Normally, we all know there is nothing better than the Grammys. Nothing has shown to be a more enlightened barometer for musical talent, and were this any other year, the Grammys would be a erudite celebration of timeless, limitless genius. Unfortunately, this year will be different.
It seems that the WGA strike domino effect stretches all the way to "music's biggest night." The evening was originally planned to be extra-magical: It's a super-special fifty-year celebration, meant to distract from the industry's 15 percent drop in album sales. Last year's ceremony gave labels a minor shot in the arm with an 18 percent jump in ratings and the Dixie Chicks scoring the biggest Grammy-related top-ten bump in the show's history. They're even selling Grammy Nominee compilations on my favorite label, "Sony BMG Strategic Marketing."
Yet some are predicting that big names sympathetic to the Writers Guild strike -- especially those who are members of the WGA-bound Screen Actors Guild -- will reduce star power to a dangerous level. While most people scheduled to perform are not directly affected by union obligations, it seems that enough big wigs may be absent to cause others to bow out.
For now, the awards will go on as planned on February 10. Whether or not there will be an embarrassing amount of room in the audience remains to be seen. Don't lose too much sleep though: The Foo Fighters are still scheduled to appear.
Damn, Nat... the sarcasm was almost at Pitchfork level on this one. Ha.
lol...so essentially, you're saying it gets an 8.79 for sarcasm. i promise my next post will be far less sneering.
I say good riddance. It's a shame that the WGA strike hasn't been resolved sooner, but with the Golden Globes reduced to a press conference, rumors that the Oscars might not be as glitzy as usual, and now the possibility of the Grammy telecast biting the dust, it's clear that the absence of writers is as damaging as it was intended to be. Some of the same issues at stake for screenwriters are also at stake for songwriters, so I would hope a good number of artists/songwriters would sit out the Grammys in solidarity.
Yeah an 8.79... but if you make this post a Deluxe Reissue next year, it'll be a 10 for sure.
The only reason the Grammy awards are threatened are because the RIAA are out of money, not threatened by the writers' strike.
boop
we don't need no stop grammys with all of that rap crap.
sunshinesuperman