Thinking out loud
Grammys jam out awards
Matt Kasznel
Issue date: 2/4/10 Section: Opinions
Last update: 2/4/10 at 9:25 PM EST
Like most people, I get stuck in a rut every once in a while. From time to time, I'll start questioning my life choices or career path, and ask myself whether or not I really want to be a journalist, an economist, a rodeo clown or any of my other top five ideal occupations.
Then, when the deadline to submit ideas for my column comes, I remember why I love writing. In what other occupation can you ask your boss, "Can I watch the Grammys tonight and write a few sarcastic comments for my assignment this week?" So, here's a quick recap of the night's festivities.
Many Grammy promotions dubbed this "Ladies' Night" because of the great success of Beyonce, Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift, among others. But it's not like this is Beyonce's first go-around at the Grammys. Her new album was praised as being "heavier" and "more hard-hitting." Translation: prepare for dude-bashing. "Single Ladies" won a few trophies, and her venomous performance of "If I Were a Boy," coupled with a brief cover of Alanis Morissette's "You Oughta Know," sent a pretty strong message to the males watching at home: go watch the Pro Bowl (and many did.)
The woman who introduced Green Day and the cast of American Idiot: The Musical commented on the band's previous nomination for "Boulevard of Broken Dreams." She forgot to mention they would just be playing "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" again this year. Wait, what's that? They were actually playing "21 Guns?" Could have fooled me. Later, the SoCal, kind-of-punks beat out AC/DC for best rock album, proving once and for all that Americans prefer pseudo-social/political activism to drugs, sex and booze.
In my mind, this was actually the "Night of Country," as groups like Lady Antebellum, the Zac Brown Band and the aforementioned Swift made themselves known to the masses. My only grievance is whether Swift and "Lady A" will ever stop referring to themselves as country bands and admit they are just pop artists? Swift is essentially Kelly Clarkson with a banjo in the background.
After Stephen Colbert won for best comedy album, my friend Kevin chimed in from another room, "just another thing for him to talk about." It should be noted that the only reason Kevin was paying attention was because he heard George Lopez's name as one of the nominees. It was like Obi-Wan Kenobi sensing a disturbance in the Force.
My friend Stephanis once claimed that T-Pain would probably show up and perform anywhere you wanted as long as you paid him more than $20 to do it. I feel like you could make the same claim about Jamie Foxx and Slash. Sunday night, they all took the stage at once in a crazy carnival of sell-outs. I hear they are doing weddings and bar mitzvahs, too.
Although a nice idea, the Michael Jackson tribute revealed one thing: how much I hate 3-D TV shows and movies. The popping-out-of-your-screen effect doesn't do it for me. Needing a pair of toy glasses that everyone looks lame in to watch TV doesn't do it for me. Getting a headache from watching 3-D programming without the glasses on doesn't do it for me. And yet, this gimmick is going to be the next big, money-sucking trend in entertainment. Excuse me while I go pound my head against the wall for a few minutes.
But the night belonged to young phenom Taylor Swift. Multiple CBS promos teased Taylor Swift for performing on "her fairytale night." My question is why wasn't it a "fairytale night" for fellow first-time nominees Kings of Leon or Lady Gaga? Is it a fairytale night for Swift because her song lyrics and demeanor give off the impression she is 13-years-old?
Swift's childish demeanor probably garners a lot more attention than she might deserve. For example, do you think people would have felt as bad for Lady Gaga at MTV's Video Music Awards if Kanye West interrupted her speech? To be fair, I don't think Kanye would have done that to Lady Gaga out of fear that if he accidentally looked into her eyes he would turn to stone.
Nevertheless, Swift attained her dream come true, winning album of the year for Fearless. Afterwards, John Legend, the most boring semi-celebrity ever, closed with "That's the end of the Grammys. We'll see you next year." After all the glamour and pizzazz, that is the way things ended. What if John Legend ever hosted a late night show? "Well guys, that crazy Amy Winehouse is back in the news, but seriously, I do care for her personal health and well-being, and my thoughts and prayers are with her."
