AS SEEN IN...
FHM Magazine says..."Possibly the greatest site on the entire web, and with almost as many hits as Ebay..."
USAToday.com
Featured in the "Hip Clicks" section. "The name says it all."
London Sunday Times - Sept. 9, 2001
Weird Wired World - by Roland White
KENNY ROGERS, YOU'RE THE MAN
If you are over 40 and a little sentimental, you may remember Kenny Rogers as the man who complained that it was a fine time for Lucille to leave him. "We've had some bad times, we've had some sad times,this hurtin's just too deep to heal," he went on. "You picked a fine time to leave me, Lucille." Or something like that. He had earlier - and with equal lack of success - asked Ruby not to take her love to town, but since 1983 does not seem to have troubled the British pop charts.
In America, though, he is re-emerging as something of a cultural phenomenon - a large number of men over 40 have adopted the Kenny Rogers look.This was first noticed by a graphic designer called Jaimie Muehlhausen and is charted on his website, www.menwholooklikekennyrogers.com.
So what are we looking for? The hair should be long and swept back in a manner that suggests it is struggling against a strong wind. It should be grey or white. The beard should be trimmed and ideally set off an all-year tan. Think Noel Edmonds, or perhaps Richard Branson, after 20 years of lunch. The site features a gallery of men with neatly trimmed beards, one of whom is named Kenny of the Month. There is even a celebrity section - Ernest Hemingway, at one point in his career, sported the Kenny Rogers look.
The site began as an art installation (which says a lot about the state of modern art). Muehlhausen noticed the resemblance and began taking photographs of men who looked like Kenny. "Some people dream of large homes with hot tubs and their own beer tap; others dream of yachts and fine wines," he writes. "Me? A good photo of some guy with silver hair, a little on the long side, and a neatly trimmed beard."
It's a professional operation, is MenWhoLookLikeKennyRogers. There are tips on acquiring the look, and a long list of places regarded as the natural habitat of such men, which include drag-car racing, pool tournaments and car-accessory shops. The site also has its own gift shop, where you can order a book called The Mullet - Hairstyle of the Gods. Kenny's lawyers have already been in touch. According to Muehlhausen, they had been asked to pass on the message that "Kenny thinks it's hilarious". Good for Kenny.
The Tuscaloosa (Ala.) News
Look like Kenny Rogers? There's a Web site for you
By MARK HUGHES COBB c.2001 New York Times News Service
Kenny Rogers has collected Grammys, County Music Association awards and other accolades. At last count, there were five TV movies based around his "The Gambler" character. His name shines from a chain of hot chicken restaurants. Kenny Rogers, should he choose to, could throw some weight around. But his response to the Web site Men Who Look Like Kenny Rogers (www.menwholooklikekennyrogers.com) showed joviality sometimes stereotyped with burly physiognomy.
Jaimie Muehlhausen, creator of the site, said Rogers' lawyer called him just last week. "His quote was 'Kenny Rogers thinks its hilarious,' " Muehlhausen said.
Kenny Rogers is right.
The site with the lengthy name is filled with pictures of men who, by dint of genetics, fate or plastic surgery, look something like Kenny Rogers. The site has been up only a few months, but it's catching fire. Muehlhausen said national magazines are planning features and that he's done "20 or 30" radio interviews, and one for a Denmark television station. "I think it's one of those things people can just generally relate to: 'Aw, I could have thought of that,' " said Muehlhausen in an interview from his home near San Diego. "And there's the Everyman kind of thing. Everybody's got somebody in their family who looks kind of like Kenny."
Muehlhausen said the idea had been brewing inside his head for several years. "About eight years ago, I just kind of started noticing these guys, at the fair, at the mall," he said. "I remember turning to a friend of mine going 'Hey, check it out: That guy looks just like Kenny Rogers!' " The beat went on. He began to spot Kenny-alikes everywhere. "It's kind of like a bad song getting stuck in your head," he said. "The more you think about it, the more you see them."
