No Rock And Roll Fun

SLAP ON THE EAR: I know looking at a VH1 top ten critically is probably one of those tasks that doesn't actually reward the effort expended upon it - like eating celery, or the Iraqi ambassador talking to the UN - but even so, I happened to catch the Top 10 Men In Make-Up today. Or rather, the top nine; I missed number 10, and although the Sky Digital programme guide listed "some of the artists", it actually had two in its list who didn't appear, so I can only speculate on who was meant to be there. Anyway - these are the ten:
10 - Gary Numan or Marilyn Manson
9 - Marc Almond
8 - Robbie Williams
7- Steve Strange
6- Twisted Sister
5 - Robert Smith
4 - Boy George
3 - Adam Ant
2- David Bowie
1 - Kiss
Now, leaving aside the presence of Robbie Williams - nominated on the 'strength' of Let Me Entertain You, when he parodied Kiss in the video, and as such not really a man in make-up at all - there are clearly two acts who don't fit here. And one of them is at number one. Sure, the Sister and the Kissters do have make-up on, but it's not in the same way that Adam or Robert Smith wear make-up; to include them you might as well throw in Insane Clown Posse and have done with. There's make up, see, and then there's "make-up"; and there's a hell of a difference between beautifying yourself and putting on a mask. And we'd have thought the distincition was a pretty important one - indeed, the distinction is pretty. But... it's just a VH-1 chart, and I think we've made it to the fluffy leafy bit already...