“Diva” used to mean a performer who was paramount in their profession. It used to be used sparingly, as the ultimate compliment (with only slight undertones of difficult-ness that were overlooked because of the outstanding calibre of the talent). Now, diva is used for every woman in the world who has recorded a song or appeared in a video. I just don’t like this. What is left when the superlatives are used for every Mariah, Beyoncé, and Jennifer?
On the subject in a similar vein, I don’t like standing ovations being given to every performer who crosses a stage at award thingies. Standing ovations used to be a spontaneous expression of appreciation for an excellent performance. A performer who received a standing ovation knew that they had done something special, and it was acknowledged. Again, what is left when the superlatives are used for every little thing (ooh, Julia Roberts just walked onstage to receive the Oscar for her boobs - we better all stand up and acknowledge the achievement)?
Well, I feel better for getting that off my chest.
Actually, I always think of Divas as mainly defined by how large a claque they pay to follow them around…which qualifies a lot of no-talent “stars” with their ridiculously large entourages.
But you’re right, it’s used as if it’s an indication of talent now.
And if I hear a about a sports play “making history” one more time, I’m gonna puke. The term would be “statistics”, if it ain’t in the history books, it didn’t quite make it, ya?
** Nowadays, practically everything you go to ends in a standing ovation. I find this kind of annoying – it’s sort of like grade inflation. All too often, they’re started at concerts, plays, the opera, etc. by people who don’t have enough experience to know a stellar performance from a bad one. I don’t generally either, but at least I know that!
I’m with you on this one. I reserve the term diva for the likes of Patti Labelle, Julie Andrews, and Cher. I feel the term should only go to women who have spent years honing their craft, have distinctive well-trained voices, and have had fans for more than five years. The current crop isn’t worthy.
I remember the first VH1 Divas concert, in which all agreed that there was only one Diva of popular music, Aretha Franklin, who blew the others away like so many moths in a tornado.
It’s not just a set of pipes - it’s a set of pipes aligned with spiritual force. That happens so rarely; the only other I can think of right now is Tina Turner.
matt_mcl - exactly.
Oh my, I just realized what comes after Diva, once that’s been used to death by every girly-girl in pop music; Super Diva. {heavy, heavy sigh}
(and no dissing of TubaDiva is EVER intended by me.)
If you start getting into who qualifies and who does not, you’ll eventually end up with one of two situations:[ul][li]A “religious” war over who’s worthy of the title (Cher?!?)[*]A list broad enough to include everyone’s choices, thus arriving back at the station that the OP railed against.[/ul]I, for one, agree that the word is much over-used.[/li]
Side note: matt, Italian gets diva from Latin, and there were thousands of Roman goddesses, especially if you include the numina.
You’re approaching this the wrong way. Think of it as ‘upping the ante’.
At one point, sure, standing ovations were a recognized expression of paramount appreciation for a performer. And 15mph was once an acceptable top speed for an automobile, too; but in these enlightened times, we just need something with a little more pizzazz.
A good old-fashioned orgy, for instance. What better way to demonstrate the profound emotional and sensual impact of a singer’s work? Instead of their partner’s name, participants could scream the performer’s name at the pinnacle of bliss.
Juvenile? Sure. But as extreme forms of worship go, it beats the hell outta ritual sacrifices.
Or maybe, we could all stand ON our chairs instead of just standing on the floor. Then the next raise will lead us to standing on each other’s shoulders. Performers will start preening based on how high the human pyramids got at their last performance.
