Today's rock star is:

Douglas Wilder, former Governor, Virginia
"Presidential hopeful Barack Obama has his throngs of groupies, but during an appearance Tuesday at a political fundraiser in Roanoke, Doug Wilder showed that he is the original "rock star" politician."
Roanoke Times (Virginia)

So there we have it, this whole comparing politicians to rock stars is all Doug Wilder's doing. Evidently.

Wednesday, March 28. 2007

Today's rock stars are:

Danica Patrick, IndyCar driver
"Patrick's near rock-star status derives not only from her driving ability but her Hollywood looks, which promoters don't hesitate to play up"
St. Petersburg Times (Florida)

Joakim Noah, University of Florida Basketball
"But Noah's six-game performance in the NCAA tournament afforded him rock-star status in Gainesville"
Washington Post

Teletubbies, television personalities.
"The Teletubbies - Tinky-Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa and Po - arrived like rock stars Monday in New York."
Houston Chronicle

Yes, the Teletubbies are rock stars. And, yes, they are better on acid.

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Today's rock stars are:

Barack Obama, U.S. Senator, Illinois/U.S. Presidential Candidate
"'The "rock star" thing is definitely real,' state Sen. Curt Thompson (D-Tucker) said as Obama worked the room, referring to the excitement the first-term senator from Illinois has generated as he tours the country."
Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Rev. Dennis Meredith, Tabernacle Baptist Church, Atlanta
"A compelling orator with the voice and showmanship of a stadium-rock star, Mr. Meredith quickly began to draw more new members. "
New York Times

Barack Obama is slowing gaining on first place in the rock star race. Al Gore's speech to Congress last week will be the mark of his rock star pinnacle. Don't be surprised if we don't see another Al Gore mention here for a while.

Monday, March 26, 2007

Today's rock stars are:

Marshall Goldsmith, Executive Coach
"And his celebrity status as a coach -- Forbes called him a "rock star" -- allows him to charge $250,000 per engagement to teach some of the world's most successful executives how to become better bosses."
Chicago Tribune

Peter Max, Psychedelic graphic artist.
"Max was in town to launch an exhibit of his works when we caught up with the rock star of graphic arts"
Houston Chronicle

A nice pair of smiles from today's rock stars.

Sunday, March 25, 2007

Today's rock stars are:

Kobe Bryant, Guard/Cheap shot thrower, Los Angeles Lakers
"A 29-year-old rock star had become only the second player in the history of the NBA to score at least 50 points in four consecutive games."
New Orleans Times Picayune

Judge Rana Bhagwandas, Acting chief justice, Supreme Court of Pakistan.
"He has been treated as something of a rock star since his return a few days ago from a visit to India. Cameras and reporters surround him wherever he goes."
Los Angeles Times

That's two days in a row for Kobe Bryant, both from the New Orleans Times Picayune. Evidently, ball hogging makes one a rock star.

Saturday, March 24, 2007

Today's rock stars are:

Kobe Bryant, Guard/Dirty cheat, Los Angeles Lakers
"Kobe Bryant walked into the New Orleans Arena before Friday night's game like a rock star, with cameramen following behind him and security guards hustling in front to clear his path to the locker room."
New Orleans Times-Picayune

Aliya Deri, Spelling-beeist/Middle school student
"Aliya, from Pleasanton, was featured in "American Bee," and her success, and TV face time, have turned her into a bit of a spelling rock star along the Interstate 680 corridor."
San Francisco Chronicle

Thursday, March 22, 2007

Today's rock stars are:

Barack Obama, U.S. Senator, Illinois/U.S. Presidential Candidate
"He's received a rock star's welcome on the campaign trail, drawing throngs of supporters."
Associated Press

Al Gore, Former Vice President, United States
"'Gore's a rock star now. He's got an Oscar,' said Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-Queens)."
New York Post
"Nevertheless, lawmakers treated him like a rock star on Capitol Hill yesterday."
Washington Times

That's two more rock star citings for Al Gore. The man can not stop the rock. Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-Queens) seems to have gotten his metaphor confused. Rock stars don't win Oscars.