Under "Kenny Spotting Tips" on the site, Muehlhausen offers suggestions that include state fairs, construction sites, Home Depot, bars with sawdust floors, church, Renaissance "faires," pool tournaments and Harley shops. Muehlhausen started the site with a few photos of his own, some he had snapped and some found on the Internet. After launching the site and notifying a few friends, others sent pictures. The site now has more than 125 Kennys. Spread over several galleries are such lookalikes as Middle Eastern Kenny, Disneyland Kenny, Pig Liquor Kenny, Guidance Counselor Kenny, Evil Eyebrow Kenny and Aye-Aye Kenny. Professional Kenny impersonators get their own spot. Celebrity Kennys are kind of eerie, from the ringers like Ernest Hemingway to ones who are a stretch, like Sean Connery (with beard) and John Entwhistle of The Who. Some of the Kennys are far-fetched. "In the early days, I started off just darn happy somebody sent me a photo," Muehlhausen said. "So some made it up just by virtue of that. "But as it goes on, the photos get better. I set some guidelines. No Jerry Garcia. No C. Everett Koop. Koop doesn't even have a mustache! You've got to have the beard; you've got to have enough hair."
The current Kenny of the Month is Hot Tub Kenny. This hirsute homeboy is not for the faint of heart. "I got an e-mail from a woman in Wisconsin who is in love with Hot Tub Kenny," Muehlhausen said. "I'm going to forward it. Could be a Kenny love connection. I'm really holding out for that."
Although he spends "much more time than my wife would like," he only needs about 30 minutes a day to keep the site running. Muehlhausen works as a graphic designer to pay the bills. MWLLKR is a nighttime labor of love. "This kind of stupidness fits really well on the Internet," he said.
(The Tuscaloosa News in Tuscaloosa, Ala., is part of the New York Times Regional Newspaper Group.)
The San Diego Reader (circulation: 150,000) interview
by Ken Leighton (reprinted with permission)
"It seemed like I would be somewhere like the [Del Mar] Fair or the mall and I would look over and see some guy who looked like Kenny Rogers." Elvis impersonators get all the attention. But Jaimie Muehlhausen has a fascination with his own music superstar.
For a living, the Carlsbad graphic artist designs lifestyle websites like Swell.com and Monsterskate.com. But on his own he launched www.menwholooklikekennyrogers.com, dedicated to the legions of 40-plus men who have morphed themselves into the laid back country squire. "Once I noticed the phenomenon, there was no escaping it. Basically, itÕs these guys who reach a certain age and they decide to grow a beard. They are from an era where you wore your hair a little longer. When you combine the two, they end up looking like Kenny Rogers. Most guys donÕt really realize it, while some guys actually cultivate the look."
Muehlhausen has found that sightings of "The Gambler" most often happen at Home Depot, gun shows, AA meetings, pawn shops, and "ÉIKEA (just kidding)." Muehlhausen sells "Have you seen Kenny" T-Shirts, on his site, but he says it is not a commercial venture.
"I started off with an idea to do an art project, like an Andy Warhol collection of Polaroids. But then I realized this is something that is perfect for the internet. ItÕs a pop culture thing like [the Ō80s haircut website] mulletsgalore.com. ItÕs striking a nerve with people." The site describes how to become your own Kenny Rogers: "Keep your beard trimmed neater than Richard SimmonsÕ tank top drawer. Make sure itÕs white so it will stand out against that creepy, year-round tan. If you are trying to pull off the modern Kenny look, itÕs okay to shave down to a goatee however you run the risk of looking like every other 50-year-old who just latched onto that Ōhip new lookÕ the kids are into."
He asks website visitors to send in their own Kenny Rogers lookalikes. "I have people sending me photos from all over. One guy sent me three or four from airports." Muehlhausen admits to being sneaky when he goes out in the field. "A lot of times I just try and get a picture of my wife who stands near them. They end up being in the photo." Each photo on the site has its own caption. ThereÕs "Santa Kenny," "Disneyland Kenny" and "Surf Industry Kenny."
