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I'm trying to remember why I enjoy awards shows so much on TV. I think it might be tied somehow to childhood memories. Perhaps we were allowed to stay up a little later than usual so we could see the Oscars. I'm not sure, but that might explain the strange comfort that I feel with those events. There has to be some explanation, because they certainly aren't that enjoyable on their own merits. Well, let me take that back. I still think that The Oscars and the MTV Movie Awards are really good TV.
Last night it was the Grammys. This event is notoriously depressing and last night didn't disappoint. Still, it's fun to complain about things and make fun of people on the screen.
I'm sorry to see that the current trend of over-singing is still going strong. There were a lot of head shaking moments and "what the?!?" was heard more than once in our living room. Almost all the performances suffered form the same quest to outdo that destroys so many movies these days. Each performer was like an action adventure character, surviving bigger and more deadly stunts than the one before. But in a world where form is valued over substance you eventually have to reach a tipping point where the substance is just squeezed out entirely.
I've never been a Dave Matthews fan. I respect him alright but I don't enjoy his particular style of music in general. Last night, his act was one of the highlights simply because there were actual people playing actual instruments and actually singing. It felt honest to me, certainly compared to all the other sparkling showgirls and boys. (This isn't only because our friend Mollie was part of the Matthew Band choir at the show). So when the Dave Matthews set is the highlight, certainly there's a problem.
But, you know. This is nothing new. I've been disturbed by the Grammys for years now. I watch with the secure knowledge that I don't expect to be particularly moved by it. Its a guilty pleasure for sure.
The most telling moment of the whole event though was when Taylor Swift, in her acceptance speech, said, "I'd like to thank my record label for letting me write all the songs on my album."
That's a mind twister of a sentence isn't it?
Last night it was the Grammys. This event is notoriously depressing and last night didn't disappoint. Still, it's fun to complain about things and make fun of people on the screen.
I'm sorry to see that the current trend of over-singing is still going strong. There were a lot of head shaking moments and "what the?!?" was heard more than once in our living room. Almost all the performances suffered form the same quest to outdo that destroys so many movies these days. Each performer was like an action adventure character, surviving bigger and more deadly stunts than the one before. But in a world where form is valued over substance you eventually have to reach a tipping point where the substance is just squeezed out entirely.
I've never been a Dave Matthews fan. I respect him alright but I don't enjoy his particular style of music in general. Last night, his act was one of the highlights simply because there were actual people playing actual instruments and actually singing. It felt honest to me, certainly compared to all the other sparkling showgirls and boys. (This isn't only because our friend Mollie was part of the Matthew Band choir at the show). So when the Dave Matthews set is the highlight, certainly there's a problem.
But, you know. This is nothing new. I've been disturbed by the Grammys for years now. I watch with the secure knowledge that I don't expect to be particularly moved by it. Its a guilty pleasure for sure.
The most telling moment of the whole event though was when Taylor Swift, in her acceptance speech, said, "I'd like to thank my record label for letting me write all the songs on my album."
That's a mind twister of a sentence isn't it?
2 comments:
I know, I loved when she said that "letting her" thing. Kids these days.
It's interesting to see how artists are capturing the attention of the mainstream music fans by using visuals. Lady Gaga is a testament to that. Before the wacked out transition: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NM51qOpwcIM
One performance I did enjoy (though I don't really remember the song much) was Pink's Cirque Du Soleil type deal. Pretty awesome feat WHILE singing.
Pink's performance was pretty awesome. By that point though I was already getting a little extravaganza'd out and I said out loud, "imagine if someone just sang a song".
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