Believe it or not, it's been over two weeks since Barack Obama has been seen here. His last citing was on March 7 and he was losing ground fast to Hillary Clinton. The winner of the Democratic nomination will be the one at the top of the rock star rankings in 2008. Right now, Clinton and Obama would both lose to Joakim Noah.

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Today's rock stars are:

Tony Stewart, NASCAR driver
"'It's so much fun racing with the best in the business, and Tony Stewart is certainly that. He's a rock star,' (Jimmie Johnson) said."
Associated Press

Joakim Noah, Forward, University of Florida basketball
"'Joakim Noah has a better chance of reaching his fullest potential because of what he had to deal with this year, going from a complete unknown to a guy who is like a rock star,' (Billy) Donovan said."
International Herald Tribune

Ira Glass, Radio personality, National Public Radio
" 'Ira Glass is a master of this genre,' said Bob Greenblatt, Showtime's president of entertainment. 'He's sort of an institution, a kind of rock star of the intelligent set.'"
Los Angeles Times

Al Gore, Former Vice President, United States
"Gore's sudden rock-star appeal is testimony to the buzz-making power of the Oscar awarded last month to the documentary An Inconvenient Truth."
USA Today

Joakim Noah and Al Gore are big enough rock stars now that they could get together and form their own supergroup. Crosby, Stills & Nash, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Gore & Noah. It could work.

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

Today's rock stars are:

Anand Jon, Fashion designer
"He was born in India (where he continues to have something of a rock-star following) and was a fixture on the Miami social scene in the 1990s, where according to Newsweek he met designer Gianni Versace."
Los Angeles Times

Newt Gingrich, Former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives
"At CPAC, he was treated like a rock star, drawing a long standing ovation from more than 1,200 people packed into a ballroom."
Washington Times

This Anand Jon guy, with his flowing locks and piercing stare, definitely looks the part. But only the Washington Times could possibly try to claim Newt Gingrich as a rock star. I mean, real rock stars are often very happy to get what Newt Gingrich wanted to impeach Bill Clinton for.

Monday, March 19. 2007

Today's rock stars are:

Joel Zumaya, pitcher, Detroit Tigers
"Right-handed reliever Joel Zumaya is approaching rock star status with the Detroit Tigers."
Associated Press

And

Glenn Brackett, Fishing rod builder,
"The Boo Boys (boo is short for bamboo) have worked with him for years, and they treat him like a rock star."
Associated Press

But Not

Bill Richardson, Governor, New Mexico/U.S. Presidential Candidate

As reported by the Associated Press, Bill Richardson officially declares himself not a rock star. "I'm not a rock star, but I'm a solid candidate with the best credentials, and I'm going to outwork everybody," he says. Good luck with that, Bill.

Sunday, March 18, 2007

Today's rock star is:

Joakim Noah, University of Florida basketball
"In Gainesville, he is treated like a rock star. "
St. Petersburg Times (Fla.)

Joakim Noah has just roared to the top of the rock star standings. Can anybody stop this guy? Butler?

Still noticeably absent--John Edwards. Come on, he's good looking, fairly charismatic--doesn't anybody think he is a rock star? I'm fairly certain that this time next year, the Democratic candidate sitting at the top of the rock star rankings will be coasting to the nomination.

Saturday, March 17, 2007

Today's rock star is:

Al Gore, former Vice President, United States
"Mr Gore continues to enjoy a rock-star-like reception in the US and beyond."
The Courier Mail (Australia)

Al Gore's rock star status just doesn't fade away.

Friday, March 16, 2007

Today's rock stars are:

The University of Florida basketball team
"They're rock stars on this campus now, as they should be," athletic director Jeremy Foley said, sitting in his office in Gainesville on a mid-February afternoon.
Baltimore Sun

NASCAR's top drivers
"And there's also the chance to associate with the sport's top drivers, who have reached a rock-star status of sorts in the 2000s. "
Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The Atlanta Journal-Constitutions tempers the rock star metaphor with the qualifier "of sorts." From the looks of current NASCAR leaders Mark Martin and Jeff Burton, the only athletes older than actual vintage rock stars are NASCAR drivers.

