Still in Love With Jumpin' Jack Flash

Rock stars snort powders and cremated parents, promote thuggish personas, and do it all for a corporate dollar – yet we only love them all the more, says the Washington Post’s Robin Givhan. Even Mike Huckabee revealed his un-GOP admiration for Keith Richards, pardoning his reckless driving charge and dismissing critics by saying, “If you can play guitar like Keith Richards, I’d do it for you.”

As “a feast of rock star fabulosity” airs on TV this week – from Justin Timberlake’s “Futuresex/Loveshow” to the "MTV Video Music Awards" – Givhan celebrates the power of musicians who make millions sway. Why did publicity-averse Giorgio Armani dress the controversial 50 Cent without batting an eye? “The myth of the rock star endures. And at some point, everyone turns into a groupie.” (More 50 Cent stories.)