined and his scruffy style could easily have been mistaken for just about any other mellow singer/songwriter from the ’70s.

There is a point here.  While speaking with the NYU students last night I came across a few recurring themes.  One was the overwhelming desire for the working world to accept them exactly as they were – scuffed sneakers or revealing dresses notwithstanding.  Another was the frustration in entering a work environment that was all but closed off to beginners (much less experienced journalists).  A third theme was the notion that looking proper in more traditionally accepted business style somehow made them subject to ridicule.  Of course there was also the hope that having a degree from a great school, something once seen as a magic elixir, would make it easier to find employment in even this brutal job market.

Once upon a time an MBA or coveted J School degree nearly almost guaranteed a well paying job.  Once upon a time, folk singers could transform themselves into rock stars simply by dipping themselves into glam rock sequins and feather boas.  In our own tougher economy though, it’s more crucial than ever to stand out not only for your talent and pedigree, but also the way you present yourself on interviews and in your work environment.

Elton John was just Cat Stevens (before he was Yusuf Islam) until he put on those crazy glasses.  Somehow though, through great timing, excellent management, talent and skill, John became one of the very few mellow balladeers whose music translated well through decades and across generations.  There isn’t a formula for that level of success even though there have been boy band creators and puppeteers behind the likes of Britney Spears, on some level or another for as long as there’s been manufactured music.

The best hope for enduring success is to constantly hone the personal elements of your skill toolbox.  Create, define and promote your personal brand as long as it helps you to work towards your long term professional goals.  A great degree is a beginning, but proving your worth through consistency, adaptation to evolving business and economic trends and yes, the way you dress, communicate or present yourself are equally crucial.

If all else fails, realize that illogical as it seems, sometimes even ephemeral if brilliant bands like KISS are ripe for a comeback -white greasepaint, sky high platforms, mall hair and all.

Rachel who always appreciates a great personal brand