Smart enough to know her dirty street and dirty feet cred feed her fan base and make the paparazzi drool. But also intelligent enough to keep it just enough under control so the act does not destroy her.

And I don't knock her for this. She's sexy, talented and a savvy self promoter. She knows there's only so many years we'll care about her as a young damsel in self distress so she's going to milk it for all it's worth. And surround herself with lovers and people that further her goals.

Nothing wrong with that. Good art, and good business.

winehouse is simply unconvincing...like nearly every other white person who insisted on singing the blues.

a guy like John Hammond Jr. almost pulls it off occasionally, but even he will never be as authentic as someone like Mississippi John Hurt (to pick someone more-or-less at random).

And Hammond has done his share of living. At least he has some cred for what he's doing.

Whitehouse has none. She's ersatz all the way. Gimme a little Ella, or Billy, or Aretha, or Bessie Smith. Any of these singers show up Whitehouse for exactly what she is: a talented poseur.

...is starting to become an industry. I may be an 30-something deadhead who'd rather pull out a thirty year-old Muddy Waters show I've heard a hundred times than read a single word of 'Pitchfork,' but I certainly know modern talent when I hear it. Give me a troubled, drug-addicted, white, British soul singer with Winehouse's talent anyday. Compared to most of the crap being churned out in America right now, everything about her is a breath of fresh air.

Just another piece of manufactured plastic on the big conveyor belt of contemporary "culture."

Next.

... no question about it. You can't fake or contrive her reality. Absolutely real. She may or may not kill herself, but that isn't the issue. Musically, she has it.

Mr. Hannaham, you need to fire the person who wrote that one-line bio at the bottom of your article; it makes your novel sound absolutely awful -- a smug combination of classist white-trash stereotypes, homophobic stereotypes, and religious stereotypes. Count me out.

Anyway. Maybe Amy Winehouse is doing the kids a favor with her descent into what the British tabloids like to call "DRUGS HELL." She looks worse and worse with each passing minute. Given the (somewhat terrifying) superficiality of Gen Y, the devastating effects of her drug abuse on her sex appeal may be more of a caution than its destructive effect on her talent.

She's an interesting singer when she's sober.

for some kind of scoop.

I am very tired of hearing the croc tears shed for this wonderful musician.

I am 38 and this is the first time I have been moved by a female singer since the 80's.

The Disney cotton candy fluff that clogs the radio is the reason record sales are as low as they are. The public no longer wants to buy the perfect "Pop" princesses tales, of lost love, or lost work woes.

Thank goodness for Amy Winehouse. She makes real music. Yes it does break our heart, but it also moves us along and out of pre-teen stupor.

but there seems to be a line where they go too far. Who is the problem here?

Why?

Because of this one line:

"To turn your failures into pop songs is to make commodities of them"

Would you have preferred her to do an MFA somewhere and write short stories, or would that be commodification, too? Oh, maybe she could just write them and lock them away and never try to get them published. I wonder what you're commodifying in your new book? Or are you above that?

quote:

Fuck that. When did mediocrity and banality become a good image for your children? I want my children to listen to people who fucking rocked. I don't care if they died in puddles of their own vomit. I want someone who plays from his fucking heart.

One of my favorite all time movie lines was in Desert Hearts when Helen Shaver threatens to get even with Audra Linley by writing a short about her when she gets back to New York.

I think that's funny when writers get paid to criticize artists who do things for money.

I hope Amy can pull it together. It's up to her. I hope she doesn't die.

nor the patience for these lame theatrics anymore. I was impressed with Winehouse at first. Recently, after enduring her through one stupid choice after another and seemingly never suffering true consequences I no longer find anything about her worth my time and assuredly not my money. Dear Amy.... Damn bitch, did you just take all this success and money and shove it up your nose and give it away to an abusive arse who is OBVIOUSLY using you? Damn bitch, do you know how many truly talented artists still fighting for an opportunity to prove themselves would kill for what you have right now yet we are supposed to believe that your addictions and your wasting your life IS your art? Why we waste more time giving credence to yet another fucked up narcissistic baby with with a trendy (or is it artistic? Yeah, right) substance abuse problem (that most people would have had their entire livelihoods removed from them until they got there real life shit together)is beyond my understanding. We seem to honor stupidity these days as if it was something profound. Why else would people like Brittany, Lindsay and now Amy get so much attention and press for being essentially major friggin losers who cant keep their shit together? I'm bored with it and no longer will support ANYONE if they chose to squander what they have. Hey Amy, Id love a chance at having people love and admire my work. I would love to make so much money I could just help every one in my life that I love and finally give myself the things in life I have always wanted as well. Id love a chance to make a statement to the world. Hey Amy....You cant be a music legend when you don't even respect the gift of music. Maybe if we start treating these idiots the way they seem to want to be treated (they treat themselves like shit we should do so as well) they will go away and leave room for those who will return the investment we make on them. Its sad, I really thought she had something worthwhile to offer at first. Too bad she doesn't agree. Just too bad.