"I tried to be real careful not to make an exact reference to the real Kenny," said Muehlhausen. "If he happens to see it I donÕt want him to get pissed off and come after me. The president of his fan club e-mailed me and said she thought it was hilarious. Who knows, maybe weÕll start a Kenny revival."
Muehlhausen says wacky morning radio shows are helping to spread the word about www.menwholooklikekennyrogers.com. "Some DJ from a big radio station in Scotland e-mailed and asked if we could do a live on-the-air interview. WeÕre setting up a time for that now." Website visitors can click onto "Tips on how to look like Kenny Rogers." One of the tips addresses attitude: "ItÕs country coolÉa down-home guy who loves babies, dogs, pork rinds, Jack Daniels, quail hunting, and gravy. HeÕs got a Laz-E-Boy recliner in the den and one of those above-ground pools in the backyard." But, Muehlhausen admits, "The real Kenny is probably horrified at the thought of all that."
Real Country Radio Network
Men Who Look Like Kenny Rogers
The internet is a wierd wacky place and there certainly is something for anyone. Even for those who, as they get older, unintentionally begin to look like Kenny Rogers. (And if you're intentionally trying to look like that suave country star, by all means, keep reading!)
Jaimie Muehlhausen is a graphic designer who one day woke up to the reality that a lot of men look like Kenny Rogers. For most of us, we'd probably say "Hey, Uncle Roger does look a little like 'The Gambler'" and leave it at that. But not Jaimie. Working in the creative field of graphic design, and posessing a keen eye for the unusual, he thought it might make an interesting art project. Kinda like Andy Warhol and his collection of Campbell Soup cans. So he began compiling pictures of people he'd see on the street who resembled Kenny. Then along came the internet which he says was the perfect outlet for such a foolish endeavor. The result is www.menwholooklikekennyrogers.com.
In the photo gallery, Jaimie's own pictures hold court with those submitted by others. All the look-a-likes have nicknames like "Suit and Tie Kenny", "Roller Coaster Kenny", "Chick Magnet Kenny" or the current photo of the month, "Hot Tub Kenny". (And he really DOES look like Kenny!) Some of the resemblences are uncanny, but for others, simply having longer hair and a white beard is enough to gain access to this wacky club. And if your Uncle Roger or father-in-law is starting to look like Kenny, you might want to submit a picture of your own! Jaimie provides a list of places that are ripe for camera hunting Kenny's mirror image. He suggests Home Depot, Waffle House, State Fairs, Casinos and of course, NASCAR events.
There is also a section full of tongue in cheek tips on how to look like Kenny Rogers. For instance, "Grow hair longer than is currently fashionable. If it is not white or gray, seek a professional stylist for coloring." As for clothing, Jaimie suggests a sweater thrown over the shoulders for a modern Kenny look, but says "The Gambler" vest look is best and that no outfit is complete without a big gold necklace. Jaimie says his site is not an attempt to make fun of the singer or of people who resemble him. Okay, well maybe it does poke a little fun, but it's all good natured.
To those who might search out Kenny photos in public places, he advises people to be polite. The last thing he wants to do is make someone angry. Especially Kenny.
Good Morning Arizona - Tim and Willy's Web Site of the Week
Grrl.com
Men Who Look Like Kenny Rogers
There's no question about it. Kenny Rogers is one sexy fella. But the chances of running into The Gambler are pretty dang slim. So why not drool over a few Kenny lookalikes instead? Browse the Kenny wannabes gallery or just focus on the Kenny of the Month. Heck, there's even a guide on how to look like Kenny yourself. Don't forget to copy down the yummy corn muffin recipe available on the site.
