As celebrities marched the red carpet for the 67th Grammy Awards, the internet went just as crazy as it usually does. Every outfit, glambot, and interview were shared over and over again, and all of this was before the actual show had even begun. What stopped this from being a normal awards show was that this specific ceremony was advertised as a fundraiser for relief efforts dedicated to the LA wildfires. This included even having the LA Fire Department walk the red carpet and hastily appear onstage to announce the winner of the coveted album of the year. Unfortunately, this appears mostly performative, as the rest of the night was hardly anything to laud.
Hard-hitting performances like Chappell Roan’s “Pink Pony Club” or the entire crowd singing “Not Like Us” as Kendrick Lamar accepted his 22nd award lose their charm when everyone else is suffering the loss of their homes and community. There was no consistent message from the show, and despite the dedication to relief efforts, it felt like business as usual, highlighting the increasingly large separation between all these celebrities and the rest of us.
There’s no doubt these performers work hard at their craft, and it’s clear that some attendees were more focused on the relief aspect rather than just being at another awards show. However, the lack of broad acknowledgment at the show disregards the people who truly make these artists popular, the listeners. It’s those who keep streaming “Apple” even though our “brat summer” is over, or anyone who has been listening to “Die With a Smile” since it dropped that keeps this industry alive and makes them feel like an afterthought feels extremely tasteless and out of touch.
Moments like how the children featured in Stevie Wonder’s tribute performance to Quincy Jones had lost their schools in the fire until after the fact feel tacked on and completely missable. Arguably the biggest misfire in the entire show was bringing out the true heroes of this tragedy, the firefighters, only to quickly get them off stage because the show had run past its airtime and was trying to wrap it up.
If this show was truly dedicated to highlighting the heroic efforts of firefighters or the people who have to return to what was once their home, they would’ve done away with the flashy performances and emphasized ones like Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars’s cover of “California Dreamin’.” The toned-down vocals and lack of flashy pyrotechnics or mid-performance gags feel like they come from a group who are truly empathetic for those who have lost everything. At the core of it all is the true culprit, which is the disconnect between the committee that runs the Grammys, the artists themselves, and the audience who turns this show on to support their favorite singer/songwriter.
All of this is made even more disappointing due to the fact that on Jan. 30, artists took the Kia Forum and Intuit Dome by storm and generated almost $100 million across both venues in an extravaganza that felt way more genuine than anything the Grammys could muster up. The fire aid event felt more focused, and actually driven towards its goal in helping communities which was almost heartwarming to see.
The Grammy’s aren’t the only award show caught in the crosshairs of criticism as the Oscars have also drawn ire for refusing to delay the show. With the same promise as the Grammy’s to dedicate itself to wildfire relief, one has to wonder what else they could do. For a show that is somehow still reeling with Will Smith slapping Chris Rock three years ago, I find it hard to believe they will do anything more meaningful than the Grammys.
Ultimately, it’s high time that we stop giving these shows so much attention. With fluctuating viewership and a myriad of much larger causes that we could all be devoting ourselves towards, these shows are truly just a waste of time to try and pretend that everything is okay. Even when they try to incorporate these issues like certain celebrities wearing red pins in support of Gaza at the 2024 Oscars, it comes off as performative because they’re still in a room with the richest people in the entertainment industry.
While this is a big thing now, it’ll surely blow over as the glitz and glamour distracts people again and again. Maybe people need the distraction, but as we rebuild the communities we love, it’s important to make sure that these people who say they care actually put their money and attention where their mouth is.
This article was first published in the February 13 print edition of the University Times.
