Monday, 16 June 2008

• Look Who's Back

  by miss marigold

  Lately, the entertainment industry's been making a lot of bank from comeback talents. I've noticed a couple of trends in the nature of these stories:

  The Classic Prodigal Child: Privileged/gifted entertainer goes wayward and sees the error of his ways.
  Prime example: Robert Downey Jr. (kidnap me and hold me captive forever, plz), who beat his drug addiction to make his glorious return to Hollywood via Iron Man.
  Now rooting for: Amy Winehouse. I'd hate to see a voice like that go into total disuse.

  Throwback to the Glory Days: Former mainstream megahits emerge from obscurity in an attempt to reconcile with the present day.
  Prime example: Spice Girls; well, Posh wasn't really obscure, but it's not like you hear their songs anywhere outside of a karaoke lounge.
  Now rooting for: Hanson!

  Throwback, v 2.0: Old Guys Who Think They're Matt Damon: It's like watching a mid-life crisis unfold.
  Prime Example: Sly Stallone with Rocky and Rambo part XVIIIII. New Kids on the Block with their reunion tour  and "Summertime" music video (look it up on YouTube, I promise it's creepy and hilarious.)
  Now rooting for: Non-delusional septugenarians. Don't get me wrong, I love old hot guys...as long as they acknowledge that they have aged and they need reinvention! (e.g. Michael Caine, Alan Rickman, Sean Connery.)

  The [Re]Inventive Chameleon: An ever-versatile entertainer slips in and out of vogue only to return each time with a new look, sound, or persona.
  Prime example: Madonna, of course. Mariah Carey too, but her breathy R&B's a downgrade from the diva pop vocals of yore.
  Now rooting for: M. Night Shyalaman. Sure, the guy still makes films, but do any of them blow your mind the same way The Sixth Sense did? C'mon dude, put your muse into overdrive and surprise as all with a good movie!

  The False Return: Management/agencies try to make a has-been happen again, but audiences and the media tear the attempt apart.
  Prime example: Britney Spears at the VMAs, Lindsay Lohan's acting career with "I Know Who Killed Me," and I can't remember any others because their "comebacks" weren't memorable enough to be permanent.
  Now rooting for: Meg Ryan. Please don't end up on The Surreal Life!
  
  I'm no celebrity, but I've definitely had my share of dry periods and regressions. After entering an unhealthy relationship during my sophomore year of college, I went from a straight A to a straight B/C student; although I worked back up to A's this year, my GPA still hasn't recovered and it'll take some divine intervention if I want to attend a good grad school. Another time, while recovering from some anxiety, I went through a social regression and reverted from a young adult with a huge circle of friends to basically a shy kindergartener on the first day of school. I can't count the number of times I've promised God to do better only to fall flat on my face the minute I encounter peer pressure.

  How have your comebacks gone, dear readers? After a lot of lame and half-hearted efforts, I learned that my life can't be like a New Kids on the Block reunion track. God didn't intend for me to be a one-trick pony; rather, He created me as a dynamic human being capable of enduring change. I made the mistake of believing that if I just ignored my mistakes and went back to the way things were before I went bad, I'd rediscover the formula to success and it'd be as if the dry period never happened.

  At one point, I shunned the idea of learning from the past; building character or learning a life lesson felt more like a consolation prize than anything. I'm not sure who God's turning me into, or why certain people or events were necessary for my reinvention, but I know that life around me moves forward even when I move back. I'm tired of dwelling in the land of the dead; Lord, deliver me into the land of the living.

  
  What helps you stay on track after you make a comeback (whether it's spiritual or in regular life?)
  

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