Pop Culture

King: Grammys have lost meaning, legitimacy, fail to entertain audiences

Millions tuned in to watch “Undercover Boss” on Sunday only to be disappointed when the Grammys came on.

They were subsequently subjected to watching a blond man-child Beck win best album over Beyoncé. Beck’s album, which could be easily mistaken for the sound of toilets flushing slowed down, won over one of the most influential, innovative albums ever in the history of music. Kanye West attempted to re-create his blooper from the 2009 VMAs and mount the stage in protest, and for once in my life, I supported him.

This would be really devastating if it weren’t for one crucial truth: the Grammys mean nothing. Anymore, that is.

That’s why Dave Groll, Foo Fighters frontman and the music industry’s unofficial nonsense detector, wore a jean jacket on the red carpet. Everyone, present company included, gets caught up in the spectacle of the event: the dresses, the celebs, the competition, the dresses. But the show has lost its entertainment value, and the awards have lost their legitimacy, as voiced by Kanye to E!.

“I just know that, the Grammys, if they want real artists to keep coming back, they need to stop playing with us,” he said. “We aren’t going to play with them no more.”



Doesn’t it just sound silly? Squabbling over recognition from faceless, out of touch voters. These Recording Academy members can be anyone, and I mean anyone, from superstar vocalists to the writers who pen album notes. As long as they have contributed to at least six commercial tracks, they qualify.

“And Beck needs to respect artistry, he should have given his award to Beyoncé,” West said. What? To quote the woman from that e-surance commercial, “That’s not how it works. That’s not how any of this works.”

The Grammys don’t define success, they don’t even reflect it. This is just another example in a long history of the committee screwing up. Bob Marley never won a Grammy, just to mention one of the most egregious examples. The Grammys are supposed to award “artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without regard to album sales or chart position.”

While music shouldn’t be a popularity contest, awarding a so-so album from an artist who, unless you follow alternative music, not many have heard of (and who, honestly, has produced better work in the past) seriously lowers the Academy’s credibility.

Beyoncé’s album completely inverted the music industry. It made us re-evaluate ideologies on how albums are advertised and what drives album sales. It was truly the bombshell of the year, a multimedia experience unlike any before it.

One or two flukes like this are expected every year with the Academy as volatile as ever. And I wish I could say that the show made up for it. But unfortunately this year, “music’s biggest night” failed at even its most basic deliverable: entertainment. The professionals who put on this event, and the musicians who participate, take these awards — and themselves — too seriously.

The Grammys complete inability to make fun of itself is a major symptom of this. Awards shows like the Tonys, the Oscars and the Golden Globes are the first to point out the flaws in themselves and their guests. Prince preached about black lives, the songs were all too slow, marred by some misplaced sense of solemnity. And perhaps most head scratching, the show had “NCIS: LA” star LL Cool J, once a rapper, host — again.

Even if the Grammys was able reclaim its authority, the producers are giving people fewer and fewer reasons to watch. Hopefully next year, they’ll take the hint. Or else there won’t be anything stopping people from finishing off their Moscato, flicking the TV off and heading to bed early.

Eric King is a sophomore magazine journalism major. His column appears weekly. He can be reached at [email protected] and followed on Twitter @erickingdavid.





Top Stories