How 'Rock Star' Became a Business Buzzword

HughPickens.com writes: Carina Chocano writes in the NYT that once, a long time ago, a rock star was a free-spirited, convention-flouting artist/rebel/hero/Dionysian fertility god who fronted a world-famous band, sold millions of records and headlined stadium concerts where people were trampled in frenzies of cultlike fervor. Now 'rock star'' has made a complete about-face and in its new incarnation, it is more likely to refer to a programmer, salesperson, social-media strategist, business-to-business telemarketer, recruiter, management consultant or celebrity pastry chef than to a person in a band. The term has become shorthand for a virtuosity so exalted it borders on genius — only for some repetitive, detail-oriented task. According to Chocano, posting a listing for a job for which only ''rock stars'' need apply casts an H.R. manager as a kind of corporate Svengali; "That nobody is looking for a front-end developer who is addicted to heroin or who bites the heads off doves in conference rooms goes without saying. Pretty much anyone can be a ''rock star'' these days — except actual rock stars, who are encouraged to think of themselves as brands."

Comments

Anyone can be a rock star?

[paiute]

Why is everyone in porn a 'porn star'? Not everyone can be a star. Why are there no porn character actors?

ive been branding myself for years.

[nimbius]

Realizing id reached a heightened plane of potential, I started branding myself as a rockstar ages ago. I've even got my own talent manager. My clients, or fan-danglers as i call them, are generally anxious to get their hands on a 30something white guy with a slight gut and a penchant for autistic levels of Linux coding. Walking into the office I'm greeted with a bevy of young project managers and middle managers, their brows pregnant with sweat and their minds crucified by my presence. Dorris, the 68 year old long-timer will look up from the copier in awe and exclaim, "we are out of cyan again." Im just that majestic.

Often times, after my rockstar power lunch consisting of a double-stuffed chipotle burrito, I'll pick up a leg and crank loose a show stopping acapella solo from my album 'winds of a burrito timeless.' "jesus" my coworkers will amaze, "holy christ what was that!?" they'll remark. Its all in a days work for a rockstar like me and on special days, ill sometimes visit the rehearsal studio down the hall for the porcelain remix. Its a rough life as a rockstar, but someones got to eat 9 donuts from the breakroom every thursday and, well, i guess im just a special kind of person.