I had a revelation when watching the Grammys on Feb. 11: Politics contaminate the entertainment industry.
I know, I know. The role of politics in the entertainment industry is nothing new, from alleged Hollywood communism in the '50s to the recent collection of stars emerging to support candidates in the last election.
I am also aware in today's climate politics often are entertainment.
But something struck a nerve when I saw a Grammy audience going berserk when Al Gore was handing out the award for "Best Rock Album."
First of all, Al Gore doesn't "rock" in any sense of the word, unless describing his personality.
Second, why is a politician presenting at a music awards show? Was he a lost member of the Grateful Dead? Perhaps he was going to sing a number with The Police?
In any case, I continued watching the program as the Dixie Chicks snatched up any award in the tri-state area that could be remotely related to their music.
Couldn't it be reasonable to assume it was the music industry's ignorant insistence to "support" the girls? After all, this was their first album since the remarks they made a few years ago.
I don't disagree with the Dixie Chicks' sentiments concerning George W. But I do disagree with political ideology trumping artistic brilliance, which seems to be a frequent occurrence.
Take Gnarls Barkley for example. If you heard "St. Elsewhere," you would agree it is a tragedy they only went home with "Best Alternative Album." The album was clearly the album of the year, if not the record of the year. It was a breath of fresh air in a stale music climate.
They may as well have gone home empty-handed.
Justin Timberlake, while not my cup of tea, also released a very inventive album that had stellar production values and cemented him as an international powerhouse.
He actually went home empty-handed.
I understand politics are often linked to the film industry because we have the important filmmaking genre of documentary. It was not surprising to see Michael Moore railing against our president while accepting his Oscar.
In a way, it comes with the territory.
But in a month, Al Gore will likely take home a statue for his piece "An Inconvenient Truth." But myself, and many I've talked to, have agreed "Jesus Camp" is much better.
I should know it's just politics as usual.
jkerfeld@unews.com
