Line #75 Main/TeenIdol


1	->''"'And I'll root, toot, shoot myself to fame''
2	->''Every kid alive is gonna know my name''
3	->''An overnight phenomenon like there's never been''
4	->''A motivated, supersonic king of the scene"''
5
6	->''"I'll be a teenage idol, just give me a break''
7	->''I'll be a teenage idol, no matter how long it takes''
8	->''You just don't know what it means to me''
9	->''I'm gonna find myself a place in history''
10	->''A teenage idol, that's what I'm gonna be"''.
11	-->-- '''Music/EltonJohn''', "(I'm Going To Be A) Teenage Idol", written for his friend Marc Bolan (T-Rex).
12
13
14	An entertainer who is idolized by teenagers, preteens, and young adults.
15
16	People have been declared teen idols for as long as being a teenager has been recognized[[note]]which, by the way, is NewerThanTheyThink - until the 1940s, anybody under the age of 21 was simply a "child" or "young adult"[[/note]]. Many, but not all, have been specifically groomed for this purpose. They generally have several things in common:
17	# Either they are teenaged themselves when they first become stars, or they are in their twenties and can pass for teenage with DawsonCasting (or both).
18	# They are attractive and photogenic, often becoming the target of the CelebCrush (BeautyEqualsGoodness, right?).
19	# They act, [[IdolSinger sing]], or both. It tends to be both if their managers have a say in it. Their talent is irrelevant to being a Teen Idol in the first place, but it makes a difference about whether they're VindicatedByHistory.
20	# They create a PeripheryHatedom for anyone not a teenager, and, of course, some teenagers will react in disgust at being pandered to.
21
22	The most basic way to tell if a celebrity is truly a Teen Idol is by whether they wind up in magazines aimed at the teenage market (like ''Sassy'', ''Tiger Beat'', ''YM'', ''Seventeen'', and ''Teen People'') and by whether they become a poster celebrity. It should be emphasized that Administrivia/TropesAreNotBad and many idols, particularly musicians that legitimately wrote their own material, [[VindicatedByHistory gain critical defenders as time goes on]].
23
24	Often, if the teens of the era have a social conscience, a Teen Idol will be the way TheManIsStickingItToTheMan.
25
26	This trope commonly overlaps with the IdolSinger, although not all teen idols are singers. See also BoyBand, GirlGroup, and TeenPop.
27
28	Not to be confused with the Creator/MegCabot novel ''Literature/TeenIdol'' (though it is about one), or Music/MarinaDiamandis' song "Teen Idle" (though Marina is given to playing with the trope).
29
30	----
31	!!Examples:
32
33	[[foldercontrol]]
34
35	[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
36	* [[BlueOni Akihiko]] and [[RedOni Haruhiko]] [[PolarOppositeTwins Beppu]] from ''Anime/CuteHighEarthDefenseClubLove'' are [[GenderFlipped male]] examples as [[DarkMagicalGirl the]] [[MagicIdolSinger VEPPer]]. They can sing and are popular with the ladies ''and'' the [[EvenTheGuysWantHim guys]]. They also happen to be in the second year of high school. They became [[IdolSinger idols]] because they wanted to get closer to [[CelebrityCrush Gora]] [[BecauseYouWereNiceToMe Hakone]], [[HatesTheJobLovesTheLimelight not because they actually enjoyed being idols]]. [[spoiler:[[FaceHeelTurn Until the end of season 2 that is]].]]
37	[[/folder]]
38
39	[[folder:Film]]
40	* Music/ElvisPresley was one in film as well as music, starting with the success of ''Film/BlueHawaii''.
41	* Creator/JamesDean, the icon of '50s rebellion.
42	* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonard_Whiting Len Whiting,]] who played Romeo in Franco Zefferelli's 1968 ''Film/{{Romeo and Juliet\|1968}}''. He was such a major Teen Idol for a while that it wasn't uncommon for him to be the subject of 60% or more of the articles in a single issue of a teen magazine.