Thursday, March 15, 2007

Today's rock stars are:

Simon Lamarre, Car designer, Volvo
"He received the rock star treatment when he returned home in January for the car's Canadian introduction at the Montreal auto show."
Toronto Globe and Mail

Stephen Hawking, Physicist
World famous physicist gets rock star welcome
Contra Costa Times (Walnut Creek, Calif.)

It's a rare day with neither sports rock stars nor political rock stars.

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

Today's rock stars are:

Tzipi Livni, Foreign Minister, Israel
"For his part, Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay described Ms. Livni, a rising star in Israeli politics, as having 'rock-star qualities.'"
Toronto Globe and Mail

Al Gore, Former Vice President, United States
"In December, he spoke in San Francisco to the American Geophysical Union and got a reception fit for a rock star from thousands of attendees."
International Herald Tribune

Terence Tao, Mathematician, UCLA
"Colleagues have teasingly called Tao a rock star and the 'Mozart of Math.'"
International Herald Tribune

Mbah a Moute, Forward, UCLA basketball
"Mbah a Moute was a rock star during last year's run to the national championship game."
Los Angeles Times

That's two rock stars from UCLA. UCLA maybe #2 in the West bracket, but they are #1 in non-rock star rock stars.

And a bonus quote:
"'I've been to this thing four times and I've never seen this kind of electricity,' real estate lawyer Jerry Slusky said of Mr. Obama. 'Hillary is OK, but she's no rock star.'"
Washington Times

Hillary Clinton, per the Washington Times, (who else?) is decidedly not a rock star. This severely affects her ranking.

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Today's rock stars are:

Joakim Noah, Center/Forward, University of Florida basketball
"Joakim Noah was treated like a rock star as he trotted off the court after Florida's 21-point blowout of Arkansas in the Southeastern Conference championship game."
Associated Press

Daisuke Matsuzaka, Pitcher, Boston Red Sox
"Batters look for his mysterious 'gyroball' if it even exists. He's just one of hundreds of rookies at baseball spring training camps this year, but he's swooned over like a rock star."
Associated Press

Snow Makers
"'The snowmakers are rock stars,' says Tom Meyers, director of marketing at Wachusett. 'They keep us in business.'"
Christian Science Monitor

Joakim Noah is a rock star two days in a row and the NCAA Tournament hasn't even started yet.

The Red Sox' new pitcher is said to have invented a new pitch called a "gyroball." All I can imagine is Foghorn Leghorn trying to teach Miss Prissy's son how to throw a baseball, but instead the little guy draws an elaborate schematic on a sheet of paper. Leghorn looks at it and says, "A gyroball?! No, no, son, you got it all wrong," And then he steps on a rake and hits himself in the head.

Monday, March 12, 2007

Today's rock stars are:

Hillary Clinton, U.S. Senator, New York/U.S. Presidential candidate
"Hillary is a rock star, not a witch."
Hartford Courant (Connecticut)

Joakim Noah, Center/Forward, University of Florida basketball
"Ever since he took a leading role at the Final Four last year, Joakim Noah has been a rock star."
New York Daily News

"Fab Five," 1992 University of Michigan basketball starters.
"Speaking of kids, remember that baggy-shorts-wearing and big-talking crew from Michigan in the early '90s? Of course, you do. When it comes to big personalities, the Fab Five were rock stars."
Kansas City Star

Of the 2008 presidential candidates, Hillary Clinton has now passed Rudy Giuliani on the rock-star meter. She still has far to go to catch up with Barack Obama.

And it's that time of year again for basketball playing college students to be rock stars.
We'll see how many of these we get over the next few weeks.

