"Dead Air" or "Awkward Silence"? You decide!
Last night, lured by the promise of a live performance of the Foo Fighters, I watched bits and pieces of the Grammy Awards. I haven't watched the Grammy's in years, so it was interesting to see how MTV-ish it has become: contest winners ("My Grammy Moment"), text voting, a split stage complete with adoring fans grasping at the pant cuffs of rock stars, ostensibly cool MC's announcing bands (c.f., Carson Daly. P.S.: Jason Bateman? JASON BATEMAN?!?!? Has the world gone mad?).
All that aside, I think the best way to wrap up the show is with two simple words: "Awkward silence." ("Dead Air" is a close second.) Exempli gratia: Ringo Starr's little speech. Also known as "things that happen on T.V. which are so painful and embarrassing that you watch through split fingers." Even pop-favorite Tom Hanks had a few shaky moments. You'd expect more from a guest star of the Simpsons Movie.
In terms of awkward-ness, we could also include every single award presentation, wherein celebrities struggled through horribly scripted dialogue, seasoned with bits of dead air, wherein the audience decides whether or not the stilted banter is worthy of (a) curtosy laughter or (b) curtosy applause.
I have to feel for these people, you know? Put yourself in that situation: You're asked to present an award at the Grammy's. (1) In your line of work, publicity of this kind, however painful, is good fodder for your career, so it'd be wise to accept. In some cases, you probably have to accept; recall many of these performers are legally bound to do such things per their contract with their agent/label, etc. (2) With little or no rehersal, you have to walk out in front of millions of people and trudge through the teleprompter's display of moldy cheese.
Sigh. Rock stars...the things they do for us!
All that aside, I think the best way to wrap up the show is with two simple words: "Awkward silence." ("Dead Air" is a close second.) Exempli gratia: Ringo Starr's little speech. Also known as "things that happen on T.V. which are so painful and embarrassing that you watch through split fingers." Even pop-favorite Tom Hanks had a few shaky moments. You'd expect more from a guest star of the Simpsons Movie.
In terms of awkward-ness, we could also include every single award presentation, wherein celebrities struggled through horribly scripted dialogue, seasoned with bits of dead air, wherein the audience decides whether or not the stilted banter is worthy of (a) curtosy laughter or (b) curtosy applause.
I have to feel for these people, you know? Put yourself in that situation: You're asked to present an award at the Grammy's. (1) In your line of work, publicity of this kind, however painful, is good fodder for your career, so it'd be wise to accept. In some cases, you probably have to accept; recall many of these performers are legally bound to do such things per their contract with their agent/label, etc. (2) With little or no rehersal, you have to walk out in front of millions of people and trudge through the teleprompter's display of moldy cheese.
Sigh. Rock stars...the things they do for us!
posted by bmarchio at 8:02 AM
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