Little C: Why No One Is Winning the Grammy Right Now
Okay, I was gonna write a different post today but I've got a rant I need to get out. Every other post/tweet/comment i've encountered in the last two weeks is about the stupid Grammys, and I'm done. There are reasonable arguments to be made about who should have won an award.* I'm not seeing anyone making any of these. I'm seeing angry, vitriolic, badly spelled comments made of pure loathing that have managed to skirt both logic and factual evidence. So I'm going to go ahead and take a few of my least favorite arguments and explain why you shouldn't make them anymore.
The Pro-Beyonce Camp
1) Beyonce deserved the award for being generally better than the rest of humanity...
Typically this argument is made in all caps, as in "THE GODDESS BEYONCE blah blah blah THE LEPROUS PEASANT BECK ISN'T WORTHY TO TOUCH THE HEM OF HER blah blah blah." and so on. Here's the thing, most of the people screaming this haven't listened to Beck's album, or wouldn't like it if they did. I've listened to both albums all the way through, and I'm gonna have to ask you to trust me. It was a well written and well produced album that exemplifies the best qualities of his style of music. Just as Beyonce's was a well written and well produced album that exemplifies the best qualities of Her style of music. She won three other awards that night because her album was exemplary. She's going to add those three to her shelf of SEVENTEEN OTHER GRAMMYS. So what you're feeling right now is no different than someone who's team plays really well all year and then doesn't get the big championship because of a ref call. It happens. Not usually to me, but then again I'm a Yankees fan.
The Pro-Beck Camp
2) Beck deserved the award more and the Beyonce Camp are sore losers.
This one is just as bad. I've see so many meme's and bullshit statistics that say Beck won because of his capital-A Artistry or because he wrote and performed most of the album himself. Well, then riddle me how the soundtrack for O Brother Where Art Thou won? That was dozens of musicians and song writers. And it beat out a Bob Dylan record. And for you guys to stick your nose in the air and declare that Beck makes better music than the "Pop" music Beyonce makes is to misunderstand the role of music in our culture entirely. Because the award may be in the hands of your artist, but history largely belongs to theirs.
The other major argument I would give anything to stop hearing starts "I didn't watch/don't follow the Grammys, but..." But no. Stop there. You're dismissed and you may leave now. Ignorance is not a valid point of view. Ditto to the people who are saying "Well I didn't listen to the Beck/Beyonce album, but..." No. No no no no no. Go find a different conversation then. My least favorite thing in the world is people trying to start an argument without knowing anything about either side of the fight. It makes me want to grab them firmly by the shirt and get right up close and say "If I wanted to hear someone talk who knows absolutely nothing, I would have called Jon Snow"
Rant over,
Little C
The Pro-Beyonce Camp
1) Beyonce deserved the award for being generally better than the rest of humanity...
Typically this argument is made in all caps, as in "THE GODDESS BEYONCE blah blah blah THE LEPROUS PEASANT BECK ISN'T WORTHY TO TOUCH THE HEM OF HER blah blah blah." and so on. Here's the thing, most of the people screaming this haven't listened to Beck's album, or wouldn't like it if they did. I've listened to both albums all the way through, and I'm gonna have to ask you to trust me. It was a well written and well produced album that exemplifies the best qualities of his style of music. Just as Beyonce's was a well written and well produced album that exemplifies the best qualities of Her style of music. She won three other awards that night because her album was exemplary. She's going to add those three to her shelf of SEVENTEEN OTHER GRAMMYS. So what you're feeling right now is no different than someone who's team plays really well all year and then doesn't get the big championship because of a ref call. It happens. Not usually to me, but then again I'm a Yankees fan.
All we do is win...
The Pro-Beck Camp
2) Beck deserved the award more and the Beyonce Camp are sore losers.
This one is just as bad. I've see so many meme's and bullshit statistics that say Beck won because of his capital-A Artistry or because he wrote and performed most of the album himself. Well, then riddle me how the soundtrack for O Brother Where Art Thou won? That was dozens of musicians and song writers. And it beat out a Bob Dylan record. And for you guys to stick your nose in the air and declare that Beck makes better music than the "Pop" music Beyonce makes is to misunderstand the role of music in our culture entirely. Because the award may be in the hands of your artist, but history largely belongs to theirs.
The other major argument I would give anything to stop hearing starts "I didn't watch/don't follow the Grammys, but..." But no. Stop there. You're dismissed and you may leave now. Ignorance is not a valid point of view. Ditto to the people who are saying "Well I didn't listen to the Beck/Beyonce album, but..." No. No no no no no. Go find a different conversation then. My least favorite thing in the world is people trying to start an argument without knowing anything about either side of the fight. It makes me want to grab them firmly by the shirt and get right up close and say "If I wanted to hear someone talk who knows absolutely nothing, I would have called Jon Snow"
Amen, sister.
*Though apparently there is no one fighting for the three artists who weren't Beyonce but still lost. Sorry Ed Sheeran
Rant over,
Little C
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