And with that, this recap of the 2010 Grammy Awards is over.
Matt Kasznel is a junior journalism major and can be reached at kasznel1035@duq.edu.
Then, when the deadline to submit ideas for my column comes, I remember why I love writing. In what other occupation can you ask your boss, "Can I watch the Grammys tonight and write a few sarcastic comments for my assignment this week?" So, here's a quick recap of the night's festivities.
Many Grammy promotions dubbed this "Ladies' Night" because of the great success of Beyonce, Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift, among others. But it's not like this is Beyonce's first go-around at the Grammys. Her new album was praised as being "heavier" and "more hard-hitting." Translation: prepare for dude-bashing. "Single Ladies" won a few trophies, and her venomous performance of "If I Were a Boy," coupled with a brief cover of Alanis Morissette's "You Oughta Know," sent a pretty strong message to the males watching at home: go watch the Pro Bowl (and many did.)
The woman who introduced Green Day and the cast of American Idiot: The Musical commented on the band's previous nomination for "Boulevard of Broken Dreams." She forgot to mention they would just be playing "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" again this year. Wait, what's that? They were actually playing "21 Guns?" Could have fooled me. Later, the SoCal, kind-of-punks beat out AC/DC for best rock album, proving once and for all that Americans prefer pseudo-social/political activism to drugs, sex and booze.
In my mind, this was actually the "Night of Country," as groups like Lady Antebellum, the Zac Brown Band and the aforementioned Swift made themselves known to the masses. My only grievance is whether Swift and "Lady A" will ever stop referring to themselves as country bands and admit they are just pop artists? Swift is essentially Kelly Clarkson with a banjo in the background.
After Stephen Colbert won for best comedy album, my friend Kevin chimed in from another room, "just another thing for him to talk about." It should be noted that the only reason Kevin was paying attention was because he heard George Lopez's name as one of the nominees. It was like Obi-Wan Kenobi sensing a disturbance in the Force.
My friend Stephanis once claimed that T-Pain would probably show up and perform anywhere you wanted as long as you paid him more than $20 to do it. I feel like you could make the same claim about Jamie Foxx and Slash. Sunday night, they all took the stage at once in a crazy carnival of sell-outs. I hear they are doing weddings and bar mitzvahs, too.
Although a nice idea, the Michael Jackson tribute revealed one thing: how much I hate 3-D TV shows and movies. The popping-out-of-your-screen effect doesn't do it for me. Needing a pair of toy glasses that everyone looks lame in to watch TV doesn't do it for me. Getting a headache from watching 3-D programming without the glasses on doesn't do it for me. And yet, this gimmick is going to be the next big, money-sucking trend in entertainment. Excuse me while I go pound my head against the wall for a few minutes.
But the night belonged to young phenom Taylor Swift. Multiple CBS promos teased Taylor Swift for performing on "her fairytale night." My question is why wasn't it a "fairytale night" for fellow first-time nominees Kings of Leon or Lady Gaga? Is it a fairytale night for Swift because her song lyrics and demeanor give off the impression she is 13-years-old?
Swift's childish demeanor probably garners a lot more attention than she might deserve. For example, do you think people would have felt as bad for Lady Gaga at MTV's Video Music Awards if Kanye West interrupted her speech? To be fair, I don't think Kanye would have done that to Lady Gaga out of fear that if he accidentally looked into her eyes he would turn to stone.
Nevertheless, Swift attained her dream come true, winning album of the year for Fearless. Afterwards, John Legend, the most boring semi-celebrity ever, closed with "That's the end of the Grammys. We'll see you next year." After all the glamour and pizzazz, that is the way things ended. What if John Legend ever hosted a late night show? "Well guys, that crazy Amy Winehouse is back in the news, but seriously, I do care for her personal health and well-being, and my thoughts and prayers are with her."
And with that, this recap of the 2010 Grammy Awards is over.
Matt Kasznel is a junior journalism major and can be reached at kasznel1035@duq.edu.
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