I didn't watch the Grammy Awards last night.
Nothing against the artists, mind you. (Well, maybe some of the artists -- but I'll keep a lid on the hatin' for now.) I admire the talent and drive that got them where they are, for the most part. And in many cases -- though not all -- they deserve the accolades.
It's not the awards per se that I'm against. It's the show itself.
The industry and its fans would argue that a big, glitzy, glamorous extravaganza is a fitting tribute to the people who have become internationally famous and the people around them who pushed them to greater heights. It's celebratory, they would say.
It's masturbatory, I say.
Entertainment is an ego-driven business, and the bigger the ego, the greater the need to be stroked. Maybe I'm just getting grumpier as I get older, but I no longer have the patience to sit for three hours watching people fawning over themselves. That goes for all awards shows -- Grammys, Emmys, Oscars, you name it.
It's possible that I've lost patience because in my current job, I've become much more aware of how the sausage is made. I don't want to call out anyone in particular, but there are plenty of household names out there who are much more the product of marketing and promotion than actual talent. That's not to say they don't have any talent -- I certainly couldn't do what most of them do. But in many cases their talent isn't any greater than someone struggling below the radar. They just managed to surround themselves will people who saw an exploitable resource. And believe me, once that resource is thoroughly tapped out, those people whose lives are envied by millions get thrown out faster than moldy cheese.
But even if I hadn't been exposed to the inner workings of the entertainment world, I still don't think I'd be very interested in awards shows. I find self-indulgence very disquieting, which could explain why I haven't done better in my career. I'm more inclined to look away than gawk at people who go through life saying, "Look at me! Look at me! I'm fabulous! I'm brilliant! Revel the spectacle that is me!" I respond very poorly to people who demand attention and respect, but I'm very loyal to people who quietly earn it. So when I admonish artists to just shut up and play, it's not a diss. Don't tell me what you got. Show me.
