CREEMEDIA

Remember rock 'n' roll? You know, that uncouth jungle music synonomous with teenage rebellion which parents feared was a threat to civilized order? First it became big business, and shortly thereafter, show business. Now movie stars gaggle like so many preteen groupies backstage at Rolling Stones concerts, while jet set sycophants bicker for invitations to subway press parties for a millionaire band whose lead singer once stuttered something about “my generation.” But even if you accept the fact that rock is stuck with its respectability, even if you remain optimistic that the music will continue to flourish as the cornerstone of a $2 billion a year industry, the first Rocky awards program was still a disappointment.

Don Kirshner, (Rock Concert, Monkees, Screen Gems publishing) impresario extraordinaire, envisioned the Rockies as an alternative to the Grammy awards, which still treat rock as some kind of wayward child. But the presentation of this successful network package (ratings-wise no other network was close in the 10 P.M. Saturday night slot) was indistinguishable from the tacky self-congratulation that mars perennials like the Grammies or Oscars telecasts.