Shut Up and Sing

I watched the Grammys last night.

I took one for the team last night by watching the Grammys - well, sort of watched, it was on, and I occasionally watched it while doing other things - and it did not disappoint.

I haven't watched one of the self-congratulatory, look at us you rubes how much better we are than you bacchanals for a long time, maybe a decade or so and that gave me a good perspective of the changes since the last Grammy broadcast I watched back in 2013 or 2014 or so, so during the heyday of Obama’s second term and Biden’s stint as the head honcho of the “supervision” of the Ukraine revolution and Hunter was just getting started giving his world-renowned expertise in oil and gas to Burisma.

Good times.

I expected that the faux debauchery would increase, and that proved to be true. Scantily clad nymphettes were fighting the power of sexualization and objectification by gyrating on the stage in minimalist clothing, there was at least one former Disney kid (Sabrina Carpenter) who will come out with a book in a few years about how Disney abused her, multi-millionaires were representing the downtrodden, and the Grammys fought racism by giving Beyonce an award for Cowboy Carter because she was snubbed by Country music last year and her former drug-dealing husband, Jay-Z (aka Shawn Corey Carter) is likely going to be P Diddy’s prison bitch unless he turns snitch, and Kanye showed up with another wife who was virtually naked on the red carpet.

Lady Gaga was still fighting for the LGBTQ community to retain their visibility as if that was even a danger in these times where transgenders are treated as royalty and every commercial on TV features a same sex couple where one partner is a black lesbian and the other a white polyamorous and gender fluid submissive.

Kendrick Lamar was there, just as smoked out and high as he was in 2014.

And of course, as it was in 2014, Taylor Swift was there.

So pretty much the same old, same old, just with more skin.

I freely admit I have aged out of the key demo for the Grammys. I had no idea who most of the performers were. One of the songs nominated for song of the year was downloaded several billion times last year and I had never heard of it or the artist. As for the female rap “artist” DoeChe, of whom I was totally unaware, I most likely will continue to be unaware. I just don’t have an ear for rap music, especially this contemporary overproduced stuff with mumbled or incoherent lyrics. I guess, I am just not “street”. I will, however, forever remember Best New Artist winner, Chappel Roan, for the four-foot tall, medieval cone shaped hat she wore to accept the award.

But there were a few enjoyable moments. I like Teddy Swims, I knew the competitors in the country music categories, Green Day didn’t win anything, and the Beatles and the Rolling Stones did.

What was different, of course, is Trump is president, which prompted has been host Trevor Noah, a citizen of South Africa, to say:

“There have been a few changes in Washington, so this may be the last time I get to host anything in this country.”

What a country! We even give foreign born millionaire show hosts the opportunity to announce their victimhood.

You see, Noah’s estimated net worth is around $100 million and he reportedly makes an estimated $16 million a year.

But credit where credit is due - given that Trump is back in the White House and is doing his thing, I expected more vitriol from the representatives of the hard core left, but the political angle was largely muted this year as opposed to 2021, when ratings completely cratered for the Grammy presentation.

Maybe they understand people with real issues are tired of their schtick and it is best for them to just shut up and sing.