Thank you so much. I had read about her a long while ago and had forgotten until today. She should so be in the Hall of Fame.

Wow... I wonder how many white artists would be expected to attend finishing school. I kind of love Diana even more for the spider-lashes now.

Interesting thought. I think the goal - not really telegraphed here - was to make Motown artists a crossover success. That is, appealing to white people who might very well have bristled at the street attitude these musicians were said to have had. Legend has it that Diana Ross used to stare and grimace while she sang. She taught Ross to smile big and gaze warmly (through those fabulous lashes).

For the record, Elvis and many other (white) rockers and country singers indeed went to charm/grooming school in order to appeal to a more sophisticated audience and so that they would photograph well and behave coherently in interviews.

"Elvis and many other (white) rockers and country singers indeed went to charm/grooming school" - please provide evidence of this.

Elvis and country singers went to charm school -- please provide evidence of this. Thank you.

Elvis and other artists were certainly coached so as not to appear gauche before the record-buying public, but "Motown Charm School" is a different level altogether, and there is no doubt in my mind that it existed in order to assuage the racist and classist anxieties of white audiences.

And I'm not blaming any black artist for doing what they had to do to have and maintain their career (god knows it probably worked to some degree), but man... racist America STILL has disparately high "respectability" standards for black artists.

yea, you're right -- those hip hop guys and gals go outta their way to reach "respectability" standards to please YT, right? yea...right

You know, I'm going to assume good faith, because I don't want to believe that everyone who says something ignorant is just trolling.

Just because they eschew the standards doesn't mean the standards don't exist. Lady Gaga writhing half-naked is widely considered "art," whereas Nikki Minaj doing the same high-concept style of performance just gets called "ghetto."

I, too, am going to assume "good faith"...

"Lady Gaga writhing..." is probably considered very ghetto by those who think she's "eschew(ing) the standards." Do you really think YT is saying "yeah, love me some ghetto acting Gaga" but hatin' on that Minaj? Do you think middle-class (or older poor) blacks are groovin' on Minaj and hatin' on Gaga - or vice versa? Get real.

Tons of people respect Gaga who consider Minaj low class. That's why it's a double-standard. It's a thing: https://twitter.com/zblay/s...

Why would you even end your statement with "Get real?" I've been perfectly respectful to you.

You said..." because I don't want to believe that everyone who says something ignorant" then you semi-accuse me of disrespect. Now, that's not being real, is it?

You made an ignorant statement. I didn't call you stupid or dismiss you, but I'm not required to agree with you when you say something wrong.

they didn't want them looking too hood. the funny thing is they look so classy in their photos and their tv appearance, then you read their bios and learn about all the ratchet stuff they were doing.