Charles Como

Some of them you know. Some you don't. But the following artists, entertainers and executives have one thing in common: We're counting on each to mae a significant impact or difference in their respective fields this year. Sure, there will be thers who make a splash, but after we talked with dozens of people who work in entertainment and the arts, these were the names mentioned most often. You might say that Jim Carrey was a face to watch in '94, and you would be right.

Some of them you know. Some you don't. But the following artists, entertainers and executives have one thing in common: We're counting on each to mae a significant impact or difference in their respective fields this year. Sure, there will be thers who make a splash, but after we talked with dozens of people who work in entertainment and the arts, these were the names mentioned most often. You might say that Jim Carrey was a face to watch in '94, and you would be right.

In their continuing campaigns against the entertainment industry, Sen. Bob Dole and former Education Secretary William J. Bennett have seized upon a convenient symbol--gangsta rap--to sharpen their moral arguments against the content of certain movies, television shows and music. But if their attack makes political sense, it also reveals a lack of understanding of both the entertainment industry and its marketplace.

Last July, R.E.M. singer Michael Stipe turned on a personal computer and chatted with 900,000 of his closest friends. Taking occasional breaks from recording "Monster" at Ocean Way Studio in Hollywood, Stipe used an America Online account-- stipey@aol.com --to post e-mail comments to an R.E.M. newsgroup. AOL subscribers could join in or merely watch as Stipe spent a week clearing up debates over song lyrics and entertaining system users with anecdotes from past tours. When one R.E.M.