Being Kenny Rogers
By Dave Roos - TechTV.com
In the dog-eat-dog world of celebrity impersonation, some gigs are easier than others. Not a lot of people naturally resemble Steve Buscemi or Rodney Dangerfield, and perhaps that's a blessing. But any man over the age of 62 with a full head of silver hair and a finely trimmed beard looks a heck of a lot like country megastar Kenny Rogers. Boy-howdy!! Menwholooklikekennyrogers.com has possibly the longest URL in recorded history, but all that typing pays off in the end. Inside are galleries of professional and amateur "gamblers," almost all of whom would warrant a double-take if spotted waiting in line for some dee-licious roast poultry parts. Submit your own Kenny-esque photos or just sit back and enjoy the countrified ride. The site offers handy tips on how to look like Kenny, from his unfashionably long locks down to his black leather vest. It also advises the would-be Kenny spotter on the best places to find Kenny look-alikes. We suggest checking the gun show, Hardees, and K-Mart first. You can't miss with Cracker Barrel. And always remember, folks, there'll be time enough for countin' when the dealing's done. Preach it Kenny!
WTOP 107.7 Washington D.C.
KENNY ROGERS CLONES RUNNING RAMPANT?
CARLSBAD, Calif. (Wireless Flash) -- A California artist has uncovered a startling phenomenon: Hundreds of older men look an awful lot like Kenny Rogers. So artist Jaimie Muehlhausen has started a website which tracks worldwide sightings of white-haired, bearded men who resemble the country crooner. Muehlhausen says he first noticed the Rogers phenomenon a few years ago but only recently launched the website, which has photos of Kenny clones from as far away as Sweden. He admits most Kenny clones he's photographed don't realize they look like the country singer until he tells them-- and many are flattered to be compared to "The Gambler."
www.goodauthority.org - February 14, 2001
News and Views hosted by Darrell Ray Elmore
THE DAILY BUZZ - Men Who Look Like Kenny Rogers
"Sometimes you run across a Web site that's so stupid you just HAVE to share it with as many people as possible. Remember Mahir mania a year ago? Well, that's the way I feel about the Men Who Look Like Kenny Rogers web site. As the site states, there are a LOT of men of a certain age that resemble Kenny Rogers. It's not a bad thing, it's just one of those eerie quirks of fate that can keep you from falling asleep late at night. Face it, Kenny doppelgangers are everywhere, at the mall, in restaurants, in the tanning bed next to you. Yikes! Anyway, Men Who Look like Kenny Rogers goes a step further than just documenting the strange trend with a few photographs... in fact, they even offer tips on how to make yourself resemble the aging country and western singer and chicken entrepreneur. So, if you have an infatuation with "The Gambler," or perhaps your spouse favors "The Coward of the County," then snap a few pics and cruise on over to the site. Personally, I really like Kenny...but it's the younger, more sprightly Kenny I love... the one who belted out the lyrics "I just dropped in, to see what condition my condition was in." And while you're at the site, don't forget to copy down Kenny's recipe for corn muffins... they're delicious!"
Andregardner.com
Men Who Look Like Kenny Rogers --"It's downright scary."
Bla-bla.com
::: Kenny Rogers! :::: by Carolyn
There are a lot of men out there, over a certain age of course, who bear a striking resemblance to Kenny Rogers. You know, the Gambler? My dad actually sort of looks like Kenny. Well, he probably looks a bit more like Dan Haggarty--Grizzly Adams to those of you who don't know who Dan Haggerty is, but close enough to Kenny for those who care. To be perfectly honest, my dad probably wouldn't be too happy to be compared to either of those guys, but what are you gonna do? It's kind of weird how universal a "look" Kenny has. I mean once a man starts going gray and puts on a little weight, he's all about Kenny Rogers. If you're not careful, the next thing you know, your husband or dad is going to be wanting to open a chicken roasting restaurant and going on tour! Or, probably not. He may just want to send his picture to Men Who Look Like Kenny Rogers. This site is dedicated to the thousands of men worldwide who spot that distinctive Kenny look. There's also a spot that features the recipe for Kenny's famous corn muffins! Now who could pass that up??