43	* The stars of the ''Film/{{Twilight}}'' movies, Creator/KristenStewart, Creator/RobertPattinson, and Creator/TaylorLautner, all experienced this. Stewart and Pattinson were less than pleased with the status and have mixed feelings about the films as a result, and both later pivoted to more adult fare once the series ended.
44	* Creator/RudolphValentino, star of ''Film/TheFourHorsemenOfTheApocalypse'' and ''Literature/TheSheik'', was one during TheRoaring20s.
45	* Creator/LeonardoDiCaprio became one in the late '90s after the success of ''Film/{{Titanic\|1997}}''.
46	* Creator/KevinBacon.
47	* Creator/JenniferLawrence in the early-mid '10s after the success of ''Film/TheHungerGames''.
48	* In ''WesternAnimation/TurningRed'', InUniverse, the members of 4*Town are this showing up on the cover of "Tween Beat" magazine.
49	[[/folder]]
50
51	[[folder:Live Action TV]]
52	* Farrah Fawcett during her ''Series/CharliesAngels'' days.
53	* Nina from ''Series/JustShootMe'' was said to have been this in her former days as a model. She would frequently run into men who had had a poster of her on their wall as teens.
54	* ''Series/TheDukesOfHazzard'' with John Schneider and Tom Wopat (Bo and Luke) for the girls, and Catherine Bach (Daisy) for the guys, although only Schneider was the only actual teenager when the series began (Schneider was 18, while Wopat was 26 and Bach 25).
55	* ''Series/TheBradyBunch'':
56	** Barry Williams, who played oldest son Greg, began getting his fan mail -- most from teen-aged girls -- relatively early, but it ''really'' started picking up midway through the 1970-1971 season when his voice deepened to its adult pitch and he physically matured. (FWIW, Williams was an aversion to the rule that the kids only matured physically and otherwise at the start of each new season; his happened ''during'' the second season, all the others followed this basic rule.) Incidentally, the only episode where Greg is truly presented as a teen idol -- and then, only briefly -- is in a scene in "Adios, Johnny Bravo," where a bunch of paid teen-aged actresses mob Greg and tear off all his clothes during a photo shoot for the (intended) first Johnny Bravo album.
57	** Williams' co-star, Maureen [=McCormick=] (Marcia) became a teen queen during the fourth season, when she really started getting hot. Chris Knight (Peter) finally developed his following in 1973, just as Year 5 got underway.
58	* ''Series/StepByStep'':
59	** Although oldest teen star Creator/StaciKeanan was supposed to be the designated teen queen of the series -- and at least in the early going it was this way -- by 1995 her popularity was completely eclipsed by co-star Creator/ChristineLakin (who played youngest daughter Al Lambert), once she entered puberty, became completely hot and became the apple of many young men's eyes (and those in their late teens).
60	** In contrast -- and as an aversion to rule that the oldest teenage boy character being a family sitcom's designated teen idol -- Brandon Call never came close to achieving true teen idol status, and the followings of Angela Watson (middle daughter Karen, who fancied herself as the teen queen of the family) and Christopher Castile (who in the later years of the show was a teenager) were modest at best. Sasha Mitchell, who was in his mid 20s when the series started, was the one who got the most fan mail from teenaged girls.
61	* ''Series/TheAdventuresOfOzzieAndHarriet'': Music/RickyNelson, who parlayed his TV fame into a legitimate music career, and carried on his family's tradition (Ozzie had been a huge star as a bandleader in the 1930s and '40s).
62	* Seven-Of-Nine in ''Series/StarTrekVoyager''. While a part of the fandom hated her for ''being'' MsFanservice, she still had a sizable following.
63	* Several Franchise/PowerRangers, to most people when they think of the Pink Ranger they think of Amy Jo Johnson's Kimberly.
64	* [[Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration Deanna Troi]].
65	* Creator/DavidCassidy of ''Series/ThePartridgeFamily''. Interestingly, he's one of the few real-life Teen Idols who was also portrayed that way on the show. And Creator/SusanDey for the others.
