The Grannys

[Big Media]

I just blasted through 3.5 hours of crap in under 45 minutes using the old Tivo clicker. I have a couple of questions that some of you may be able to answer:

1. What is with the Amy Winehouse craze? I don't get her. She isn't that pretty, she sings like she's 50, and her songs blow.

2. What's with all the throw-back crap? With the exception of Carrie, Alicia, and Kanye, I felt as though I was watching the Grannys.

3. Why were so many old-school country artists nominated? I am surprised Alabama wasn't in the running for something.

4. Did anyone else catch Vince Gill's acceptance speech? Classic. You have to love the guy.

[Arp2]

Missed the first ten minutes....what were they?

The Time! Cool!

Awards -- still mostly illogical and out-of-touch; if we'd list all the categories that were totally botched, we'd have another 11-page thread, I would guess.
Awards -- seem to be based on the answer to "how well does this match the stereotypes and biases I, the typical 60+ NARAS voter, formed 40 years ago?"

Production -- extraordinary! The magnitude is mind-blowing! The timing is incredible! Let me say that again: the timing is incredible! (Whoever did the logistics and the blocking should be put to work on the air traffic control system!) Give this show the Emmy now! G'ahead, g'ahead. And that's gotta be the longest jib I've seen in my life! And the fastest-moving SteadiCam operators I've seen in my life!

The crowd -- I love seeing the formally-attired women in the background visibly saying in their men's ears, "who the ____ is this??"

Kanye West -- what was the gas used, and how do they get so much of it to move so fast??!
Kanye West -- any future Grammy should be "...awarded before the show tonight...."

Vince Gill -- put Kanye in his place and got the audience reaction of the night

Aretha -- time to stop going sleeveless, girl!

Beatles -- die and go away, already.

DVR -- if I didn't have one, I'd probably lose my mind trying to watch this. I started watching 1:40 late but was all caught up by 11:34.

"And the Grammy goes to....Amy Winehouse!" -- 15 years from now, one NARAS (if it still exists) stooge will turn to another and say, "Amy Winehouse? Who? Who was that? What'd she do? Oh, yeah...I kinda remember that. What were we thinking?"

NARAS guy -- Brag about building a giant shrine to yourself and then announce you're gonna strong-arm "traditional" radio this year via big-gubmint legislation and courts and guns, huh? ____ you. ____ you! In this environment? You need to be trying to make our relationship better than ever! You need a friend now, not another big enemy, ya liberal bastard. Your answer, if there's gonna be one, lies in the marketplace, not in some desperate attempted grab from another struggling industry.

CBSRadio.com!

Herbie Hancock -- I belly-laughed for 20+ seconds! I'm not sure exactly why (I can think of a half-dozen reasons), but I did.

Big 50th Finale -- blown off mostly off-air due to time! Ooops!

[cgarison]

Awards -- still mostly illogical and out-of-touch; if we'd list all the categories that were totally botched, we'd have another 11-page thread, I would guess.
Awards -- seem to be based on the answer to "how well does this match the stereotypes and biases I, the typical 60+ NARAS voter, formed 40 years ago?"

Kinda like the R&R Hall of Fame. Who knows and Who cares.

[Hoosier Daddy]

1. What is with the Amy Winehouse craze? I don't get her. She isn't that pretty, she sings like she's 50, and her songs blow.

Disagree. Ther first time I heard "Rehab", I literally stopped the car and turned the radio up. It's so graphic and retro and in your face. The "No, No, No" hook is killer, and there's a Phil Spector 'Wall of Sound' quality about the whole song that's just addictive. I think Amy Winehouse has tremendous God-given talent, but like many super talented artists, she can't come down off of her chemically-induced high long enough to interact with sober America. This isn't some made-up pretty face or voice put out there by a record company's PR person. Amy lives the life she sings about and it's unmistakable. She may be the Janis Joplin of our time.

2. What's with all the throw-back crap? With the exception of Carrie, Alicia, and Kanye, I felt as though I was watching the Grannys.

3. Why were so many old-school country artists nominated? I am surprised Alabama wasn't in the running for something.

Uh, because so many contemporary songs just blow?

Just my $0.02.

[The People's DJ]

3. Why were so many old-school country artists nominated? I am surprised Alabama wasn't in the running for something.

What? You mean Jethro Tull wasn't in the running?

[Big Media]

She may be the Janis Joplin of our time.

Kill me. Kill me now. I have yet to hear a Janis Joplin song that didn't make me want to jam a pencil into my ears.

[Arp2]

"The Janis Joplin of our time???"

Die, hippies, die!

[Lee]

Herbie Hancock....it's JOHN Hancock.

[Arp2]

Preliminary ratings:

17.5 million viewers, down another 15% from last year's down number.

Doesn't American Idol do 10 million more with just a bunch of amateurs?

Are people losing interest in awards in general or self-congratulatory awards in particular? Are there moral issues involved? Are there political issues involved? Is the wrong talent being chosen for the shows? Does music just suck or is it just too fractured? Is radio, being more of a lifestyle reflector than a jukebox now, a contributor? Is a mass-appeal show even possible at this point?

[SPIKE NESMITH!]

She may be the Janis Joplin of our time.

Kill me. Kill me now. I have yet to hear a Janis Joplin song that didn't make me want to jam a pencil into my ears.

QFT, fo' sho'.

[Big Media]

Preliminary ratings:

17.5 million viewers, down another 15% from last year's down number.

Doesn't American Idol do 10 million more with just a bunch of amateurs?

Are people losing interest in awards in general or self-congratulatory awards in particular? Are there moral issues involved? Are there political issues involved? Is the wrong talent being chosen for the shows? Does music just suck or is it just too fractured? Is radio, being more of a lifestyle reflector than a jukebox now, a contributor? Is a mass-appeal show even possible at this point?

You raise good points. I normally only watch the country award shows because I am FORCED at knife point by my wife. However, with the writers strike, there was nothing else.

IMO, we (as a mass audience) are sick of committees telling us who we like and dislike. Let's make these shows interactive and "vote" for the favorites via a web site. Alternatively, we could do it idol style:

For Carrie Underwood, 1-800-GRAMMYS01
For Alicia Keys, 1-800-GRAMMYS02
For Natasha Bettingfield, 1-800-GRAMMYS03

Let someone else figure out the logistics. That's not what they pay me for.

[cgarison]

Amazing that I think I was the only one at the office that did not watch it last night yet I am the only one that listens to CHR and Modern AC at work.

What year was it that Indie Aire won all the awards yet I never heard here music on any AC or CHR station?