3/10/01
:::: Men Who Look Like Kenny Interview :::: by Ellen
"You gotta know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, know when to walk away, know when to run." Ahh, the Gambler. Who doesn't remember that country classic? Well, maybe a lot of you don't remember it, but it was a big hit, trust me. Although Kenny Rogers may not be as popular as he once was,there are still an awful lot of men out there, that look a lot like him! Thankfully we're lucky enough to have Jamie Muelhausen around to chronicle this phenomena at Men who look like Kenny Rogers. I had a chance to chat with Jamie about his site, Kenny, Abe Vigoda and more.
Bla: How long have you had the site up and running?
JM: About two months.
Bla: Are you a Kenny Rogers or country music fan?
JM: Not really. I like a lot of alt. country, and who doesn't at like Dwight Yoakam? But, I'm not really a huge fan of the pop-country coming out of Nashville over the last 15 years. And I was really never a Kenny fan, although he's had an amazing career.
Bla: What possessed you to come up with this idea? A lot of "Kennys" in your neck of the woods?
JM: It was really more of an accumulation over the years that started it. I originally thought of it at least 8 years ago, and, over the years the idea just sort of continued to fester. I was originally going to make some sort of art project out of it. However, once I got involved in the web, I realized that this is the perfectly stupid kind of thing that deserves a spot on the internet. Now that I'm actually doing it, I notice more Kennys all the time. They're everywhere!
Bla: Any chance of posting other recipes in the future?
JM: Probably not. However, I DO get a lot of hits from search engines from the corn muffin recipe, so maybe I need to rethink this.
Bla: Have you heard anything from Kenny or his representatives?
JM: No, but I know the day will come and I just hope and pray that it's not in the form of legal papers. I've been pretty careful to make this site about the men who LOOK like Kenny rather than Kenny himself. I did receive an e-mail from the president of his fan club and she thought the site was pretty hilarious, so I'm holding out hope that Kenny has a good sense of humor about it also.
Bla: How many entries do you get a week, roughly?
JM: In the beginning I mostly found stuff on the net or took pictures myself. Now I'm getting 3-4 submissions a day. I'm really amazed.
Bla: Is there a certain criteria you follow before posting pictures? If someone sent you a pic that didn't really look like Kenny, would you use it?
JM: For the most part, I try to make sure they look quite a bit like Kenny. I do get a lot of pictures that look more like white-haired bikers than Kenny. Also bald guys with white beards. Kenny isn't bald! I've made a couple of slight exceptions. One guy was obviously too young with blondish-brown hair. But you could see that he will look like Kenny sometime down the road, so I call him Soon-to-Be Kenny. I try to make people who send stuff in happy.
Bla: You've been getting quite a bit of press lately, what do you attribute that to? Is Kenny going through something of a renaissance?
JM: I think it has more to do with the site just being a funny idea that other people can relate to. I don't think it's Kenny himself. It's kind of one of those ideas that people think they could have thought of themselves. And, to tell you the truth, I've been working it really hard to get the word out.
Bla: I really love the Tips section--have you seen a lot of "Kenny's" at these places?
JM: Well, I don't frequent guns shows, so I'm just assuming on that one, but, definitely state fairs, malls and casinos are hot spots.
Bla: Do you take many of the pictures yourself or are they mostly sent to you?
JM: Now they are mostly sent to me and I just edit out the bad ones. I still keep my eyes peeled for a good Kenny wherever I go and I always carry a digital camera with me.
Bla: Any future plans for the site?
JM: Perhaps a Rate-a-Kenny section. And I'm deciding how to break up the photo galleries a little more efficiently. But, I think the basic idea for the site is pretty well represented right now. I'll just keep fine-tuning it here and there.
Bla: Any plans for companion sites--maybe a womenwholooklikelorettalynn or something?
