Regarding Bret Michaels: We're Being Watched
Wednesday, April 28, 2010 at 12:01AM 
The amount of traffic to this site since Bret Michaels was rushed to the ICU with a brain hemorrhage has spiked tremendously. It's fascinating how many people are coming out of the woodwork in support of Bret and just expressing general concern for his well-being. Of course, Bret's condition also puts a spotlight on Glam metal in general and should remind us all that we're being watched.
Suddenly, clips of vintage Poison videos are rotating on CNN with surprising regularity. Satellite radio is playing more Poison than ever before. Metal websites that normally mock Poison suddenly post updates. Obviously, this is a direct result of Bret's illness - but this renewed exposure could also have some really positive ramifications for our favorite genre of music. The way we represent our music and continue to support our favorite acts will go a long way toward shaping how the mainstream media reports on Bret's condition.
I use the quantifier "mainstream" to signal cable news and print outlets. Obviously, anyone who has been paying attention during the last decade or so knows that online media is where its at - especially when it comes to music. I'm amazed at the sheer number of errors cable outlets have made when referring to Bret. The number one error is calling him the "former" Poison frontman. Then there's referring to him as the singer of "Cherry Pie." Really, the list goes on and on. A lot of what people know about Glam is second-hand garbage. You either love this music, or you don't but I've come to learn that a lot of the people in the "don't" category are really just uneducated of the genre. They either came to the party too late or they never liked Glam much to begin with. Then there are those who actually believe grunge killed Glam, an incorrect thought people like me are still trying to clean up all these years later. No, not one thing "killed" Glam as the genre isn't dead and grunge certainly didn't wipe Motley Crue off the face of the earth, either. For awhile, grunge and Glam happily coexisted -- oh the discussions we'd be having if that had remained the case for the long haul!
When someone asks you a question about Bret - and if you wear your music on your sleeve, you'll be approached - please remember to give the man and the genre some dignity. Don't let the haters wear you down and pay it forward: offer some tips about some new Glam bands, too. Bret's illness is horrible and I am getting flooded with emails asking for updates on his condition. The fact is, I just don't have any special pipeline to the news and I get my updates just like you: from Bretmichaels.com and even TMZ.com. Maybe the best thing we can do for Bret right now is to keep hoping for a positive outlook while promoting Glam. After all, Bret never turned his back on the genre and a whole new flock of kids could be discovering Look What the Cat Dragged In right now. We need to welcome those fans into our special fraternity don't you think?
Reader Comments (10)
One of the most fascinating things for me has been something that I think I mentioned earlier: Bret's Facebook page has gone from 53,000 fans on Thursday to over 200,000 as of today! It's amazing (and really cool) to see people kind of "discovering" him and his music after all these years. Like all the other old-school Poison and Bret Michaels fans I've ever met in my life, I'm happy to welcome newcomers into the fold. If you like the guy, then you're all good with me. Keep up the prayers and we'll all see him through this together.
the only thing I will never understand is why people have to die or get sick to have the spotlight again. I mean, Bret has great solo cds, a great solo carrer, a great Poison history and people still underrate him after "glam era"(like they did with Michael Jackson before he die)...
Regards from Brazil!!!
Here's a little tid bit on the type of person Bret is. I live in backwoods PA (about 60 miles up the road from where Bret grew up in Mechanicsburg).About 8 or 9 years ago, a local bar in Pottsville,PA (Home of Yeungling Beer,our local claim to fame! Lol) called Goodfella's started to book "washed up 80's acts".LA Guns, Great White, Steven Pearcy, Eric Brittingham (of Cinderella) side project Naked Beggars, and yes, Bret Michaels all made there way through.Bret actually continued to book Goodfella's each and every year, including after Rock Of Love took off and people rediscovered him.So the guy would be doing a big show one night in Philly to tens of thousands of people, and the following night he'd come back here to a sellout, only the sellout would be 500 folks jam packed into a pole building...You have to admire anybody who's smart enough to realise it's the grass roots fans that were there the 1st time you were famous, but stuck with you when you weren't the flavor of the month. The guy is as down to earth as they come. Now kick this in the ass Bret and get back out there, as Goodfella's is waiting for ya!!!
Anybody want to wager if Pearcy made his way back here?? LOL
I have always been a huge music fan of all styles (Sevendust is on right now) , but I tend to favor the heavier bands, ( Metallica < Slayer. etc). But Poison has always found a special place in my heart/ears. Mainly beacuse of Bret. You can tell how much he enjoys what he does, and it is no gimmick , even if some of the lyrics can get kinda cheesy ( Lemme Go To The Show , comes to mind).
I guess what I am trying to say is that its a shame someone has to die /be in grave danger to get the respect that they deserve. Peter from Type O died last week and all of the sudden the world loved him. Now I was a huge TON fan , but there is no doubt he was talented , but I honestly believe Bret would be a larger loss (musically speaking , of course ).
Bret and Poison were the fist band to actually bring out Alice In Chains and the rest is history.Glam will never die, it has been here since Elvis and will be here as long as we have a medium on which to play our beloved songs ( I suppose this would apply to all styles of music) .
I already had all my posion/ Bret songs synced inmy ipod for thae concerst , but now they will be heard with a greater appreciation.Thoughts and prayers are with Bret & his family as well as my adopted metal family and theirs....Horns Up !!!!!
oh and BTW outstanding journalism this week especially, Allyson