I’ve never run a marathon in my life but I imagine it is only slightly less enjoyable then making it through almost four hours of the Grammys broadcast. Maybe the Grammys weren’t that bad, but what the heck are they doing? Unlike the criticism of years past about how much politics found their way in to these award shows, it was just so tedious and exhausting no matter which side you had, it was just a whole lot of not what the show is supposed to be about, those little gold gramophones.
Picture for just a second that you’ve been dreaming to be an musical artist your whole life, you find success and get invited to the Grammys, the biggest night in music. Imagine even further you win and have been recognized above your peers that your work was some of the best that year. Then you get 30 seconds are told to wrap it up, get off stage you can’t waste time thanking the people that helped you and the people that were there for you. One of the brightest moments of your career just became your quickest.
Almost four hours of show for the Grammys and only eight actual awards were presented during the broadcast. Eight! Every half an hour one trophy is given out. That means eight speeches were given over the four hours, but the most important ones of the night are cut the shortest. Kacey Musgraves got a huge win that even she didn’t think she was going to win as she packed up and prepared to get to the parties. She did win earlier in the night but got almost no time to speak on how huge that moment was or to thank anyone.
How about controversy? Let’s say an artist talking disparaging about the award itself? What about a winner calling out the head of the Grammys? Drake’s win for Best Rap song for “God’s Plan” wasn’t a surprise. Aubrey Graham was delivering a great speech “You’ve already won if you have people who are singing your songs word for word, if you’re a hero in your hometown. Look, if there are people who have regular jobs who are coming out in the rain and the snow, spending their hard-earned money to buy tickets to come to your shows, you don’t need this right here. I promise you. You already won.” before he was cut off. Apparently the Grammys apologized and told him he could continue his speech after the break but didn’t they already drive home the meaning of Drake’s speech.
Cutting off Drake may have been an accident but trying to push Dua Lipa off the stage was not. Last year Recording Academy president Neil Portnow criticized the women of the industry. When Dua Lipa won she made sure to let Protnow know she remembered that. Off went the music and there’s no way that was anything but intentional. She got about a minute, if you count the stumbling at the beginning, before the music plays. Cardi B right before her had over two minutes before the music started playing, and let’s not forget Childish Gambino won twice and wasn’t in attendance so there was a lot of time not used.
When asked about the lack of women winners last year in that same Variety article, Grammys TV producer Ken Ehrlich said “It’s not for me to talk about. I produce the TV show.” About that, what the heck happened with Ariana Grande. She has been cranking out monster song after song but they told her they wouldn’t let her perform ‘7 Rings’ for the show, but yet it was featured in a commercial that ran during the broadcast. Eight awards, no real speeches during four hours of show and you couldn’t fit that in? Apparently the Recording Academy hasn’t learned a thing.
Look no one wants hours of speeches but the criticism of the award shows has all become about the same; no politics and stop getting longer. You can’t please everyone all the time so with various performances some people will like it and some won’t but it’s pretty unison on politics and the length. The show has gotten longer but the awards shown of TV have diminished. Heck, the academy talking about itself took almost as long as the ‘Remembering Who We Lost This Year.’ That’s just not right and didn’t need to be on TV. Definitely down with the cool tributes and performances, but it is an AWARD SHOW.