JM: One radio station suggested a menwholooklikeabevigoda, but, no, no companion sites really. I can't think of anyone who embodies a look more than Kenny Rogers. My goal for this site is to find a woman who looks like Kenny Rogers and perhaps and Asian man who looks like Kenny. I'll definitely come up with other sites in the future though. Just something completely different.
Bla: Anything else you care to add?
JM: Maybe just that I'd like to dispel any myth that I, myself, am obsessed with Kenny Rogers. It's really almost not about him at all. I'd also like to thank everyone at The Bla-Bla Network for their support and help. I'm very, very pleased to be associated with Bla-Bla. It really helped give me credibility (if you can actually get credibility for a site like this). Doing the site is a lot of fun.
KROQ - The Kevin and Bean Show (the #1 morning radio show in America) - Live Interview
Providence Journal - Newspaper Article
Tuscaloosa Tribune - Newspaper Article
BBC London Live with Paul Coyte - live interview
Beat 106, Scotland UK Š On-air interview
94.5 The Buzz, Houston Š on-air plug by Steve and Jeff morning show
Q104 Kansas City - On-air interview with the Randy Miller Show
The Gary Burbank Show - on-air interview - 50 cities
XL102 Richmond, VA - On-air interview
104.5 Knoxville, TN - site of the day
102.3 WGOW Chattanooga, TN - site of the day
95.5 Tulsa, OK - site of the day
700 WLW Cincinnati, OH - site of the day
Detroit News - hot site of the day
Cruel.com - site of the day
99.3 The Fox - Vancouver - Site of the Day
CJAD Radio in Montreal - Live Interview
Stuff Magazine - June Issue - Featured Site
eUniverseLive.com - Site of the Day
Digital City Boston - Link of the Day
700WLW - Cinncinati - Site of the Day
106.7 The End - New Orleans - Site of the Day
WJBO 1150 - Baton Rouge - Site of the Day
TK101 - Biloxi, MS - Site of the Day
Sacklunch.com - "If you're having a bad day and need to laugh your ass off, stop by...menwholooklikekennyrogers.com."
WMZQ - Washington, DC - Site of the Day
105 Country - Sacramento - on air interview
...and many, many, many more!
www.web-goddess.co.uk
"This is the funniest thing IÕve ever seen in my entire life. I had to run around and show everybody in my office. Damn, I love the internet."
www.wjbo.com - WJBO radio 1150 am - Baton Rouge, LA
"Perhaps the DUMBEST website ever!"
From the Berlin Gazette
Review: Andreas Busche, Journalist [1]
Die Globalisierungsmaschine Internet macht den Menschen zum ortlosen
Weltbuerger. Heisst es. Reisse ihn aus seiner kulturellen Verfasstheit und
katapultiere ihn somit in ein Stadium der Nicht-Identitaet. Das ist
natuerlich alles Quatsch... Das Internet kolonialisiert das transnationale
Subjekt, DIE postmoderne Existenz schlechthin, in ganz neuen
Organisationsformen. Der Global Citizen erhaelt wieder freie
Verfuegungsgewalt ueber seine General Preferences, anhand deren er sich im
Virtuellen all den unterbewussten Begehren und anderen subjektivistischen
Entgrenzungen hingeben kann, die im wahren Leben in das konditionierte
Gefaess seines Koerpers zurueckgedraengt werden muessen [2]. Alles wird
moeglich! Express yourself! Sei eine Web-Community! Just be! Eine Enklave
der Marginalisierten ist das virtuelle Kenny Rogers-Land, zu finden unter
www.menwholooklikekennyrogers.de. Der Domain-Name hat programmatischen
Charakter.Auf den ersten Blick scheint es eine dieser unzaehligen Fan/Fun-Sites, die