66	* ''Series/TheHardyBoysNancyDrewMysteries'':
67	** Creator/ShaunCassidy, half-brother to David. His singing career never quite got in the way of solving mysteries.
68	** His co-star, Parker Stevenson, also had a sizable teen following & teen mag status.
69	* ''Series/TheMonkees'', for both their music and TV Show.
70	* All three of the brothers on ''Series/HereComeTheBrides'', although Robert Brown was way up at the top end of the Teen Idol age range. Most teenaged girls were enamored of Creator/BobbySherman, but some preferred David Soul ([[Series/StarskyAndHutch which turned out to be a wise choice]]). Bridget Hanley (the youngest bride) was the female Teen Idol from the same show.
71	* Practically all of the Creator/DisneyChannel's teen actors since 2002. Most of them are also {{Idol Singer}}s.
72	** Music/HilaryDuff, Disney's first attempt at creating a teen idol.
73	** Creator/RavenSymone, Disney's second attempt at creating a teen idol. Symone was also a part of Film/TheCheetahGirls.
74	** Music/MileyCyrus, probably their most successful to date after ''Series/HannahMontana''.
75	** Music/DemiLovato.
76	** Music/SelenaGomez.
77	** And then you have Music/BridgitMendler, Creator/DebbyRyan, Creator/BellaThorne, {{Creator/Zendaya}}, Creator/LauraMarano, Music/ChinaAnneMcClain, [[Series/DogWithABlog G. Hannelius]], Creator/DoveCameron, Creator/OliviaHolt, Creator/SabrinaCarpenter, Music/OliviaRodrigo... the list just goes on. Creator/RossLynch, Creator/JakeShort, and Creator/PeytonMeyer are among the channel's fresh male faces.
78	** Before the Disney Channel, Creator/HayleyMills, Creator/AnnetteFunicello, Robert Considine, and Tommy Kirk were Disney's teen idols in The60s.
79	** Later on, Creator/KurtRussell and Creator/JodieFoster were, too. [[TomHanksSyndrome They grew out of that]].
80	* Creator/{{Nickelodeon}}'s now catching up to Disney Channel too, with 2 starting ones:
81	** Creator/MirandaCosgrove (''Series/ICarly'').
82	** Music/VictoriaJustice (''Series/{{Victorious}}''). This show also spawned Music/ArianaGrande, who became more popular than Justice ever was (and spun her character off into [[Series/SamAndCat her own series]]).
83	* ''Series/HowIMetYourMother'': Robin Scherbatsky eventually reveals that she was a teen popstar known as "Robin Sparkles" back in Canada. She's incredibly embarrassed about the whole thing and tries to keep the truth from her friends in America.
84	* [[Series/BeverlyHills90210 Brian Austin Green]].
85	* Creator/JohnnyDepp on ''Series/TwentyOneJumpStreet'' (though it bothered him).
86	* All of the stars of ''Film/HighSchoolMusical'', especially Creator/ZacEfron.
87	* Creator/AliLarter was clearly intended to be the pinup of choice for hetero males from ''Series/{{Heroes}}'', but Creator/HaydenPanettiere turned out to be the one teenage boys [[EvenTheGirlsWantHer and not only boys]] (and more than a few ''post-''teenagers went for[[note]]Including [[CastIncest one of her co-stars]][[/note]] Well, AllGuysWantCheerleaders...)
88	* Creator/JasonBateman during his days on ''Series/TheHoganFamily'' (the series originally known as ''Valerie'').
89	* Patty Duke with her [[Series/ThePattyDukeShow self-titled sitcom]]. She later found modest success in [[TomHanksSyndrome more dramatic fare]].
90	* ''Series/WonderWoman'': Leif Garrett guest starred in "My Teenage Idol Is Missing".
91	* Creator/TheCW has a profitable sideline in this field.
92	* Creator/JonathanTaylorThomas, who played Tim Taylor's son Randy on ''Series/HomeImprovement'', became one once he hit puberty and [[SheIsAllGrownUp turned out to be really handsome]], earning the show a substantial PeripheryDemographic of teenage girls who would watch the same show as their fathers for very different reasons.
