John Ashcroft got his gig as U.S. attorney general as a payback to the Christian right. Although running on a platform of personal freedom, the Republicans want to tell you how to live. You can't break through to mainstream success from public access television. Your status in America is based on your income. Despite the hype, Ken Burns' Jazz was unwatchable.
Radio plays tunes for too long.
The more television exposure an act gets, the shorter its career. The boy band phenomenon is moving toward termination not because all trends eventually die, but because the target audience is growing up and wants something darker. U2 appeal to Generation X. Nobody under the age of 25 cares about the band. Madonna's great talent isn't in music, but in business. Michael Jackson is over.