It's official!

It's official!
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Monday, February 7, 2011

Simmer down!

Okay people, what's with being such negative-nellies? Debbie Downers? Wet blankets? During the Super Bowl last night, I checked my Facebook account and there were so many posts saying "Fergie sucks!" "Christina blew it!" "This is the worst performance I've ever seen!" My response? Could you do better?

Honestly, I thought the Black-Eyed Peas did a very nice job, and I didn't even notice that Christina screwed up a line of the National Anthem. I watched it again today, and I barely could tell. (Be honest, did you even notice until you re-watched it? If you did, your party must not have been as much fun as mine.)

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People are saying her messing up is disrespectful to our troops. Seriously?? I'm pretty sure soldiers are more worried about getting another deployment, missing their child's first birthday or getting shot at versus whether or not Christina Aguilera messed up the National Anthem.  Did you know it's a song that gets messed up more than any other? In fact, many singers pre-record it for fear of screwing up the words. Christina has performed the anthem many times before, as young as 11 years old, and she sang it perfectly.  SHE WAS NERVOUS PEOPLE! Have you ever sang in front of 100 million people? Remember how nervous you were when you had to speak at a convention with 100 people?  Add 99,999,900 people and think how you'd feel. Give her a break.

Reuters
In terms of the Black-Eyed Peas, they rock. Did you know their song "I Gotta Feeling" is the most downloaded song, ever? They are only one of 11 artists to ever have the #1 and #2 songs on the Billboard Top 100 list at the same time. They've sold 47 million albums and singles worldwide, so I'd say they aren't doing too bad. In terms of their performance, I couldn't do better, you?

Khloe Kardashian, who's family has certainly faced criticism, tweeted this, and I have to agree. "It amazes me how many negative people there r in the world and how badly they want 2 see others fail. Should b immune 2 it but its shocking."

As I've said before, we all need think before we type. We've become such a critical society, but we need to remember stars, athletes and anyone else in the public eye are real people and have feelings just like you and me. And they mess up every now and again too.

(Plus I can speak from personal experience. When I worked in television news, I once had a viewer e-mail saying she could tell by the way I tilted my head, I had to be a total bi***. Really lady? I can tell by your e-mail that you're a total...well, you get the point.)



5 comments:

  1. I was just talking to my husband about how negative people are on Facebook! I get especially annoyed by people who use it as a platform to complain about their kids, but I guess now I'm complaining! ha! Great post!

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  2. I did notice she messed it up but I won't comment on anything else b/c I don't think you'll like it. :)

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  3. completely agree! give her a break already people!!!!

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  4. I did notice she messed up, but I HAVE sung it about a dozen times for local semi-pro sports teams over the last couple years. And yes, better :-)

    I can't really judge Fergie's or the BEP's singing since whoever was on the soundboard was grossly incompetent. I will say their stage presentation was more like lima-bean than BEP. Go back and watch the Prince Half-time show.

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  5. Much of the criticism (on this and other matters) seems to be motivated by resentment. Why the resentment, I am not sure (probably requires a couch and a co-pay to determine). Eliminate resentment from judgement and you are left with discernment. It is important for us to discern the behavior of others (Chloe Kardashian included) and it is also okay to comment on performance; all resentment aside. As for Christina's Anthem, it certainly wasn't my favorite, and she clearly lacked her A-game on Super Bowl Sunday. My ideal anthem (and this is my own opinion) is a more traditional version, free of individual stylings and cutesie interludes. Why, you may ask? Simple. a plainly, well sung National Anthem makes the performance more about the meaning of the song and less about the indivdual performer. There is something about standing amongst a crowd of Americans and hearing the words "for the land of the free, and the home of the brave" reverberating throughout a stadium, combined with the roar of fighter jets flying overhead and jubilant cheer from a crowd of thousands that makes the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. Add the site of "Old Glory" waving proudly in the back drop, and a tear wells in my eye as I conjure thoughts of the countless individuals that sacraficed their lives so we may enjoy a sporting event in peace.

    As for the Peas, no one questions their credentials. Unfortunately, their musical style does not translate well in the live version. A Super Bowl halftime performance for the ages occurred in 2002. U2 sang "Where the Streets Have No Name" while the names of victims from 9/11 scrolled on a backdrop. It was the perfect storm of a band with a style of music shaped for live performance, a tragedy to rally us all, and a venue like no other. I have included a link to the performance. Enjoy.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gq08ouOwiqQ

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