Thursday, December 3, 2009

...And The Award Goes To...

Who cares! The 52nd Grammy nominees were announced and the list is another assortment of popular selling artists and confusing selections. Along with those two things comes the disappointment in knowing that Pearl Jam's Backspacer is not deserving of a Best Rock Album nomination despite its favorable reviews and debut at No.1 on the Billboard 200. Omissions such as this are nothing new but still it makes people care less about the Grammy awards each year.
There are many huge and mind-boggling omissions such as Mastodon's "Oblivion" or "Divinations" not receiving a nomination for Best Metal Performance or Sonic Youth's The Eternal being snubbed in the Best Alternative Music Album category but I have neither the energy or time to complain about certain songs or albums that were not nominated or defending the reasons that they should be nominated. Instead, let us focus on the fact that the Grammies just are not interesting.

Every year, you end up with some pop star pretending to be a rock star, a collaboration that should be interesting but ceases to be after the first two minutes and the frustration that comes from songs like "21 Guns" being nominated and possibly winning and, on top of that, the possibility of having to hear it performed live. This is why the Grammies cease to be interesting or even entertaining. It is not to say that there have not been any interesting performances or moments. There is at least one per year and usually deep into the broadcast. When those moments happen, they are really cool (ex. an all-star Funk tribute where Sly Stone appears with a mohawk, a Foo Fighters performance) but still, they are the occasional moment in a broadcast where you will have to hear a single, usually, for the umpteenth time because it is nominated and at this point, you are probably sick of the song.

Granted, not every performer can be like Michael Jackson or rush a stage like Ol' Dirty Bastard but still, there needs to be some sort of excitement in watching this show. Perhaps, a break from the usual awards presentation element. Awards could still be presented but in a different way like having Lady Gaga drop from the ceiling with her award in hand (I'm saying that she will win and, hopefully, her costume will be a Grammy). They could have the ceremony outside or even in a different location altogether instead of L.A.

In the end, and despite the complaints of boredom, we will all end up watching some part of the Grammies just to see what could happen and/or to root a band that you love to win (unless you like the song "21 Guns," that just means you have stopped caring and want to see uninteresting song possibly be performed live). Since you are bound to watch the broadcast, make an event of it, take bets (slap or monetary) and watch as Lady Gaga continues her faux Genesis-era Peter Gabriel shtick over studio manufactured Pop music and people continue to discuss the Taylor Swift-Kanye West moment as the ghost of Ol' Dirty Bastard rushes the stage during an acceptance speech for Green Day's "21 Guns" or whatever it is that U2 does these days. One could only hope this will happen.

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