93	[[/folder]]
94
95	[[folder:Literature]]
96	* ''Literature/DeathOfAPopIdol'', a short story, has Johnny, teenaged music sensation!... [[spoiler: Also a suberversion: He quits because he can't stand the whole thing.]]
97	* ''Literature/WelcomeToWonderland'': The second book, Beach Party Surf Monkey, has Aidan Tyler, one of the co-stars of the movie being filmed at the Wonderland. As Gloria finds out, he's quite difficult to work with.
98	[[/folder]]
99
100	[[folder:Music]]
101	* Music/PaulAnka became an idol at the age of 14 and had a massive teenage fan base all throughout The50s and [[The60s '60s]].
102	* Frankie Avalon (''also'' in films, frequently with the previously-mentioned Annette Funicello)
103	* Music/TheBeeGees:
104	** Particularly in their pre-disco stage of their career (late '60s and their rise to stardom to the early '70s).
105	** The Gibbs' youngest brother, Andy, was also a teen idol in the late '70s. Unlike post teen pop of the '60s and later, Gibb's music made as a teen still gets heavy oldies/classic hits airplay -- especially "I Just Want to Be Your Everything," his ultra smash from 1977 -- due to his music being substantially and stylistically different from peers such as Shaun Cassidy, Bobby Sherman, etc.
106	* Debbie Harry from Music/{{Blondie\|Band}}.
107	* Music/BritneySpears was this in the late '90s/early 2000s
108	* Music/TheBeatles.
109	* Music/TheBeachBoys.
110	* Music/{{The Rolling Stones\|Band}} were this in the United States during UsefulNotes/TheBritishInvasion.
111	* Music/ChrisBrown was one in his early career (2005-2009), prior to his domestic abuse incident with Music/{{Rihanna}}
112	* Music/TheCowsills
113	* Music/TheDeFrancoFamily, especially youngest sibling and lead singer Tony [=DeFranco=].
114	* Music/ElvisPresley.
115	* Music/{{Fabian}}.
116	* Pat Boone. (yes, ''that'' one.)
117	* Tommy Sands.
118	* Music/RoyOrbison
119	* Music/NeilSedaka.
120	* Bobby Rydell
121	* Series/ThePartridgeFamily
122	* Bobby Sherman.
123	* Tommy Sands.
124	* Gary Lewis. (Creator/JerryLewis' son)
125	* Jimmy Clanton.
126	* The Lennon Sisters, though they achieved this status on a smaller scale, via the Music/LawrenceWelk television series.
127	* Debbie Gibson.
128	* Tiffany.
129	* Music/{{Madonna}}
130	* Music/{{KISS}} was considered this during the late '70s, based on the way in which the group's merchandise was originally marketed.
131	* Music/CheapTrick.
132	* Music/NewKidsOnTheBlock.
133	* T-Rex, in England.
134	* Music/RickyNelson. His sons, Matthew and Gunnar (who performed as Nelson), also became teen idols for a time in the early '90s, extending the family tradition to a third generation. As patriarch Ozzie Nelson had No. 1 hits on the ''Billboard'' charts in the late 1930s/early '40s, and Ricky followed with his string in the late '50s/early '60s, Nelson became one of the few multi-generation families to each have No. 1 hits, turning the trick in 1990 with "(Can't Live Without Your) Love and Affection."
135	* Music/FrankSinatra was arguably the original teen idol[[note]]Some argue that he really wasn't as much of a "teen idol" as conventional wisdom suggests and that Elvis was the true pioneer of the teen idol[[/note]]. This was in the '40s and '50s.
136	* Music/TheJonasBrothers, part of the Disney music marketing.
137	* Music/AllstarWeekend.
138	* Music/TheJacksonFive, and Music/MichaelJackson the solo singer when he was in his teens. The "King of Pop," incidentally, was one of the few teen idols who parlayed his teen stardom into a career in adulthood, and to say it was successful would be a gross understatement.
139	* Music/TaylorSwift
140	* Music/AlanisMorissette ([[CanonDiscontinuity We do not]] [[OldShame talk about that]].)