heute als Abfallprodukt gelangweilter Web-Designer mit schlechter
Auftragslage im Netz kursieren [3]. Ganz falsch ist das auch nicht. Die
Website ist das Relikt eines urspruenglich als Installation geplanten
Kunst-Projekts, das aus Zeitmangel schliesslich als Website realisiert
wurde. Ihr Initiator Jaimie Muehlhausen ist hauptberuflich Web-Designer,
was man seiner Seite auch anmerkt. Sie ist sehr uebersichtlich
strukturiert, nur mit dem Noetigsten an visuellen Gimmicks ausgestattet und
verliert ihr Objekt niemals aus dem Fokus: Kenny Rogers [4], der King of
Country Pop, die weisshaarige Ikone der amerikanischsten aller kulturellen
Errungenschaften Amerikas, ein echter Lady1s Gentleman und sozusagen die
idealtypische Verkoerperung des >All American Male< [5]. >>Haben Sie nicht
auch bemerkt, dass eine Menge Maenner ab einem gewissen Alter aussehen wie
der Country-Superstar Kenny Rogers?<< lautet die eingehende Frage. Hier
sind sie alle versammelt, ueber 450 insgesamt, der Horny Kenny, der
Red-Cheek-Kenny, Father in Law Kenny, Punch Myself Kenny etc. - und jeden
Tag kommen drei bis vier neue hinzu.Die Rubrik Kenny Spotting Tips zeigt: Der Kenny Rogers-Typ ist ein
Universalist, er ist ueberall zuhause und ueberall anzutreffen: auf dem
Schiessstand, in Bars, beim Pferderennen, in der Kirche... bei Kenny
Rogers-Konzerten. Diese gestriegelte weisse Maehne, der adrett gestutzte
eisgraue Bart ueber einer gepflegten Hoehensonnenbraeune, geziert von einer
wallenden Nackenpeitsche sind sein Markenzeichen, gleichzeitig auch die
Signifikanten einer neuen Supra-Identitaet, die das Regional-Spezifische
durch die Artenvielfalt des Kenny Rogers-Phaenomens weitestgehend
nivelliert hat. Jeder darf Teil dieser quasi-kommunistischen, zumindest
aber Schlumpfhausen-aehnlichen Community sein, es bedarf nur etwas Fantasie
und guten Willens. Parameter wie Authentizitaet oder Ethnie haben sowieso
laengst jegliche Bedeutung verloren. In der Kenny Rogers-Gallerie findet
man den Canadian Politician Kenny, den Turban Kenny (Bin Laden Kenny?),
Spain Kenny und Middle Eastern Kenny. Die entstaatlichten Subjekte haben
unter Ihresgleichen eine neue Gesellschaftsform gefunden. Kenny Rogers
hatte ab den 70ern durch die Verwaesserung mit Softrock- und Pop-Elementen
die Globalisierung des Country vorangetrieben, heute sorgen die Adepten
fuer die Globalisierung des Kenny Rogers. Und war es nicht Rogers selbst,
der 1983 an der Seite von Dolly Parton, selbst eine Supra-Identitaet von
der perfekten Kuenstlichkeit eines Atavar-Models, das Lied von den >Islands
in the Stream< sang? Den utopischen Enklaven im ewigen (Daten-) Strom...Ein Streifzug durch die Bildergalerie der Geklonten zeigt jedoch auch einen
Degenerationseffekt am neuen, virtuellen Genmaterial auf. In der konformen
Masse der Kenny-Klone lassen sich bereits erste Mutanten ausmachen, die das
Bild der Reinheit in der Selbststilisierung stoeren. Extreme Abweichungen
vom Ausgangsmaterial sind jedoch ein kalkuliertes Risiko solcher
anti-hierarchischen Gesellschaften. Das Beduerfnis nach einem sozialen und
kulturellen Kontext in der Welt der entfesselten Strukturprinzipien macht
diese Orte der Zusammenkunft noetig. Mutationen sind hier die
entscheidenden Determinanten zur Re-Individualisierung des weitestgehend
homogenen Ensembles. Solche kleinen Macken muss sich jede Supra-Identitaet
leisten koennen. Willkommen im Kenny-Land!
