I saved this special area for Christina Aguilera. I want to give thanks for who she is and what she brings to the face of entertainment, to music, specifically. And I invite you in this moment to recognize her talent as a vocalist. I just watched a clip of her at the Super Bowl and I have the same reaction I had when I first heard it: She did a good job. It wasn't flawless, but she ripped that ish. I wasn't sure at first because I got caught up in the firestorm of "clownage" over how wrong she was. I don't really care for sports, but always watch the National Anthem. I remember thinking, She's tired. Then I thought, C'mon, Christina, you don't have to put extras on it; you already got it. I was thinking that she looked as if she was calculating each note before she hit it. But wouldn't you? I mean really, if most of the country—not city or state but country—were watching you do your job, wouldn't you want to bring it? So it was in these first few seconds that I realized I was resisting such a wonderful gift (the critical eye syndrome). So I decided to be present. I enjoyed her rendition of the Star Spangled Banner; and the fact that she yelled a bit and fumbled or forgot her words doesn't spoil the most important point: She is a veteran in her craft. She can sing and she did the job that day.
So why was there such a backlash over the mistake that was made? Do we care that much about our National Anthem? Do we know the words verbatim? You may say, "I don't need to know it; that was her job." Okay, so how flawless are we in our day with the teams of individuals that we work with? Are we being productive? Are we really "doing our jobs" when we check in and engage with the homies on Facebook on company time? What about our lunch and break? Do we always come back on time? Are we going to the bathroom 10 times a day just to get away from our desks and workload? Are we using the company phone to make personal calls, instead of using our own phones during our designated break time?
What about when we very smugly say, "That's not my job," when we know good and well we could have dropped that envelope of paperwork off at So-And-So's desk ourselves, and been a team player, maybe even made our co-worker's day?
Ultimately, it never matters what another person is doing, we are always really just experiencing ourselves. But to go one step further, artists bring forth their work with great love, and sometimes pain.Why are we so cruel to people when they don't fully please us the way we think they should? We are especially cruel to artists that emphasize beauty, peace, and love in our world.
"Music is the soundtrack of your life." ~ Dick Clark
This is true, even for music that you don't call your favorites. You know that song you don't care for oftentimes has you singing its praises (literally) all day. Secular music is what our church folks called it when they warned us about it. They called it the devil, not so much because it's bad, but because it's powerful. It sinks right in without us realizing it. There is something to that.
I would just like to point out that I am in no way Christina's #1 fan. I may never purchase a ticket to her concert, and I don't think I own any of her music. But in the grand scheme of my earthly consciousness, she has her place, and I appreciate her work. I found out after the Grammys that Christina was going through a divorce. I felt bad for a minute, and then I wished them both wellness and freedom if that's what they need. She is human, and every human needs a little support during trying times or moments when we don't quite make the mark. I mean, regarding the Super Bowl performance, I'm sure the people who love her told her that it was just a mistake; and at the end of the day, it's not a big deal. I think that is true. I bet her camp worked hard to move on and be over it, which brings me to another point I'd like to make. Celebrities are held to tight schedules because entertainment moves at the speed of life, so they get a lot done in a day. They do not have time to mull over mistakes.The show must go on. So if celebrities work to have a thick skin and get over stuff fast, why don't we in our daily lives?
Jerry Springer has been on the air for 20 years (doing it real big). Even his stage muscle Steve Wilko had a show for a while. Maury Povich has been doing his thing for sometime as well. Although I wish them all great and continued success, um...Jerry Springer and Maury Povich are not household names because of the upstanding dignity that we as Americans consistently express. A lot of that content isn't "right," so to speak. But we watch so that we can mock. It is funny sometimes. And it's okay. That's us "Americans." But when we know better, we must really do better. Let's try to either watch and appreciate all performances, all art, or let's not watch at all.
On Grammy night, I think Christina did a great job with her rendition of Aretha Franklin's "Ain't No Way." Her voice is a part of our soundtrack along with the other women that shared a stage with her that night. As they did their jobs to the best of their ability in that moment, they continued to manifest some of their dreams and express their art.
The next time you find yourself witnessing art move through another, keep your heart open and notice the profound beauty. If you are still and receptive, you may be inspired to become an artist yourself. At the very least, you will be encouraged to "be." That is what art is, in all of its glory—inspiration.
Let's allow that with love.
No comments:
Post a Comment