I don’t think I completely understood the fan phenomenon
until I agreed to go to Las Vegas with an old friend because she specifically
wanted to spend her 50th birthday seeing Barry Manilow.
When I told them at the office I’d need Friday afternoon
off, and why, my colleagues didn’t try to hide their amusement.
“Barry
Manilow? Isn’t he dead?”
“Leave Manilow alone! I loved ‘The Pina Colada Song’ when I was a kid!”
My
twenty- and thirty-something coworkers confused Manilow with Neil Diamond, Tony
Orlando and Rupert Holmes (who wrote and recorded "The Pina Colada Song”). This reflects not only the generational divide, but the amount of mainstream attention Barry Manilow receives.
Yet
Fanilows insist he remains at the epicenter of show business, and when
confronted with anything Manilow, they leave normal in rearview mirror.
For
example, after we checked into our room at the Las Vegas Hilton, our first stop
was not the slots nor the pool. It was The M Store to check out the official
Manilow merchandise. I told her to pick something and we’d call it her
birthday present. She passed the Barry t-shirts, chef’s apron, and the thong referred
to as “the B String,” and settled on a bottle of exclusive M Fragrance ($44.99).
We
weren’t alone in the store. It was filled with Fanilows who also made the
pilgrimage. When I wondered aloud why so many kitchen magnets featured beagles,
my naiveté was met with exasperated sighs and a chorus of explanations about Bagel, Barry’s dog.
We sat side-by-side at the show, yet while I saw an old man in orange stage makeup
that made his spiky blond highlights and caps look so bright they could be radioactive, she saw a sex symbol.
I
admit that of that night’s audience, I was in the minority. Barry’s a fan favorite,
no doubt about it. And while the experience left me scratching my head, it made
her happy. So to each her own!
I thoroughly enjoyed that piece. I was a huge BM fan during my 30s. I played that cassette in my car until it died. The cassette that is; the car's player ate the cassette. It wasn't a MB fan.
ReplyDeleteI know Barry Manilow gets picked on by the younger crowd especially, but he really is talented. (Don't see him as a sex symbol, though :))
ReplyDeletegreat story! sounds like you're a good friend.
ReplyDeleteMy mother is a fan, but I don't think she rises to the status of Fanilow. Love that word.
ReplyDeleteNever was a Fanilow, but liked him way back when LOL! Great story!
ReplyDeleteI have to admit I'm one to confuse Barry Manilow with Neil Diamond. I'd also be in the minority of the crowd. Good story.
ReplyDeleteFanilows! That is hilarious. I had no idea.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this piece! I was never a fan but I have to admit that "Mandy" has played in my mind a few times. BTW, great use of the prompt; it was seamless.
ReplyDeleteHmmm, I am not such a fan that I will buy a $45 perfume or waer a shirt with Barry's likeness. But I know many of his songs and love singing them too. Oooopps! I just dated myseof. ;-)
ReplyDeleteThis is a great little story! I have never in my life heard the word Fanilow, which probably shows my age/lack of appreciation as well. You're definitely a good friend. Thanks for linking up!
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