For some reason I was thinking of Lily Tomlin last night...a comedienne from the 70's...none too attractive, but she didn't have to be. She was funny. Fast forward to now and I think that once upon a time, people looked unique. They weren't a collection of imperfect features as they are viewed now...they had character.
Someone like Lily Tomlin could not exist in the market today---and we could sit for days compiling lists of non-beautiful stars that marked the landscape of music and comedy in the days before Video Killed the Radio Star.
Opened myspace today and clicked on some mainstream recommendation (Meg and Dia) for the hell of it. Identical faces and voices to each other and every other mainstream female singer as of late--- our voices are mainly defined by our features which serve the same purpose as the body of a guitar, or a flute, or a french horn. We start as tone sent through a facial filter where sound is created by the resonance of our features...our nose, cheeks, mouth...the whole head.  When all of these people look alike...they all sound alike as well. And sadly, no one seems to notice nor care.
My issue is not with pretty people. I think my whole family, self included, is pretty damn attractive. My issue is with sameness. I wonder about the myriad of gorgeous voices who aren't heard because they aren't seen. And I wonder about the deadening of our discrimination between each pretty face and corresponding voice.
Is Tracy Thorn going to show up with a cascading mane? Unlikely. But her voice is unquestionable. I do wish we could just get back to radio...the way we should get back to books. Make the pictures in your head as you read....as you listen...and make it all your own..