HEAR AND NOW: Cher revels in outdated success
By Rebecca Wall, The Dartmouth Staff
Published on Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Lately, I've had an unshakable urge to share Cher with anyone I can.
When I have friends over, they inevitably ask for the music to be turned on. I know that Cher may not be what they have in mind, but I crank "I've Got You Babe" without a hint of shame. Or, when my friend and I are getting ready to go out, she may ask me to put on the Pussycat Dolls. Instead, I "accidentally" play the music video for "Half-Breed."
"Sorry," I casually respond to her angry, inquiring glare, but the name Pussycat Dolls sounds awfully like Cher, and since we can't change the song in the middle, we should probably wait for it to finish.
For whatever reason, the mere thought of Cher inspires within me an irresistible urge to listen to her music.
It's enigmatic: I cannot tell whether I seriously enjoy her work, or merely find it hilarious.
Sure, Cher's no spring chicken -- she may have had a teensy bit of cosmetic surgery, and she certainly hit her prime at least a decade before my conception.
Yet, she is the deep, husky, androgynous voice behind innumerable hits that span genres.
On the ballad "Just Like Jesse James," Cher's vocals burst with emotion as she sings, "Tonight you're gonna go down in flames / just like Jesse James." With powerful imagery and a historical reference to boot, this song never fails to inspire me to break into song.
Cher also triumphs on more upbeat tunes like "Half-Breed," an infectiously rhythmic and endearing song that chronicles the challenges she faced growing up as a half-Cherokee, half-Caucasian woman.
"My life since then has been from man to man, but I can't run away from what I am," Cher sings.
Admittedly, it would be a stretch to describe either of these songs as a timeless classic. Ultimately, though, this undeniable "has-been" aura only serves to promote the attractiveness of Cher's body of work.
Cher has ventured beyond the realm of music. In addition to her extensive cameo work on T.V. shows like "Will and Grace," Cher had a prominent role in the well-regarded film, "Tea With Mussolini" (1999).
Cher is most endearing, however, outside of her artistic endeavors. Possessing wisdom that defies all expectations, she is the source of many pithy quotations.
The web site Thinkexist.com has nearly 50 quips attributed to Cher. Among the most charming are, "Men should be like Kleenex, soft, strong and disposable" and "Anyone who's a great kisser I'm always interested in."
Forget Stephen Colbert -- Cher would be a phenomenal commencement speaker.
Diva of bygone days, star of the cinema and wise-worded woman, Cher brings much more to the table than she is given credit for.
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