5 Reasons Why I Always Say I’ll Never Watch The Grammys Again
4. The Ceremony Is Packed With Over-The-Top Performances
Katy Perry performs at the Grammys
The Grammy Awards used to be a fairly classy, dignified affair with the leading lights of the music industry gathering to honor excellence. In recent years, the ceremony devolved into a rowdy concert in a huge arena packed with goofy, arm-waving fans, although this year, the show was a bit more like a typical awards show.
Part of the problem with the Grammys is that the producers seem to put on the show for the audience in the arena without keeping the home viewers in mind. The sound mix is terrible for those watching on television, and the lighting and other effects just don’t work for the millions at home trying to make sense of the madness.
Take note of some recent examples. A couple of years ago, the broadcast featured a production number paying tribute to the Green Day Broadway show. The fact that the performance actually included Green Day songs was bad enough, but the choreography was sloppy, and the jump cuts came so frequently that I couldn’t help but wonder if the director had ADD.
In 2011, the band Arcade Fire performed minutes before their surprising win for Album of the Year. Their performance was solid enough, but accompanying it were seizure-inducing lighting effects and crazy BMX stunts. Here was Arcade Fire’s chance to show off in front of a worldwide audience, and the producers turned it into a Mountain Dew commercial.
At this year’s show, performances by Chris Brown and Katy Perry were characterized by ridiculous dancing and staging. Nicki Minaj’s number was meant to shock, but it only managed to be jaw-droppingly unmelodic. The electronica segment featuring Deadmau5, the mouse-headed DJ, along with David Guetta, Brown, and Foo Figthers, did little service to the genre.
Every year, the performances at the Grammy Awards appear to be less about the music and more about upping the ante on showmanship. Instead of being exciting, they’ve just become obnoxious.
Prestige and honor? I love how the Simpsons skewered that aspect when Homer won an album for best Barbershop album, and then couldn’t even give his award away. “Oh, it’s a GRAMMY …”
The only reason to watch the Grammys is the same reason for watching NASCAR. The crash and burn, baby, the crash and burn.
I think the Grammys are good at picking nominees and winners compared to the Oscars. If you look at past Grammy winners and nominees, they actually makes sense and the music still holds up today and are actually important works that have had a long time impact on the music scene. Somehow the Grammys are good at weeding out the hyped acts. On the other hand if I look at past Oscar winners, It’s mostly a big WTF, why did this win?
If you follow the link above to the “Best Spoken Word Album” and check out the past winners, you find a lot of Democrat politicians (Bill Clinton, Al Gore, Obama twice, Jimmy Carter, and general leftists like Al Franken, Jon Stewart, Michael J. Fox, Maya Angelou). I dare you to find someone from the center-to-right of the aisle. Another award that is a giveaway to friends of Hollywood.
Wait… William Shatner didnt take it every year? Blasphemy!!!
I stopped watching the Grammys, the Emmys, the whole bunch of them years ago. Just a bunch of left wingers getting up and patting each others back.
Exactly. A total bore-fest. Yawn.
Blogging and/or sleep is a far better use for my time.
I never understood why we bothered paying attention to the Oscars and Emmys. You would think that watching the movies and shows that would be award enough for actors. But, apparently we have to make sure that their fragile little egos are stroked even more by presenting them awards and a grandiose ceremony that treats them like royalty.
Then of course, we throw a parade for people who win at playing a child’s game, but don’t throw one for men and women coming home from battle.
I don’t watch these award shows at all. THe awardees are not people I care to even acknowledge let alone celebrate. Their accomplishments are really little better than nothing.
I think we should have an award show for decorated soldiers–now that would be significant.
I think it was interesting that someone that just stands up there and sings, and doesn’t rely on an elaborately staged production with dancers, pyrotecnics, costumes, etc, won the most awards. And did it without offending anyone, to boot!
Quit watching Grammys years ago as the majority of contemporary “artists” stink. No memorable tunes, no clever lyrics, performers who look the same and perform the same tasteless moves. Bleech!
The grammar of music is not present in these productions;it’s all theater.Not much real music;rather lack luster performances;not very good writing…not much to talk about…..unless your a sexy thing.
Set the Wayback Machine to 1989. Jethro Tull wins Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance.
That was all I needed to pretty much discount them for all future awards. Sort of like the Nobel Peace Prize after Arafat got it in 94.
However, there may still be some redeeming qualities. Apparently I’m more of a hermit than I realized as of late, not having heard of Adele before. (I’m not the last….there’s still one hermit hiding in Alaska’s interior). Started Youtube searching, starting with “Rolling in the Deep”. I have to admit, I’m impressed. I don’t think I’ve heard a female vocalist that strong since early Aretha Franklin or Katie Webster. I was a bit less impressed with the small selection that I checked out after that, but the strength of “Deep” showed me what she could do with a strong backing band.
One thing that bugs the heck out of me is that all the videos seem to be of her from odd angles or wearing dark clothes on a black background. I guess they still don’t think that a non-scrawny woman can be attractive. More fools them.
Maybe you need an intervention to help you stop watching. I use to watch them back when Stevie Wonder would win them all. But I stopped the year Elvis Costello did not win best new artist. Of course, over the years Costello has proven to be a duch-bag elitist. Boogie-oogie-oogie, indeed.