Okay, I just have to comment on the Grammy Awards. First of all U2 won in each of the five categories they were nominated including Album of the Year and they deserved each one. They are so far ahead of most of the artists nominated, some of whom should fall off the face of the earth like Kanye West. Anyone who announces that since this is his 2nd year at the awards so he’d better win deserves to go home empty handed and have his career decimated. Now maybe it’s just his bad Karma for appearing on Rolling Stone with a crown of thorns (very bad taste) but he won in strictly rap categories which reflects the fact that he has no crossover appeal. Humility is a virtue that all artists should at least aspire to. Kanye opened for U2 when I saw them in SLC in December and besides having a really annoying back up gal who was jumping around like she had ants in her pants, upstaging all others including Kanye, he managed to make a story about his sick grandma going to the hospital all about him. He whined about a girl asking for his autograph and was so offended that at this time of family crisis she could ask such a request. Well, true, someone who exploits such a situation has no class, a point he made by telling the story.
As far as the performances, a few were terrific, the touching duet of Alicia Keys and Stevie Wonder, both class acts, Bruce Springsteen, U2 with Mary J. Blige, McCartney doing a roaring Helter Skelter; the background video of a roller coaster was a nice touch. However it’s unbelievable on an awards show which honors musical artists that so many lip synched. If you’re not good enough to do it for real, you have no business on the stage. However, I will give Madonna a little leeway on this count as she looked so damn good on stage and was at least doing the dance moves which almost justify it. Mariah Carey, who it’s nice to see has recovered from her meltdown a few years back, should’ve showed us that her Mimi deserves all the raves by actually singing live. Now the comic relief for the evening came with the Sly Stone tribute, seriously was that guy tripping or what? He missed most of his cues to sing, which apparently he can no longer do and then wandered off stage like a lost Alzheimer’s patient. Hilarious.
Green Day beating out Kanye was especially sweet. It does seem like the Grammy’s go crazy over some artists in fluke years and then you never hear from them again. In Kanye’s case we can only hope. At least we weren’t subjected to Ashlee Simpson.
Side note on the dresses. Teri Hatcher: fabulous, Queen Latifa should’ve left the leather at home and Sheryl Crow doesn’t know how to dress! (Remember that yellow thing with the cut out circle?) When you have no chest, no one wants to see your bony parts exposed. Reminds me of Deborah Messing, always showing what you don’t have is bad form. For God’s sake, get a new stylist, someone who’ll tell you the truth before you make an ass of yourself in front of millions! And another thing, most women shouldn’t go strapless, they either bulge out the top or sag below the breast line so they hang just above the navel, or they’re loose fitting so it looks like a boob could pop out at any moment. Plus that blunt, straight horizontal line is not flattering. Only if it’s a terrific dress that fits perfectly and you have a killer body should it be attempted. And prints, usually a good idea to avoid them (Joss Stone take note). Very few can pull off a print like Gwen Stefani’s elegant leopard look.