Sunday, March 11, 2007

Today's rock stars are:

George Smoot, Physicist, University of California, Berkeley
"Next to Smoot, who was one of the evening's rock stars (remember, we're in Berkeley, where physicists count as such), were the event's other superstars, Chronicle I-team reporters Lance Williams and Mark Fainaru-Wada."
San Francisco Chronicle

Supreme Court law clerks
"What is it about three-dozen legal rock stars that justifies paying them so much? "
Washington Post

General Pervez Musharraf, President, Pakistan
"He developed a rapport with President Bush, and received rock star treatment during a recent book tour through the United States."
New York Times

Jim Gilchrist, founder, The Minuteman Project
"Steve Eichler, former executive director of the Minuteman Project, said that Gilchrist 'started with a lawn chair at the border and embarrassed the White House. Millions of people have been affected by him and the Minutemen. Jim Gilchrist is a rock star.'"
Los Angeles Times

Jim Gilchrist poses next to a drawing of Ronald Reagan in a cowboy hat. Ha!, what a dork.

Saturday, March 10, 2007

Today's rock stars are:

David Iglesias, former U.S. Attorney
"Once considered a GOP rock star in the Justice Department, Iglesias testified that he had to ask to stay an extra month in his federal job while he looked for legal work in Albuquerque."
Washington Post

Hillary Clinton, U.S. Senator, New York/U.S. Presidential candidate
"'But,' Gordon Fischer said, 'Senator Clinton is a rock star wherever she goes, and she's greeted by throngs of adoring Democrats.'"
New York Times

Children
"When my kids were young, an older neighbour, a teacher, tried to warn me. 'Look,' she said, 'kids today think they're rock stars.'"
Toronto Globe and Mail

Hillary Clinton picks up a rock star citing. John Edwards' people better hurry up and find someone to call him a rock star. He's losing ground fast.

Friday, March 9, 2007

Today's rock stars are:

Ichiro Suzuki, Center Fielder, Seattle Mariners
"Tomo Ohka preceded Ichiro Suzuki by two years and Suzuki had the mega-buzz of a rock star."
Toronto Star

New employees, Carlson Marketing
"'Instead of starting with the TV ad, you've got to start with the website, you've got to start with the loyalty program, you've got to start with your recognition and rewards program,' Schroer said. 'All the tactics before that followed the lead of the TV commercial - those are the ones the clients are looking for to have really creative ideas in them. And that's why we hired all these rock stars.'"
Star Tribune (Minneapolis)

Ted "Murhpman" Murphy, CEO, PayPerPost
"...RockStartup," the self-produced reality series that Murphy is pitching to TV networks. The show fashions 'the Murphman' and the rest of the PayPerPost team as entrepreneurial 'rock stars,'"

PayPerPost is an advertising service that pays people to hide advertisements within the body of a blog post. Pathetic.

But not as pathetic as all the generic, disposable tooth-brushes I went through before I discovered the Sonicare Elite E9500 Custom Care System. With two brush head sizes and two speeds (both Max and Gentle depending on what I ate that day) I've achieved optimal results. My dentist told me that the Sonicare System might just put him out of business!

Thursday, March 8, 2007

Today's rock stars are:

Sandra Bernhard, Comedian/Actress
"she struts across the stage with a rock-star swagger"
Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Texas)

Kim Light, Gallery Owner, Culver City, CA
"It was a stormy Saturday night, and owner Kim Light seemed pleased at the turnout, achieving a kind of rock-star vibe herself in jeans and a leather shirt. "
Los Angeles Times

Jason Reilly, Dancer, Stuttgart Ballet
"The 27-year-old will soon mark his 10th year with the Stuttgart Ballet, where he's a popular dancer, favoured by choreographers as well as by audiences that have given him rock star status. "
Toronto Star

Sunil Mittal, Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, and Kumar Mangalam Biria, Rich guys, India
"Rags-to-riches barons such as Sunil Mittal, stock-market guru Rakesh Jhunjhunwala and 30-something Kumar Mangalam Birla... are largely unknown abroad but have rock star status at home."
Toronto Star

It's a unique group today. I'd be surprised if any of these folks are ever called rock stars again. This is just a bunch of one-hit wonders.

Behind-the-scenes secrets:
Some people have asked me how I go about finding all these quotes in all these newspapers from across the world. It may look like a monumental task requiring staffers around the globe scouring newspapers--but it's not. I do one search in Lexis/Nexis. I type in "rock star" in quotes and search the full-text database. I instantly get a list of about 20-30 articles containing the phrase. I skip over ones that seem to be about actual rock stars. (Bono is written about constantly, it seems) and scan through the rest. I spend more time searching Google for images of new rock stars than anything else. For example, today, Kim Light and Jason Reilly were especially hard to find.