141	* Music/{{Restart}}
142	* Music/JustinBieber
143	* Creator/LeifGarrett, who actually started his career as an actor but got into music full-time in the late '70s.
144	* Donny Osmond, his sister Marie, and the rest of the Osmonds. Both Donny and Marie (who recorded together as teenagers) would each have huge hits as adults in the '80s, both as solo artists or in Marie's case, with various duet partners. Marie's success came primarily on the country chart, with her solo No. 1 hit "There's No Stopping Your Heart," and duet No. 1's with two fellow ex-pop stars: Dan Seals ("Meet Me in Montana") and Paul Davis ("You're Still New to Me"); Donny returned to the pop chart's top 5 with "Soldier of Love" in May 1989, and had another top 15 hit with "Sacred Emotion" toward the end of the summer 1989.
145	* Cody Simpson
146	* Greyson Chance
147	* Wham! in the '80s.(Creator/GeorgeMichael would also be a British Teen Idol at first as a solo singer).
148	* Music/NewEdition in the beginning.
149	* Music/{{Hanson}}.
150	* [[Series/TheHardyBoysNancyDrewMysteries Shaun Cassidy]]
151	* The Bay City Rollers are probably the TropeCodifier in the UK, if not the TropeMaker. Unlike most examples they had enough creative control to go through several changes of lineup, fire their manager, fall out spectacularly over CreativeDifferences and eventually split into two warring factions and start suing each other.
152	* Music/OneDirection
153	* Music/TheMonkees certainly count due to their artificially composed nature, yet they're also known for gaining a lot of respect from both musicians and music critics.
154	* Music/{{NSYNC}} was this in the late '90s/early 2000s. Music/JustinTimberlake during his time in the band and as he transitioned to a solo career.
155	* Music/BackstreetBoys were also this in the late '90s/early 2000s (albeit more in the late '90s).
156	* Music/LesleyGore was 16 when her debut "It's My Party" went to #1. After attending college in 1965, she started a modestly successful adult career with the entirely self-written comeback album, ''Someplace Else Now'', in 1972. She remained on the oldies and cabaret circuit while recording the occasional album until her death in 2015.
157	* Australian singers/actors Music/KylieMinogue and Music/JasonDonovan used to be teen idols back in the late 80's-early 90's, but then they grew up and moved on.
158	* Music/{{Eminem}}, from 1999-2005, somehow ended up becoming one, attracting a huge fanbase of mostly young teenage girls. During this period he was marketed as something of a SubvertedKidsShow version of an idol, making surreal and subversive appearances on ''TRL'', working the TeenPop sound into his violent and button-pushing songs, and writing satirical AntiRoleModel songs in which he encouraged his young fans to take up drugs, kill people and commit suicide.
159	--->They say I'm suicidal - teenagers' newest idol\
160	C'mon, do as I do, go ahead, [[DrivenToSuicide get mad and do it!]] Just pull the plug!
161	[[/folder]]
162
163	[[folder:Real Life]]
164	* Pin-up girls of UsefulNotes/WorldWarTwo (and onwards) fame.
165	* Many a PageThreeStunna, but most notably Samantha Fox, Linda Lusardi, Melinda Messenger and Keeley Hazell.
166	* The Janoskians, an Australian comedy troupe who fit the boy-band mold except for the fact that they aren't a musical group.
167	* Magcon, a group of teenage social media stars who first got their attention on Vine. Their popularity is already starting to rival that of One Direction, and one of their members, Shawn Mendes, shot to the top of the [=iTunes=] chart in a day.
168	* UsefulNotes/BarackObama got this treatment in the viral video [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKsoXHYICqU "Crush on Obama"]] by the Website/YouTube artist [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin ObamaGirl]]. See more on [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Got_a_Crush..._on_Obama that other wiki]]. He later remarked that [[TheStoic he didn't have a response himself]], but that his daughters [[DudeNotFunny felt teed off by it.]]
169	[[/folder]]
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Context Main / TeenIdol