In 2015, a Selena hologram was announced. If all goes according to plan, this "walking, talking, singing, and dancing digital embodiment” of the Queen of Tejano will release new music, collaborate with new artists, and go on tour in 2018. I was against it then and I'm against it now.
Back then, I wrote:
"This Selena hologram isn’t being used to remind people of her greatness; we already remember. The planned new releases and duets feel like a play to make money off of someone long dead, in a way that separates itself too far from the reality that Selena was a real human being, not a commercial product or fictional figure.
We will always have the music she did release and footage of performances she put her everything into. Why can’t that be enough? Because we’re accustomed to wanting more and then getting it (see: binge-watching and leaked albums). Because we feel like we own our celebrities, in life and whatever comes after.
Death does not negotiate. It won’t heed your call for more time with someone who’s passed. And in this case, it shouldn’t. May Selena rest in peace."
Ditto all of that for Whitney Houston, whose hologram likeness was to duet with Christina Aguilera on an episode of The Voice. The show would have gotten a significant ratings boost, but at what cost? Well, we don't have to consider that anymore because the Houston family axed the stunt at the last minute.
Pat Houston, executor of the late singer's estate, released a statement on the matter: "Whitney’s legacy and her devoted fans deserve perfection. After closely viewing the performance, we decided the hologram was not ready to air."
Not being ready to air didn't stop the video from leaking though. You can watch it below, if you can stand the creepiness and the fact that the hologram looks nothing like Whitney. Let this be a warning to those who are surely already planning a hologram of Prince. We don't need it. Leave holograms to sci-fi movies and leave our departed legends alone.