So that's it. No great secret. If you have access to a good library, you can do it, too. Many larger public libraries and any college library provide access to databases like Lexis/Nexis and ProQuest on their websites. Try it, it's fun.

Wednesday, March 7, 2007

Today's rock stars are:

David Suzuki's bus, Environmentalist/Chair, David Suzuki Foundation
"last week...I pointed out the hypocrisy of Suzuki choosing luxury and comfort over the environment by using a "rock-star style bus" in a cross-country tour"
Sun Media (Canada)

Barack Obama, U.S. Senator, Illinois/U.S. Presidential Candidate
"Even jaded regulars at the normally celeb-stuffed restaurant couldn't help staring as Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas dined at a table next to rock-star presidential candidate Barack Obama"
Daily News (New York)
And
"Sen. Barack Obama may be a rock star in the Democratic party, but he's a groupie when it comes to Beyoncé. "
Daily News (New York)

Dieter Zetsche, CEO, DaimlerChrysler/failed advertising icon
"On Tuesday, however, Zetsche kept his inner rock star under wraps."
New York Times

Barack Obama picks up two rock star mentions today, both from the same paper. (I guess cliches can be contagious inside the office.) And with those two, Barack Obama and Al Gore are now tied as the biggest rock stars on the planet.

Tuesday, March 6, 2007

Today's rock star is:

Steve Schwarzman, CEO, Blackstone Group
"Blackstone chief Steve Schwarzman... is achieving rock star status in the finance world and could end up as an exhibit at his latest acquisition: Madame Tussauds."
New York Post--"He's no dummy- Schwarzman gets Tussauds for $1.9B."

According to the Associated Press today, Barack Obama contributed "star power" to Chicago's Olympic bid, but evidently he held back on the rock part.

Monday, March 5, 2007

Todays rock stars are:

Barack Obama U.S. Senator, Illinois/U.S. Presidential Candidate
"Under the old system, Governor Mitt Romney wouldn't be running TV ads. Senator Barack Obama wouldn't be limited to repeating his one-act rock star routine over and over."
Boston Globe

Al Gore Former Vice-President, United States
"Through his environmental work and his Oscar-winning documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, he has transformed himself from an election glitch punchline to a global statesman with rock star status among the eco-hipster set."
Toronto Sun (and syndicated throughout Canada.)

Joel Zumaya Pitcher, Detroit Tigers
"The rock star of the Tigers' bullpen plans to turn down his amp this season."
Detroit Free Press

Chris Taylor Video game designer
"Chris Taylor is a rock star in the video game
industry."
San Jose (CA) Mercury News

Barack Obama picks up his second recorded rock star citing, but still trails Al Gore. At this moment, it seems that it is not possible to write about either one of these guys without calling him a rock star. My suggestion for a replacement: "WWE Superstar status."

Sunday, March 4, 2007

Today's rock stars are:

Se Ri Park, Professional Golfer
"The rise of the South Korean golfers...has usually been explained by citing two factors: the country's formidably driven parents, and the rock-star status of Se Ri Pak"
New York Times

Mike "The Math Dude" DeGraba, Teacher, Montgomery (MD) County High School
"'He's going to be a rock star,' said Erick Lang, acting associate superintendent for curriculum and instruction of Montgomery County public schools."
Washington Post

Yes, here it is, my all new daily blog! Moving from the comics page to the rest of the paper, I am now on the look-out for instances of the "Rock Star Metaphor"

Nearly everyday a newspaper dubs someone a "rock star" or grants someone "rock star status." Have you noticed this, too? Well, you will now. The rock star metaphor is everywhere. It's over-exposed and unwanted. It's the Kevin Federline of metaphors.

After his appearance at the Academy Awards last week, Al Gore is the current reigning rock star. In the coming year, I suspect Barack Obama will be our country's most cited rock star. We'll see.

I hope you stick around.

Saturday, March 3, 2007

Today's rock stars are:

Al Gore, former Vice-President, United States
"He is not oblivious to his new-found rock star status, hamming it up at the Academy Awards by teasing the audience that he was on the verge of nominating for president before he was drowned out by the time-up music."
The Advertiser (Australia)

Architects
"Architecture has become something of a spectator sport; its greatest practitioners jet across the planet like rock stars."
Toronto Star

Friday, March 2, 2007

Today's rock stars are:

Andrew Dice Clay, former comedian
"Andrew "Dice" Clay, the '80s comic who once achieved rock-star status, has since fallen on hard times and hopes a new VH1 reality show about his life will help him reclaim his throne."
New York Post

J.R. Reynolds, University of Virginia basketball player (and student)
"Afterward, the crowd chanted 'J-R Rey-nolds' as he walked into the locker room. Like a rock star out for an encore, he emerged from the tunnel and raised his arm in tribute."
Washington Post

Sirtris Pharmaceuticals Inc. Biopharmaceutical company
"A rock star of biotechs plans an IPO"
Boston Globe

Computer Security Experts
"These rock stars of computer forensics have flocked to Amero -- an unlikely hero who claims to be a computer ignoramus."
Hartford Courant (Connecticut)

Thursday, March 1, 2007

Today's rock stars are:

Jerry Glanville, Former NFL Head Coach/Current Head Coach, Portland State University
"Like some sort of rock star with a whistle, Glanville brought entourages to NFL practices, and his posse included country-western singers and stock car drivers"
The Oregonian (Portland, OR), "PSU's sidelines just got interesting"

Al Gore, Former Vice-President, United States
"No wonder he's a veritable rock star now, cheered at the Grammys, mobbed at Cannes and causing computers to crash at the University of Toronto"
Boston Herald, "Al's act very much together; '08 campaign in the script?"

Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Today's rock stars are:

David Miller, Mayor, Toronto
"Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley yesterday said cities may have to call on Miller and his "rock star" image to take the campaign across the country, city by city."
Toronto Star

The cast of Spring Awakening, Broadway Musical
"Not since "Rent" have I felt so much youthful drive and energy on Broadway, whether onstage, in the audience or even post-show at the stage door, where the cast, Jonathan Groff and John Gallagher Jr. especially, are squealed over like rock stars."
The Pittsburgh-Post Gazette, "'Spring Awakening' follows in footsteps of 'Rent'"


Al Gore, former Vice-President, United States
"In some ways Al Gore is the biggest rock star on the red carpet."
Chicago Sun-Times, "A spirited Hollywood weekend"

Rudy Giuliani, former mayor, New York/U.S. Presidential Candidate
"Giuliani is called an outside-the-Beltway rock star and truth teller who earned the nation's trust for his leadership of New York City's response to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks."
Boston Globe, "Document shows Romney's strategies"

Joseph Lowery, Civil rights leader/President, Southern Christian Leadership Conference
""Joseph Lowery, 85, the SCLC's president emeritus who receives rock-star treatment at organization events, also remains a prominent figure."
Atlanta Journal Constitution, "Young blood at SCLC"

Monday, February 26, 2007

Today's rock stars are:

Eric Jolly, President, Science Museum of Minnesota
"Tunheim's team aggressively beat the bushes before plucking Eric Jolly - an industry rock star who speaks Cherokee, weaves baskets and has impeccable science credentials - to become the museum's 15th president."
Star Tribune (Minneapolis, Minn.) "Centennial? sensational! Four years after layoffs and pay cuts, the Science Museum is celebrating its 100th year with big shows and big crowds"

Gilbert Arenas, Guard, Washington Wizards
Star Tribune (Minneapolis, Minn.) "Arenas: a rock star with no agenda"

Barack Obama, U.S. Senator, Illinois/U.S. Presidential Candidate
"Cementing his rock star status, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., wowed them in Hollywood recently, bringing in an estimated $1.3 million in a series of fundraisers, aides told the Washington Post."
San Antonio Express-News "The Bottom line"